Whether you’re serving it for breakfast, brunch, a holiday gathering, or an afternoon coffee break, this Quick Cherry Coffee Cake comes together with simple pantry ingredients and delivers big flavor with minimal effort! Every bite is packed with sweet-tart cherries, soft cake, and a delicious crumb topping that makes this recipe a family favorite!

Cherry Coffee Cake with Pie Filling!

I almost scrapped these pictures because the piece I cut fell apart on the plate. But that’s what the pie filling does, it pushes it’s way out because it’s so gooey. And gooey is what makes this recipe delicious, so I decided I must use these pictures to really portray how good this stuff is!

Why this Recipe Works

The Cake Batter is Light and Tender – The baking powder provides lift, while the shortening helps create a soft, delicate crumb that stays moist.

Cherry Pie Filling Adds Instant Flavor and Moisture – Using canned cherry pie filling saves time while providing a sweet tart fruit layer that keeps the cake from tasting dry.

The Icing Ties Everything Together – A simple powdered sugar glaze adds just the right amount of sweetness and creates a bakery style finish.

Easy Yet Impressive – With pantry friendly ingredients and cherry pie filling, you get a homemade coffee cake that tastes like it took much more effort than it actually did.

Easy cherry coffee cake sliced and served on a white dessert plate

Ingredients You’ll Need for the Cake

2 cups Flour – Forms the foundation of the cake, giving it structure and a tender crumb.

3 tsp Baking Powder – Helps the cake rise, creating a light and fluffy texture.

1 tsp Salt – Enhances the flavors and balances the sweetness.

1/2 cup Sugar – Sweetens the cake and helps keep it moist.

2/3 cup Shortening – Adds richness and creates a soft, tender texture.

1 cup Milk – Provides moisture and helps bring the batter together.

2 (21 oz) cans Cherry Pie Filling – Adds sweet tart cherry flavor, moisture, and a beautiful fruity layer throughout the cake.

The Streusel Topping

1/4 cup Butter – Creates a rich, crumbly topping with delicious butter flavor.

1/2 cup Sugar – Adds sweetness and helps the streusel develop a slightly crisp texture.

1/2 cup Flour – Gives the topping its signature crumbly consistency.

1/8 tsp Vanilla – Adds a subtle sweetness and enhances the overall flavor of the streusel.

And the Icing

1/2 cup Powdered Sugar – Creates a smooth, sweet glaze that finishes the cake beautifully.

1/2 tbsp Milk – Thins the powdered sugar into a drizzle worthy icing consistency.

Moist cherry coffee cake made with sweet cherry pie filling

How to Make Quick Cherry Coffee Cake

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 9 x 13 pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

In a medium size bowl, combine 2 cups flour, 3 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 cup sugar, 2/3 cup shortening, and 1 cup milk. Mix together until the dough feels like sticky biscuit dough.

Spread into bottom of prepared pan evenly, bringing some of the dough up the sides of the pan to contain the pie filling.

Cover the dough with 2 (21 oz) cans of cherry pie filling. The filling should not touch the sides of the pan.

Using the same bowl, mix 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour, and 1/8 tsp vanilla together with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over cherry pie filling.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the streusel is golden brown.

Remove from oven and let cool.

Combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 1/2 tbsp milk to form icing, then drizzle over the coffee cake.

Use Pie Filling of Your Choice – You can use any fruit pie filling you’d like in this recipe!

Spread the Filling Evenly – Distribute the pie filling across the batter so every slice has plenty of sweet flavor.

Leave Some Larger Streusel Crumbs – A mix of small and large crumbs gives the topping better texture and a bakery style appearance.

Adjust the Icing Consistency as Needed – Add a few extra drops of milk if it’s too thick or a little more powdered sugar if it’s too thin.

Cool Before Adding the Icing – Let the cake cool slightly so the icing drizzles nicely across the top instead of melting into the cake.