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1. In a medium saucepan, combine the pitted cherries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using).
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring gently until the mixture starts to bubble and thicken, about 5-7 minutes. If using frozen cherries, it may take a bit longer for the mixture to heat through.
3. Once thickened, remove from heat and set aside to cool while you prepare the cake batter.
4. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set this dry mixture aside.
6. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
7. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then, stir in the vanilla extract.
8. Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Start and end with the flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few lumps are okay.
9. In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
10. Pour in the melted butter and mix with a fork or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
11. Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared cake pan, spreading it evenly across the bottom.
12. Carefully spoon the cherry filling over the batter, spreading it out evenly but leaving a small border around the edges to prevent overflow.
13. Pour the remaining cake batter over the cherry filling, smoothing it out gently with a spatula.
14. Finally, sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the top of the cake batter.
15. Place the cake in the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a few moist crumbs are okay, but no wet batter).
16. Keep an eye on the crumble topping; if it starts to brown too quickly, you can cover the cake loosely with aluminum foil for the last 10-15 minutes of baking.
17. Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.

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