The performance and durability of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cathodes consisting of a porous Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 (CGO) infiltrated with nitrates corresponding to the nominal compositions La0.6Sr0.4Co1.05O3–δ (LSC), LaCoO3–δ (LC), and Co3O4 are discussed. At 600 °C, the polarization resistance, Rp, varied as: LSC (0.062 Ω cm2) < LC (0.079 Ω cm2) < Co3O4 (0.27 Ω cm2). High temperature X‐ray diffraction revealed a number of different phases in LSC and LC. The electrochemical performance of the LSC‐infiltrated CGO cathode was found to depend on the infiltrate firing temperature and is suggested to originate from a complex interplay between the formation, percolation, and surface area of electronically conducting and catalytically active phases. Simplified models that predict the Rp of LSC‐infiltrated CGO were applied and showed that the performance is not only characterized by the nanoscale size of the infiltrate but also from a better surface exchange property. A 450 h test of an LSC‐infiltrated CGO cathode showed an Rp with final degradation rate of only 11 mΩ cm2 kh–1. An SOFC with an LSC‐infiltrated CGO cathode tested for 1,500 h at 700 °C and 0.5 A cm–2 (60% fuel, 20% air utilization) revealed no measurable degradation.