diff --git a/.changeset/cache-me-if-you-can.md b/.changeset/cache-me-if-you-can.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4322d1158f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/cache-me-if-you-can.md
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+---
+'@backstage/create-app': patch
+---
+
+Cache management has been added to the Backstage backend.
+
+To apply this change to an existing app, make the following changes:
+
+```diff
+// packages/backend/src/types.ts
+
+import { Logger } from 'winston';
+import { Config } from '@backstage/config';
+import {
++  PluginCacheManager,
+  PluginDatabaseManager,
+  PluginEndpointDiscovery,
+  UrlReader,
+} from '@backstage/backend-common';
+
+export type PluginEnvironment = {
+  logger: Logger;
+  database: PluginDatabaseManager;
++  cache: PluginCacheManager;
+  config: Config;
+  reader: UrlReader
+  discovery: PluginEndpointDiscovery;
+};
+```
+
+```diff
+// packages/backend/src/index.ts
+
+import Router from 'express-promise-router';
+import {
+  createServiceBuilder,
+  loadBackendConfig,
+  getRootLogger,
+  useHotMemoize,
+  notFoundHandler,
++  CacheManager,
+  SingleConnectionDatabaseManager,
+  SingleHostDiscovery,
+  UrlReaders,
+} from '@backstage/backend-common';
+import { Config } from '@backstage/config';
+
+function makeCreateEnv(config: Config) {
+  const root = getRootLogger();
+  const reader = UrlReaders.default({ logger: root, config });
+  const discovery = SingleHostDiscovery.fromConfig(config);
+
+  root.info(`Created UrlReader ${reader}`);
+
+  const databaseManager = SingleConnectionDatabaseManager.fromConfig(config);
++  const cacheManager = CacheManager.fromConfig(config);
+
+  return (plugin: string): PluginEnvironment => {
+    const logger = root.child({ type: 'plugin', plugin });
+    const database = databaseManager.forPlugin(plugin);
+-    return { logger, database, config, reader, discovery };
++    const cache = cacheManager.forPlugin(plugin);
++    return { logger, database, cache, config, reader, discovery };
+  };
+}
+```
+
+To configure a cache store, add a `backend.cache` key to your app-config.yaml.
+
+```diff
+// app-config.yaml
+
+backend:
+  baseUrl: http://localhost:7000
+  listen:
+    port: 7000
+  database:
+    client: sqlite3
+    connection: ':memory:'
++  cache:
++    store: memory
+```
diff --git a/.github/styles/vocab.txt b/.github/styles/vocab.txt
index c367fa0a4c..b8f028a2ae 100644
--- a/.github/styles/vocab.txt
+++ b/.github/styles/vocab.txt
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ json
 jsonnet
 jsx
 Kaewkasi
+Keyv
 Knex
 kubectl
 kubernetes
diff --git a/app-config.yaml b/app-config.yaml
index b1c915f85a..9874ce37ac 100644
--- a/app-config.yaml
+++ b/app-config.yaml
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ backend:
   database:
     client: sqlite3
     connection: ':memory:'
+  cache:
+    store: memory
   cors:
     origin: http://localhost:3000
     methods: [GET, POST, PUT, DELETE]
diff --git a/docs/overview/architecture-overview.md b/docs/overview/architecture-overview.md
index 316f066614..af46a8c830 100644
--- a/docs/overview/architecture-overview.md
+++ b/docs/overview/architecture-overview.md
@@ -182,6 +182,21 @@ work but
 [aren't tested as fully](https://github.com/backstage/backstage/issues/2460)
 yet.
 
+## Cache
+
+The Backstage backend and its builtin plugins are also able to leverage cache
+stores as a means of improving performance or reliability. Similar to how
+databases are supported, plugins receive logically separated cache connections,
+which are powered by [Keyv](https://github.com/lukechilds/keyv) under the hood.
+
+At this time of writing, Backstage can be configured to use one of two cache
+stores: memory, which is mainly used for local testing, and memcache, which is a
+cache store better suited for production deployment. The right cache store for
+your Backstage instance will depend on your own run-time constraints and those
+required of the plugins you're running.
+
+Contributions supporting other cache stores are welcome!
+
 ## Containerization
 
 The example Backstage architecture shown above would Dockerize into three
diff --git a/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/app-config.yaml.hbs b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/app-config.yaml.hbs
index dbdd1fd184..d37cffd680 100644
--- a/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/app-config.yaml.hbs
+++ b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/app-config.yaml.hbs
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ backend:
         #ca: # if you have a CA file and want to verify it you can uncomment this section
         #  $file: <file-path>/ca/server.crt
   {{/if}}
+  cache:
+    store: memory
   # workingDirectory: /tmp # Use this to configure a working directory for the scaffolder, defaults to the OS temp-dir
 
 integrations:
diff --git a/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/packages/backend/src/index.ts b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/packages/backend/src/index.ts
index 80dc6230a6..aebd034aae 100644
--- a/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/packages/backend/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/packages/backend/src/index.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import {
   getRootLogger,
   useHotMemoize,
   notFoundHandler,
+  CacheManager,
   SingleConnectionDatabaseManager,
   SingleHostDiscovery,
   UrlReaders,
@@ -34,11 +35,13 @@ function makeCreateEnv(config: Config) {
   root.info(`Created UrlReader ${reader}`);
 
   const databaseManager = SingleConnectionDatabaseManager.fromConfig(config);
+  const cacheManager = CacheManager.fromConfig(config);
 
   return (plugin: string): PluginEnvironment => {
     const logger = root.child({ type: 'plugin', plugin });
     const database = databaseManager.forPlugin(plugin);
-    return { logger, database, config, reader, discovery };
+    const cache = cacheManager.forPlugin(plugin);
+    return { logger, database, cache, config, reader, discovery };
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/packages/backend/src/types.ts b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/packages/backend/src/types.ts
index 757a0e5acf..e5bfff2e1f 100644
--- a/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/packages/backend/src/types.ts
+++ b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/packages/backend/src/types.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { Logger } from 'winston';
 import { Config } from '@backstage/config';
 import {
+  PluginCacheManager,
   PluginDatabaseManager,
   PluginEndpointDiscovery,
   UrlReader,
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@ import {
 export type PluginEnvironment = {
   logger: Logger;
   database: PluginDatabaseManager;
+  cache: PluginCacheManager;
   config: Config;
   reader: UrlReader
   discovery: PluginEndpointDiscovery;