Cherry Garcia Upside-Down Cake

Inspired by my favorite Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor, this Cherry Garcia upside-down cake combines a stracciatella cake batter with jarred cherries and an irresistible maraschino cherry whipped mascarpone.

A stracciatella cake batter is adorned with maraschino cherries and a light, fluffy, creamy maraschino cherry mascarpone frosting.

Cherry ice cream is one of my favorite flavors, and Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia makes the best version of it in my opinion. The flecks of chocolate, the big hunks of cherry, and the cherry-flavored ice cream are everything I want in a bowl. I wanted to recreate that ice cream flavor in upside-down cake for (of course), and I couldn’t be more thrilled with the results.

I start with a layer of vanilla caramel and then maraschino cherries that I toss in just a bit of amaretto and cornstarch. While Ben & Jerry’s doesn’t use almond extract in their ice cream, I find the almond flavor of amaretto just accentuates cherries so nicely. You can definitely omit it if you don’t have it! From there, I finish the dessert with a stracciatella cake batter. Similar to my Stracciatella Cupcakes, I hand-chop dark chocolate to create a variety of shavings and chunks that make each bite of cake have the perfect amount of dark chocolate flavor.

To finish the cake, I make a ridiculously simple maraschino cherry whipped mascarpone. It’s just heavy cream, mascarpone, powdered sugar, and a little juice from the jar of maraschino cherries.

I pipe the frosting on top and finish with more dark chocolate shavings to create the most Cherry Garcia flavor in each bite. The cake is light and moist, and each bite is a burst of cherry and chocolate flavor.

While I know I shouldn’t pick favorites, this upside-down cake is definitely up there as one I will consistently revisit for special events or just because. I’m even going to make it for my Galentine’s Day event this year because it’s just so beautiful and tastes so good!

How to make Cherry Garcia Upside-Down Cake

A step-by-step guide to pulling off a clean flip and a bakery-worthy finish.

What you need

• Caramel: Butter, light brown sugar, heavy cream, vanilla
• Cherries: Maraschino cherries, cornstarch, amaretto or almond extract
• Cake batter: Dark chocolate, flour, powdered buttermilk, baking powder, salt, butter, sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla
• Frosting: Heavy cream, powdered sugar, mascarpone, and reserved cherry liquid
• For serving: Dark chocolate and stem-on maraschino cherries

How to make it

Step 1: Make the caramel.
Melt the butter, stir in the brown sugar, and cook until dissolved and slightly darkened. Whisk in the cream and vanilla, then pour into a greased 9-inch round cake pan. Chill for 15 minutes to set.

Step 2: Prepare the cherries.
Toss the drained maraschino cherries with cornstarch and amaretto (or almond extract) until evenly coated. Set aside.

Step 3: Prepare the chocolate.
Finely chop or shave the dark chocolate into small shards. Very fine pieces distribute best throughout the cake.

Step 4: Make the batter.
Sift together the dry ingredients. Cream the butter and sugar, beat in the eggs, then alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk. Fold in the chocolate gently.

Step 5: Assemble the cake.
Scatter the cherries evenly over the chilled caramel layer. Spoon the batter over the cherries and smooth the top.

Step 6: Bake.
Bake at 350ºF for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 45 minutes.

Step 7: Make the mascarpone frosting.
Whip the cream with powdered sugar and cherry liquid until soft peaks form, then add mascarpone and whip just until stiff peaks form. Chill until ready to use.

Step 8: Flip the cake.
Invert the cake onto a serving plate and let it cool completely, about 1 hour.

Step 9: Frost and finish.
Pipe or spread the mascarpone frosting on top. Garnish with shaved dark chocolate and stem-on cherries before slicing.

FAQs

Can I use fresh or frozen cherries instead of maraschino?
You can, but I’d advise against it. The flavor will be less “Cherry Garcia.” If using fresh or frozen cherries, increase the sugar slightly and skip the cherry-liquid frosting element.

What does powdered buttermilk do here?
It adds subtle tang and tenderness without extra liquid, which helps keep the crumb light while supporting the fruit layer.

Can I make this ahead?
Yes. The cake can be baked and flipped a day ahead. Frost just before serving for the cleanest look.

Do I need the frosting?
Technically, no. But it does add a creamy element that mirrors the ice cream inspiration and balances the chocolate and cherries beautifully.

Cherry Garcia Upside-Down Cake

Inspired by my favorite Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor, this Cherry Garcia upside-down cake combines a stracciatella cake batter with jarred cherries and an irresistible maraschino cherry whipped mascarpone.

5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Inactive time: 2 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 3 hours hours 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 to 10

Calories: 412kcal

Equipment

• 9-Inch Round Cake Pan
• Saucepan
• Electric hand mixer
• Mixing Bowls
• Fine mesh sieve
• Piping bag

Ingredients

Caramel:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cherries:

• 16-ounce jar maraschino cherries (drained; liquid reserved from the jar for the mascarpone frosting)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon amaretto liqueur (or use 1 teaspoon almond extract)

Batter:

• 1½ ounces dark chocolate (see Note 1)
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon powdered buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Maraschino cherry whipped mascarpone:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup powdered sugar (sifted)
• 4 ounces mascarpone cheese
• 6 tablespoons maraschino cherry liquid (from the jar)

For serving:

• Dark chocolate (finely chopped or grated)
• Stem-on maraschino cherries

Instructions

Make the caramel:

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan. Set aside.
• Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a small pot over medium heat. Once melted, add ½ cup of light brown sugar. Stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture darkens slightly in color.
• Turn the heat to low and add 2 tablespoons heavy cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and simmer for 1 minute. Turn off the heat.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and smooth it into an even layer. Transfer to the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Prepare the cherries:

• Add the drained cherries to a bowl with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon amaretto liqueur. Stir to coat and set aside.

Prepare the chocolate:

• Use a sharp knife to finely chop the chocolate. It should be very finely shaved into shards of varying sizes. You can also use a grater or vegetable peeler to grate or shave it, if preferred.

Make the batter:

• Sift ¾ cup of all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon powdered buttermilk, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt into a small bowl. Set aside.
• Add 4 tablespoons of room temperature butter and ½ cup of granulated sugar to a large bowl. Use an electric hand mixer to cream them together. Add 2 eggs and beat until smooth.
• Add half the sifted dry ingredients and beat with the mixer until just combined. Add half the milk and beat until just combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and the remaining milk, along with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Beat until just combined. Don’t over-mix! Gently fold in the chopped chocolate and set aside.

Assemble the cake:

• Remove the cake pan from the refrigerator. Pour the cherries on top of the caramel layer and arrange them in an even layer. Pour the batter over the cherries and smooth it out with the back of your spatula.

Bake the upside-down cake:

• Transfer the cake to the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Let the cake stand at room temperature for 45 minutes. The cake should still be warm to the touch.

Make the mascarpone frosting:

• Place 1 cup heavy cream in a large bowl. Add ½ cup sifted powdered sugar and 6 tablespoons of the reserved maraschino liquid. Beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Add the mascarpone and continue beating just until stiff peaks form, being careful not to overmix it. Cover and refrigerate up to 12 hours.

Flip the cake:

• Place a large plate over the cake pan and carefully invert the cake onto the plate. Let stand for 1 hour until completely cool.

Frost the cake:

• Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and frost the top of the upside-down cake, or use a rubber spatula to pile the frosting on top and smooth it out. Garnish with stem-on maraschino cherries and more shaved dark chocolate. Slice the cake and enjoy!

Notes

I used 85% cacao for a more intense flavor. You can also make this with 70% cacao for a little less intensity.

Nutrition

Calories: 412kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 27g | Sodium: 205mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin C: 0.2mg

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