Cherry Almond Cake Bars
A soft and moist cake made with white cake mix, bursting with juicy cherry pie filling and flavored with almond extract. Topped with a creamy frosting and garnished with maraschino cherries, these bars are an elegant yet simple dessert perfect for sharing.
Ingredients
- 15 ounce white cake mix dry mix only
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 21 ounce cherry pie filling
Frosting
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ⅓ cup cherry pie filling from above
- 2¼ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Garnish
- Maraschino cherries with stems
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 13×9 baking pan.
- Reserve ⅓ cup of cherry filling for frosting.
- Mix cake mix, eggs, baking powder, extracts, and remaining filling. Beat until creamy.
- Pour into pan and level.
- Bake 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.
- Beat cream cheese and butter.
- Add reserved filling, sugar, and extracts. Beat until smooth.
- See full steps with tips & photos → https://wimpysdiner.net/cherry-almond-cake-bars/
Notes
- Make Ahead: These bars can be baked a day in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Frost just before serving.
- Flavor Variations: You can use raspberry or strawberry pie filling for a different flavor profile.
- Dairy-Free Option: Use dairy-free cream cheese and butter to make the frosting.