Get ready to delight your senses with a cake that’s as stunning to look at as it is to eat! This Chocolate Cherry Cake is a beautiful symphony of deep chocolate flavor, sweet cherry bursts, and a luxuriously smooth frosting, making every bite an absolute dream.
This decadent creation features a moist chocolate cake studded with luscious cherry pie filling and chocolate chunks, all enrobed in a rich chocolate buttercream.
Recipe Details
- Flavor Profile: Rich chocolate with sweet, slightly tart cherry notes and a deep cocoa frosting.
- Texture: Moist and tender cake with pockets of gooey cherries and melted chocolate, topped with a velvety smooth buttercream.
- Total Active Time: Approximately 45 minutes (15 minutes for cake prep, 30 minutes for frosting prep).
- Bake Time: 35-40 minutes.
- Chill Time: None required.
- Difficulty Level: Easy. This recipe uses simple steps and pantry staples, making it perfect for bakers of all levels.
What You’ll Need
For this irresistible Chocolate Cherry Cake, you’ll primarily be working with a classic chocolate cake mix as your base, enhanced by the delightful addition of cherry pie filling and chocolate chunks. The frosting is a homemade chocolate buttercream, made rich and creamy with butter, cocoa powder, melted chocolate, and a few other pantry staples that bring it all together.
Ingredient Notes
- 1 Box Chocolate Cake Mix (15oz): This forms the foundation of our cake, ensuring a moist and tender crumb with minimal effort. Any standard 15oz box of chocolate cake mix will work beautifully here.
- 1 Can Cherry Pie Filling (21oz): This is where the magic happens! The cherry pie filling adds wonderful bursts of sweet-tart flavor and a lovely moist texture to the chocolate cake.
- 2 Large Eggs & 1 Egg Yolk: These bind the cake ingredients together and contribute to a richer, more tender crumb. The extra egg yolk adds a wonderful richness.
- ½ teaspoon Almond Extract: A little secret ingredient that really elevates the chocolate and cherry flavors, adding a subtle layer of complexity.
- 1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks ((or chocolate chips)): These melt slightly during baking, creating delightful pockets of gooey chocolate throughout the cake.
- 8 Ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate (melted and cooled): This is key for our luscious frosting. Melting and cooling it ensures it incorporates smoothly without seizing or altering the frosting’s texture.
- 1 ½ Cups Unsalted Butter (softened to room temperature): The creamy base of our buttercream. Make sure it’s properly softened so it beats up light and fluffy.
- 3-4 Cups Confectioners’ Sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting to the perfect spreadable consistency. You can adjust the amount slightly depending on how stiff you like your frosting.
- 1 Cup Cocoa Powder: Provides that deep, dark chocolate flavor to our frosting. Unsweetened cocoa powder is best.
- ¼ Cup Whole Milk: Helps to achieve the perfect frosting consistency. You can substitute with other milks if needed, but whole milk provides the best richness.
- ¼ Cup Light Corn Syrup: Adds a beautiful sheen and helps keep the frosting incredibly smooth and spreadable.
- 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances all the flavors and adds that classic comforting aroma.
- ¼ teaspoon Salt: A little salt in the frosting balances the sweetness and really makes the chocolate flavors pop.
Add-ins and Substitutions
While this recipe is absolutely divine as is, you can certainly play around with it to make it your own. For an extra cherry kick, you could fold in an additional 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen (and thawed) cherries along with the pie filling. If you’re a fan of darker chocolate, feel free to use dark chocolate chunks or chips in the cake batter. For the frosting, if you can’t find corn syrup, a bit of honey can work in a pinch, though it might slightly alter the flavor profile.
How to Make Chocolate Cherry Cake Recipe
Get ready for a truly simple yet incredibly rewarding baking experience! This cake comes together in a flash, and the results are absolutely show-stopping.
- Prep Your Pan and Oven: Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Then, generously grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan. This step is crucial to ensure your beautiful cake doesn’t stick!
- Mix the Cake Batter: In a large mixing bowl, combine the box of chocolate cake mix, the can of cherry pie filling, the two large eggs, the single egg yolk, and the almond extract. Stir everything together until it’s just combined and you have a lovely, thick batter.
- Add the Chocolate Chunks: Gently fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chips. This will give you those delightful pockets of melted chocolate throughout your cake.
- Bake to Perfection: Pour the batter evenly into your prepared baking pan. Pop it into the preheated oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs, or clean.
- Cool Down: Once baked, carefully remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. This is important before frosting!
- Whip Up the Frosting: While the cake is cooling, it’s time to make that dreamy frosting. In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter with an electric mixer until it’s wonderfully light and fluffy.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Gradually add in the confectioners’ sugar and the cocoa powder, mixing on low speed until everything is just combined. This prevents a cloud of sugar and cocoa from erupting!
- Incorporate Wet Ingredients: Now, add the melted and cooled semi-sweet chocolate, the whole milk, light corn syrup, pure vanilla extract, and salt. Beat everything together on medium-high speed until the frosting is completely smooth, creamy, and utterly irresistible.
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Frost and Serve: Once the cake has cooled completely, spread the luscious chocolate frosting evenly over the top. Slice and serve your magnificent Chocolate Cherry Cake!
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Pro Tip: Don’t overmix the cake batter once you add the wet ingredients to the dry. Overmixing can lead to a tougher cake, and we want a super tender crumb!
Recipe Tips
- Proper Pan Prep is Key: Don’t skip greasing and flouring your pan. A well-prepared pan ensures your cake slides out cleanly, looking as beautiful as it tastes.
- Cooling is Crucial: Resist the urge to frost a warm cake! Allowing it to cool completely prevents the frosting from melting and sliding off.
- Butter Consistency Matters: For the frosting, make sure your butter is truly softened – not melted. It should yield easily to gentle pressure but not be greasy or oily.
- Doneness Check: When testing the cake for doneness, be sure to insert the toothpick into the center of the cake, avoiding any cherries.
- Frosting Smoothness: If your frosting seems a little too thick, add milk a tablespoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. If it’s too thin, add a little more confectioners’ sugar, a tablespoon at a time.
FAQs
- Can I use a different size pan? While a 9×13-inch pan is recommended for even baking, you could potentially use two 8-inch round pans. You would need to adjust the baking time, checking for doneness sooner.
- How do I store leftover cake? Store any leftover Chocolate Cherry Cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Can I freeze this cake? Yes, you can freeze the unfrosted cake layers or the frosted cake. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil. It should keep well in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Serving Suggestions
This Chocolate Cherry Cake is a star all on its own, but it pairs wonderfully with a cold glass of milk or a hot cup of coffee. For an extra special treat, consider serving a slice with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. It’s also a fantastic dessert to bring to potlucks or gatherings.
Make This Recipe in Advance
The cake layers for this Chocolate Cherry Cake can be baked a day in advance and stored at room temperature, well-wrapped. The frosting can also be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Let the frosting come to room temperature and give it a quick re-whipping before spreading it on the fully cooled cake. This cake is best enjoyed within a few days of frosting.
Print
Chocolate Cherry Cake Recipe
- Total Time: Approximately 1 hour 25 minutes (plus cooling time)
- Yield: 12-16 servings 1x
Description
Indulge in this decadent Chocolate Cherry Cake, featuring a moist chocolate cake studded with cherry pie filling and chocolate chunks, all topped with a rich chocolate buttercream. An easy and impressive dessert for any occasion.
Ingredients
1 Box Chocolate Cake Mix (15oz)
1 Can Cherry Pie Filling (21oz)
2 Large Eggs
1 Egg Yolk
1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract
1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks ((or chocolate chips))
8 Ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate (melted and cooled)
1 1/2 Cups Unsalted Butter (softened to room temperature)
3–4 Cups Confectioners’ Sugar
1 Cup Cocoa Powder
1/4 Cup Whole Milk
1/4 Cup Light Corn Syrup
2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
1/4 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan.
Combine cake mix, cherry pie filling, eggs, egg yolk, and almond extract. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes.
After the cake cools, prepare the frosting. Beat softened butter until light and fluffy.
Gradually add confectioners sugar and cocoa powder, mixing until combined.
Add melted chocolate, milk, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt, then beat until smooth. Frost the cooled cake and serve.
Notes
Don’t overmix the cake batter once you add the wet ingredients to the dry. Overmixing can lead to a tougher cake, and we want a super tender crumb!
Don’t skip greasing and flouring your pan. A well-prepared pan ensures your cake slides out cleanly, looking as beautiful as it tastes.
Resist the urge to frost a warm cake! Allowing it to cool completely prevents the frosting from melting and sliding off.
For the frosting, make sure your butter is truly softened – not melted. It should yield easily to gentle pressure but not be greasy or oily.
When testing the cake for doneness, be sure to insert the toothpick into the center of the cake, avoiding any cherries.
If your frosting seems a little too thick, add milk a tablespoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. If it’s too thin, add a little more confectioners’ sugar, a tablespoon at a time.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: N/A
- Fat: N/A
- Carbohydrates: N/A
- Protein: N/A
