Cherry Cobbler Pudding Cake

Cherries: Use water-packed pitted tart red cherries rather than prepared cherry pie filling. Drain them well for about 10 minutes, but do not rinse or press them dry. You should have approximately 3 cups drained cherries.
Sweetness: The cherry-layer sugar creates the pudding sauce and balances the tart fruit. Sweet cherries require less sugar and should not be substituted without adjusting and retesting the formula.
Layering: Do not stir the cherries into the batter. The cake rises through and around the fruit as it bakes, while the cherry syrup settles underneath.
Texture and Doneness: The exposed cake must be fully baked, but the center beneath it should remain soft and spoonable. Test a cake-only area rather than inserting the toothpick through a cherry pocket.
Make Ahead: The dry ingredients can be whisked together and the cherries can be drained earlier in the day. Mix the batter and combine the cherries with sugar immediately before assembling and baking.
Storage and Reheating: This dessert is best the day it is made. Cool leftovers, cover, and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat individual servings briefly in the microwave, or warm the covered baking dish in a 300°F oven until heated through.
Serving Suggestions: Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream ; for another old-fashioned spoonable fruit dessert, try Blueberry Cobbler .

Name: Cherry Cobbler Pudding Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 cup granulated sugar; 4 teaspoons baking powder; ½ teaspoon fine salt; 1 cup milk; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 2 cans water-packed pitted tart red cherries; 1 ½ cups granulated sugar; ¼ teaspoon almond extract; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Cut through the soft golden cake and a warm cherry sauce waits underneath. Tart fruit keeps this old-fashioned pudding dessert lively despite its sweet, tender top.

By Betty Lou Gardner1 hr 15 minUpdated 2026-08-25

This Cherry Cobbler Pudding Cake bakes into soft golden cake over a warm layer of bubbling tart cherries and sweet pudding sauce underneath. With crisp golden edges, bright cherry flavor, and a soft spoonable center, it’s an easy old-fashioned dessert that is especially good served warm with vanilla ice cream.

Betty Lou Gardner in a family archival photograph

Granny’s Kitchen Notes

From Betty Lou Gardner

I like the middle a little soft and spoonable because the warm cherry pudding underneath is what makes this dessert special. The golden corners around the edges are the pieces I reach for first.