If you've been reading the blog for a while, you may have noticed that I have a thing for poke cakes. This Cherry Almond Poke Cake saturates a white cake with cherry syrup to really pack in the cherry flavor. And, cream cheese almond topping really brings together the traditional pairing of cherry and almond.

WHY DOES ALMOND GO SO WELL WITH CHERRY?

Almond extract is a great addition to cherry desserts because it balances the acidity of cherries. You may not have realized it, but most cherry desserts include almond for this reason.

This Cherry Almond Poke Cake uses maraschino cherries and cherry syrup. Maraschino cherries are the bright red cherries you often see in Tropical Fruity Sangria, on top of ice cream sundaes, or in a pineapple upside down cake. Their bright glossy red color is iconic and has been a stable in American cocktails and desserts for decades.

HOW ARE MARASCHINO CHERRIES MADE?

Maraschino cherries were introduced in the U.S. in the late 19th Century. Cherries have a short growing season and were hard to produce, so food companies started to preserve them in a brine solution. The cherries were then sweetened and colored the ruby red color that has made them famous.

WHY THE OBSESSION WITH POKE CAKES?

Poke cakes are a great way to infuse cake with flavors and moisture. By poking little (or sometimes big) holes in your cake, you can let the flavor of your choice seep into every bite. This moist and flavorful Cherry Almond Poke Cake will give you a taste of summer in every bite. Check out the links at the bottom of this post for more delicious poke cake recipes.

HOW TO MAKE CHERRY ALMOND POKE CAKE

Cherry almond poke cake served on a white plate next to a blue print napkin and forks

Bake cake according to package instructions. Allow to partially cool on a wire rack. Once partially cooled, poke holes with a fork or wooden skewer.

Baked white cake with holes poked on the top sitting next to a measuring cup full of cherry syrup

Pour cherry syrup over the holes in the cake, allowing the cherry syrup to soak in.

Cherry syrup being poured over baked white cake and filling the small poked holes

Cream together the cream cheese and powdered sugar using a hand-held mixer. Add in almond extract and almond milk. Spread cream cheese mixture over the top of the cake.

Baked cake with cherry syrup soaking into the top sitting next to a bowl of whipped cream almond topping

Mix together whipped topping with cherries and half of the almonds. Spread this on top of the cream cheese mixture. Top with remaining almonds. Refrigerate for at least an hour prior to serving.

Finished cherry almond poke cake with whipped topping and sliced almonds

Slice and serve with an extra cherry on top.

slice of cherry almond poke cake and served on a plate and topped with a maraschino cherry

MORE DELICIOUS POKE CAKE RECIPES

If you've fallen for Cherry Almond Poke Cake, you'll want to try these other poke cake recipes:

Apple Spice Poke Cake
Red Velvet Poke Cake with Cream Cheese Cool Whip Frosting
Pineapple Poke Cake

Recipe

Cherry Almond Poke Cake

Yield Servings 12
Prep Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Cook Time 30 mins
Total Total Time 45 mins

Ingredients

1 white cake mix, prepared as directed on package instructions
¾ to 1 cup cherry syrup
2 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons almond milk
8 ounce tub whipped topping, thawed
½ cup maraschino cherries, chopped
½ cup slivered almonds, divided

Instructions

1
Bake cake according to package instructions. Allow to partially cool on a wire rack.
2
Poke holes with a fork or wooden skewer.
3
Pour cherry syrup over the holes in the cake, allowing the cherry syrup to soak up.
4
Cream together the cream cheese and powdered sugar using a hand-held mixer. Add in almond extract and almond milk.
5
Spread cream cheese mixture over the top of the cake.
6
Mix together whipped topping with cherries and half of the almonds. Spread this on top of the cream cheese mixture.
7
Top with remaining almonds.
8
Refrigerate for at least an hour prior to serving.