Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt for the crust/crumb topping.

Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1.5 cups of this mixture for the topping. Stir the vanilla extract into the remaining mixture.

Press the dough mixed with vanilla evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan to form the base. Bake for 12 minutes until lightly golden.

While the base bakes, mix the cherry pie filling with the cornstarch and the extra 2 tablespoons of softened butter in a small bowl until just combined.

Remove the partially baked crust from the oven. Spread the cherry filling evenly over the hot crust. Sprinkle the reserved 1.5 cups of crumb mixture lightly and evenly over the top of the cherry layer.

Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 28-30 minutes, or until the crumb topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling slightly. Let cool completely (at least 2 hours) before slicing into bars.