Cherry Butter Cake (Vajas Cseresznyés )

This recipe comes from Croatian grandmother Višnja Zelić Toth-Fejel. Her Hungarian husban requested traditional Hungarian baked goods, hence this became a recipe of hers.

Her name “Višnja” means “cherry” in her mother-tongue, Croatian, and this cake very much feels like a part of her.

This cake is delicious with late-season sweet cherries. Stud the cake’s top with as many as you feel like. Many of them will sink into the cake, which is perfectly fine, and doesn’t destroy the texture or enjoyment of the cake. Garnish with any extra cherries.

The cake has a delicious, buttery texture that keeps well for a few days. Enjoy with coffee, or take it on a picnic with you with a nice glass of dry, white wine.



Thank you to Gretchen Toth-Fejel Marshall and her family for digging up the recipe, her Aunt Vera for providing a translation from the Hungarian. It worked great! Some of the volume equivalents from the grams were inaccurate. I recreated it using just the gram measurements, and corrected the volume measurements in the recipe posted on this site. Below is the original recipe in Hungarian!

Cherry Butter Cake (Vajas Cseresznyés)

This delicious Hungarian cake uses late-season sweet cherries to stud the top of a light, buttery cake. A real treat for brunch, a picnic, or a light dessert!
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Ingredients
  

  • 200 grams soft, unsalted butter (1 stick + 7 TBSP, or a scant 1 cup measure)
  • 300 grams sugar (1 1/2 cups)
  • 1 whole egg
  • 3 eggs, separated
  • 220 grams all purpose flour (1 1/2 cups)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Whole cherries, for the top. (You'll want at least 10.)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously spray and line with parchment a 9×9" pan. This cake likes to stick, so don't be shy with your spray!
  • Using paddle attachment of stand mixer, cream together soft butter and sugar (or you can use an electric handheld mixer.)
  • Slowly add 1 whole egg, and 3 egg yolks to the creamed mixture. Make sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next.
  • Add flour and baking powder, ensuring there are no lumps and everything is evenly mixed. Pull mixture off of stand mixer and set aside.
  • Using whisk attachment, or handheld electric mixer, whip reserved egg whites to a medium peak. Fold into cake batter.
  • Pour batter into prepared pan. Use whole cherries to stud the top with fruit, leaving a bit of room between each cherry.
  • Bake in 325 oven, for about 30 minutes, checking and rotating after the first 20. Cake should be golden brown, but not dark, on top. Skewer should come out clean.
  • Remove from pan, and let cool. Enjoy!