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Cherry Bars

These Cherry Bars are a sweet, fruity dessert that combines a buttery cake-like base with a luscious cherry filling, all topped with a delicate glaze. Simple to make and incredibly delicious, these bars are perfect for a summer treat, a picnic, or a quick dessert to impress guests.
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Equipment

  • 9x13-inch baking dish
  • Mixing bowls
  • Hand mixer or whisk
  • Spoon or spatula

Ingredients
  

  • For the Bars:
  • 1 box 15.25 ounces yellow cake mix
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 21-ounce can cherry pie filling
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • For the Glaze:
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • Preheat Oven:
  • Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease or line a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
  • Prepare the Batter:
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the yellow cake mix, eggs, and softened butter. Use a hand mixer or whisk to blend everything together until smooth and creamy. The batter will be thick.
  • Assemble the Cherry Bars:
  • Spread about 2/3 of the batter into the prepared baking dish, pressing it into an even layer. The batter will be sticky, so you can lightly grease your hands to help spread it.
  • Add the Cherry Filling:
  • Spoon the cherry pie filling evenly over the batter layer, spreading it out gently to cover the surface.
  • Top with Remaining Batter:
  • Drop spoonfuls of the remaining batter over the cherry filling, then gently spread it out with a spatula to cover the cherries as much as possible. It doesn’t need to be perfect – some cherry filling can peek through!
  • Bake the Bars:
  • Bake the cherry bars in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Prepare the Glaze:
  • While the bars are cooling, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl until smooth.
  • Finish the Bars:
  • Once the bars have cooled slightly, drizzle the glaze over the top of the bars. Let the glaze set before cutting into squares.
  • Serve and Enjoy:
  • Slice into squares and serve! These cherry bars are perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or as a sweet treat on their own.

Notes

Use Fresh Cherries: For a fresh twist, you can make your own cherry filling by cooking down fresh or frozen cherries with sugar and cornstarch.