Welcome to your new favorite go-to recipe: the **Chocolate Cherry Coffee Cake**! This utterly delicious cake masterfully combines the rich, dark notes of chocolate with the vibrant, juicy sweetness of fresh cherries, all nestled within a tender, moist coffee cake crumb. What makes it even better? It’s incredibly simple to whip up, making it perfect for both seasoned bakers and beginners alike. Forget complicated steps and endless ingredient lists; this recipe focuses on flavor and ease, proving that decadent treats don’t have to be a daunting task.
For those eager to explore more delightful plant-based creations, we have a treasure trove of vegan dessert recipes waiting for you. Dive into our extensive DESSERT ARCHIVE HERE to find your next sweet obsession.
Why This Chocolate Cherry Coffee Cake Is Your Next Must-Bake
Prepare yourself for a truly sensational baking experience! This Chocolate Cherry Coffee Cake isn’t just another recipe; it’s a revelation. The harmonious blend of sweet, tart cherries and rich, indulgent chocolate is absolutely divine, creating a flavor profile that’s both comforting and exciting. Seriously, this might just become a new staple in your baking repertoire. It’s perfect for those moments when you crave something special but don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen. The ease of preparation, combined with its undeniably delicious outcome, makes it a true winner.
Timing is everything, especially when it comes to enjoying seasonal delights. If you’re lucky enough to have fresh, ripe cherries on hand, there’s no better time than now to make this cake. The peak of cherry season is fleeting, and capturing their natural sweetness in a baked good like this coffee cake is an absolute treat. Don’t miss out on creating this incredible dessert while cherries are at their prime – you’ll thank yourself later!
The Seasonal Charm of Fresh Cherries
There’s something truly magical about baking with seasonal produce, and fresh cherries are no exception. For many, the arrival of berry season signifies warmth, abundance, and the joy of fresh, local flavors. In places like Oregon, berry season is particularly vibrant, offering a bounty of ripe fruits just waiting to be enjoyed. The delight of visiting local farms for strawberry picking or anticipating a cherry-picking excursion is a simple pleasure that connects us with nature’s cycles and local agriculture.
Beyond the joy of picking, there’s the heartwarming experience of community. Generous neighbors sharing their cherry harvests can lead to wonderful culinary adventures. Discovering new varieties of cherries, each with its unique sweetness and texture, adds another layer of excitement to seasonal baking. From Rainier to Bing, each cherry type brings its own character to a recipe, enhancing the overall depth of flavor. This connection to fresh, local ingredients truly elevates the taste of homemade treats.
The Perfect Duo: Chocolate and Cherry
While the combination of chocolate and cherry is a classic for a reason – offering that perfect balance of bittersweet and tart – the true star of this coffee cake remains the cherry. Its bright, fruity notes cut through the richness of the cake and chocolate, creating a dynamic and utterly satisfying taste experience. However, this recipe is wonderfully versatile. If you’re a purist who prefers to let the cherries shine solo, feel free to omit the chocolate chips and increase the cherry quantity. The cake base is robust enough to carry the full load of fruit, offering a pure cherry experience.
Conversely, for the ardent chocolate lovers, don’t hesitate to experiment with different types of chocolate. Whether you opt for dark chocolate chunks, milk chocolate chips, or even white chocolate for a different twist, the cake will welcome it. The beauty of this recipe lies in its adaptability, allowing you to tailor it to your preferences or whatever ingredients you have on hand. For those with an abundance of fresh cherries, this cake is an ideal way to celebrate the season and create something truly special.
Baking Made Simple: Achieving Coffee Cake Perfection
One of the most appealing aspects of this Chocolate Cherry Coffee Cake is its straightforward preparation. You don’t need to be an expert baker to achieve a beautifully moist and flavorful result. The process is designed for simplicity, beginning with the dry ingredients. A quick whisk to combine the flour, sugars, leavening agents, and a touch of salt ensures an even distribution. In a separate bowl, the wet ingredients – plant-based milk, oil, vinegar, and a delightful extract – are brought together, forming the liquid backbone of our cake batter.
The magic truly happens when these two mixtures unite. Gently combining the wet into the dry until just moistened prevents overmixing, which is key to a tender cake. Then, the stars of the show – the pitted, halved cherries and chocolate chips – are carefully folded in, ensuring every bite is bursting with flavor. The final touch, a generous crumble topping, adds an irresistible texture and a hint of cinnamon-spiced sweetness. This simple streusel is sprinkled over the batter before baking, creating a golden, crunchy cap that perfectly complements the soft cake beneath. From mixing to baking, each step is intuitive, promising a rewarding baking journey with delicious results.
Serving and Storage Suggestions
Once your Chocolate Cherry Coffee Cake emerges from the oven, golden and fragrant, the wait to enjoy it can be excruciating! Allow it to cool slightly before slicing into generous portions. This cake is incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed at any time of day. While it makes a fantastic post-dinner dessert, its “coffee cake” moniker suggests a perfect pairing with your morning brew. Imagine waking up to a slice of this moist, fruity, and chocolatey cake alongside a hot cup of coffee or tea – it’s a delightful way to start any day. It also makes for an excellent mid-afternoon snack, offering a little pick-me-up when you need it most.
For optimal freshness, store any leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature on your countertop. It will remain wonderfully moist and flavorful for several days. However, fair warning: this cake is so delicious that it rarely lasts long! Its irresistible combination of textures and tastes means it’s usually devoured long before its official shelf life expires. Be prepared for it to disappear quickly!
We absolutely love seeing your culinary creations! If you bake this incredible vegan coffee cake, we encourage you to snap a picture and share it with us. Be sure to tag me on Instagram @foodwithfeeling. It’s always a joy to see how you bring our recipes to life and hear your thoughts on them. Happy baking!
More Vegan Desserts you’ll love:
- Vegan Key Lime Pie
- Raspberry Crumble Bars
- PB&J Thumbprint Cookies
- Vegan Skillet Cookies
- Peach Cobbler
- Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
- Vegan Pie Crust
- Vegan Brownies
- Vegan Zucchini Bread
- Chocolate Baked Donuts
- Vegan Sugar Cookies
- Vegan Banana Bread
- Vegan Chocolate Cake
See how to make the cake here:
Chocolate Cherry Coffee Cake
Brita Britnell
10
50
1
8
servings
Ingredients
For the bottom layer:
- 1 cup of all purpose flour
- ¼ cup of cane sugar
- ¼ cup of light brown sugar, packed
- ½ teaspoon of baking powder
- ½ teaspoon of baking soda
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- ¼ cup of vegetable oil, or other similar tasteless oil
- ½ cup of plant based milk
- 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, you can use white vinegar if thats what you have
- 1 ½ teaspoons of almond extract, vanilla also works
- 1 heaping cup of fresh cherries, pitted and halved*
- ⅓ cup of chocolate chips, really anything works here, chips or chunks, vegan if necessary
For the top layer:
- 1 ¼ cup of all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup of cane sugar
- ⅓ cup of light brown sugar, packed
- 1 ½ teaspoons of ground cinnamon
- ½ cup of vegan butter, melted
Instructions
-
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F (175°C). Line a 9″ round cake pan (a square pan can also be used) with parchment paper for easy removal and lightly grease the paper with cooking spray.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cane sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
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In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: plant-based milk, vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar, and almond extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and mix gently until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
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Gently fold in the fresh cherries and chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the batter. Pour the cake batter into your prepared pan and set aside.
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For the topping, in a large bowl, combine all of the topping ingredients: flour, cane sugar, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and melted vegan butter. Mix these ingredients together until a crumbly mixture forms.
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Using your hands, evenly crumble the topping mixture over the cake batter in the pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the top is a beautiful golden brown color and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool slightly in the pan before transferring to a wire rack. Then, slice and ENJOY!
Notes
Tried this recipe?
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