This easy cherry torte is the perfect summer dessert! Fresh cherries add a sweet & fruity flavor which tastes great with the tangy whipped cream cheese and buttery pastry crust. But don't worry, if you only have frozen or canned cherries, I've included tips on how to substitute those.
And for more tasty torte desserts, try my blueberry torte and Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte!
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This sweet cherry torte is really a hybrid German-American recipe. Tortes in Germany are often really elaborate, like Black Forest Cake. This simple Kirschtorte is three layers, made of a buttery pastry crust, tangy whipped cream cheese, and fruity cherries on top.
It’s perfect for summer, since it can be served chilled as a refreshing sweet dessert. Or serve it in the afternoon with coffee for Kaffee und Kuchen.
For more delicious German cherry cake recipes, try Kirschkuchen, almond cherry coffee cake, Black Forest Bundt cake, and Black Forest sheet cake.
Growing up in Germany, we ate cherries throughout the entire summer. Their naturally sweet flavor and juicy texture is captured in this delicious cherry torte. I'm sure you're going to love it!
About the Crust
A lot of American recipes online for cherry torte use a graham cracker crust. While that crunchy cinnamon crust tastes great and is easy to make, it’s not very German.
I prefer using a simple press-in pastry crust. I first tested it with my apple frangipane tart, and I’m obsessed. It’s delicious and so easy to make, since you don’t need to roll or chill the crust at all.
The pastry crust is more French, and it creates a really thick, crunchy bottom. If you prefer a softer, crumbly crust, I recommend using my shortbread cookie base recipe instead.
Ingredients and Notes
- All purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Salt - I recommend using non-iodized table salt or fine sea salt for the best flavor.
- Unsalted butter - You can substitute salted butter and omit the added salt.
- Fresh cherries - Use either a cherry pitter or a metal straw to easily remove the pits from fresh cherries.
- Lemon juice
- Minute tapioca - Also called instant tapioca, quick-cooking tapioca, or granulated tapioca.
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
How to Make this Recipe
Below is the process to make this recipe. For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the all purpose flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt together.
2. Add the melted butter and mix with a fork until it forms a crumbly mixture.
3. Pour half of the crumbly dough into a greased 9-inch or 10-inch pan. Press the dough around the edges with your fingers.
5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 350°F, until the crust is firm and has developed a slight golden color. Set aside to cool.
7. Add the minute tapioca and increase the heat to high. Boil for one minute while stirring frequently.
9. Spread the whipped cream cheese on the cooled pastry crust. Spread the thickened cherry filling on top.
4. Pour the rest of the dough into the pan in an even layer on the bottom. Poke the dough half a dozen times with a fork.
6. In a small saucepan on medium-low heat, simmer the cherries, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon for 10 minutes.
8. Whisk the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar until it is smooth and fluffy.
10. Refrigerate everything in the tart pan or cake pan for at least 6 hours, or overnight. Slice and enjoy!!
Carissa's Kitchen Tip
To spread the cream cheese in an even layer, I like using an offset spatula.
But you can also use a silicone spatula or the back of a spoon.
Recipe Tips
- Tart Pan: I recommend using a tart pan with a removable bottom or a springform pan, so it’s easy to remove the cake and slice it. However you can also use a pie dish or any round cake pan.
- Pastry Crust: You can either spread the crust in an even layer on the bottom of the pan, or make it a little thinner and have the crust go up the sides of the dish by half an inch.
- Softened Cream Cheese: If you forget to soften your cream cheese, put the unopened container in a large bowl of warm water for 15 minutes. It'll soften so you can whip it up easily.
Variations
- Cherry Pie Filling: You can replace the cherry topping with cherry pie filling, but it’ll taste a lot sweeter.
- Canned Cherries: You can substitute canned cherries if fresh cherries aren’t available in your area or if they’re not in season. Reduce the cooking time by a few minutes as needed.
- Frozen Cherries: You can replace fresh cherries with frozen cherries. Add a few extra minutes to the cooking time as needed.
- Mini Tortes: Divide the crust, filling, and cherry topping into smaller tart pans and bake them to make mini tortes instead of one large torte.
- Blueberries: Substitute the cherries for small berries like in my blueberry torte.
How to Serve Cherry Torte
This sweet and tangy cherry torte tastes great on it’s own for dessert or an afternoon sweet treat.
Or serve it with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or vanilla sauce (called Vanillesoße in German).
Storage
- Room Temperature: Since the torte contains cream cheese, I don't recommend storing your cherry torte at room temperature for longer than two hours.
- Fridge: Store leftover torte in the fridge covered with plastic wrap, in an airtight container, or under a cake dome for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Wrap your torte in plastic cling wrap, then in aluminum foil. Store it in the freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before serving it.
What’s the difference between a tart and a torte?
Tarts and tortes are both popular pastries, but they have distinct differences in terms of ingredients, preparation, and structure.
A tart is a pastry with a base made of a crumbly shortcrust pastry. It typically has a shallow crust and is filled with a variety of sweet or savory fillings.
A traditional German torte is a rich, multi-layered cake that often relies on ground nuts or breadcrumbs for its structure.
This cherry torte is sort of a blend of the two. It has a buttery crust, but it's topped with layers of tangy whipped cream cheese and cooked cherries.
What’s the difference between torte and cake?
While they're both types of sweet cakes, tortes are generally denser and more luxurious compared to cakes.
A torte is a rich, multi-layered cake that features thin layers filled with buttercream, mousse, or fruit fillings.
In contrast, cake (or kuchen in German) is typically lighter and can be made from just a single layer.
Related Recipes
Looking for more German cake recipes? Try these:
Easy Cherry Torte
Equipment
- measuring cups and spoons
- mixing bowls
- whisk
- small saucepan
- Large Spoon or Spatula
- hand mixer
Ingredients
PASTRY CRUST
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt (use table salt or fine sea salt)
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (one stick)
CHERRY TOPPING
- 3 cups fresh cherries, with the stems and pits removed (you can substitute frozen or canned cherries, see notes)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed from one medium lemon)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons minute tapioca (also called instant tapioca, quick-cooking tapioca, or granulated tapioca)
CREAM CHEESE FILLING
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Make and Par-Bake the Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch or 10-inch tart pan, shallow pie tin, springform pan with butter.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the all purpose flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt together.
- Add the melted butter and mix with a fork until it forms a crumbly mixture.
- Pour half of the crumbly dough into the greased pan. Gently press the dough around the edges with your fingers. Pour the rest of the dough into the pan and use your hand or the bottom of a drinking glass to press the dough in an even layer. Poke the dough half a dozen times with a fork.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is firm and has developed a slight golden color (the color change won't be dramatic). Remove the tart from the oven and set aside to cool.
Prepare the Cherry Topping
- In a small saucepan on medium-low heat, simmer the pitted cherries, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon for 10 minutes, until the cherries release a lot of juice and soften. Gently stir occasionally.
- Add the minute tapioca and increase the heat to high. Boil for one minute while stirring frequently.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside to let the cherries cool and thicken.
Make the Cream Cheese Layer
- Use an electric hand mixer to whisk the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar until it is smooth and fluffy.
Assemble the Torte
- Spread the whipped cream cheese on the cooled pastry crust in the tart pan.Spread the cooled cherry filling on top of the cream cheese.
- Refrigerate everything in the pan for at least 6 hours, or overnight. Slice and enjoy!!
Notes
- Tart Pan: I recommend using a tart pan with a removable bottom or a springform pan, so it’s easy to remove the cake and slice it. However you can also use a pie dish or any round cake pan.
- Canned Cherries: You can substitute canned cherries if fresh cherries aren’t available in your area or if they’re not in season. Reduce the cooking time be a few minutes as needed.
- Frozen Cherries: You can replace fresh cherries with frozen cherries. Add a few extra minutes to the cooking time as needed.
- Storing: Store cherry torte in the fridge covered with plastic wrap, in an airtight container, or under a cake dome for up to 4 days. Or wrap the torte in plastic cling wrap, then in aluminum foil and store in the freeze for up to 3 months.
Shanon
My family loved this!
Rolf
Looks delicious, will try it next weekend!
Carissa Erzen
Thanks! Let me know how it goes! 🙂