Recipe at a Glance

Here’s a quick overview of what to expect. For the full details, skip to the detailed recipe below!

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings: 16 slices

Difficulty: Easy

Calories: Approximately 478 kcal per serving

Technique: Combine chocolate cake batter, gently fold in the cherry filling, bake to perfection, and finish with a creamy chocolate cream cheese frosting.

Flavor Profile: A deeply satisfying chocolate cake with pops of tart cherries, crowned with a tangy and sweet chocolate cream cheese frosting.

*Nutritional information is an estimate.

“This chocolate cherry cake is absolutely divine! The cream cheese frosting paired with the cherry pie filling is a match made in heaven. I made it as a sheet cake, and it was a huge hit. Next time, I’m layering it for a friend’s birthday! Five stars all the way! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”

Lauren

Why This Chocolate Cherry Cake Is the Best

• Intense Chocolate Flavor: The Dutch-process cocoa powder infuses both the cake and the buttercream with a deep, irresistible chocolate flavor that true chocolate lovers will adore.
• Unbelievably Moist and Tender Crumb: This recipe starts with an easy, moist chocolate cake base and is adapted to perfectly accommodate the cherry filling. The result? A cake that’s never dry, boasts a soft crumb, and offers delightful bursts of cherry flavor in every bite.
• Perfectly Balanced Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting: Forget overly sweet frosting. This chocolate cream cheese frosting strikes the ideal balance between tangy and sweet, and the addition of cocoa powder enhances its stability and complements the cake beautifully. It’s also easy to pipe for an elegant finish.
• Versatile Baking Options: Whether you prefer a convenient 9×13 sheet cake, elegant two 9-inch layers, or a show-stopping three 8-inch layer cake, this recipe adapts seamlessly to your preferred baking style.

Table of Contents

• Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Cherry Cake
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• Variations for Chocolate Cherry Cake
• Professional Tips for the Perfect Cake
• How to Make Chocolate Cherry Cake: Step-by-Step
• Chef’s Secret Tip
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Related Chocolate Cake Recipes
• Detailed Recipe
• Before You Go

This chocolate cherry cake recipe is what chocolate cake dreams are made of! Soft, intensely chocolatey, and wonderfully moist, the tart cherries provide a refreshing counterpoint to the richness. Topped with a lightly sweetened and tangy chocolate cream cheese frosting, this cake is truly irresistible.

If you’re a chocoholic like me, you’re in excellent company! I’ve devoted myself to perfecting chocolate cake recipes for every palate. Craving something ultra-rich and moist? My devil’s food cake is calling your name. Prefer chocolate paired with other fruits? You’ll love the chocolate raspberry cake. And if you’re here specifically for the cherries, be sure to try my cherry cheesecake next!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Understanding your ingredients is key to baking success. Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll need and some handy substitution tips.

• Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder: My secret weapon for achieving a deep, intense chocolate flavor. While natural cocoa powder can be used, Dutch-processed provides a darker color and richer taste.
• Vegetable Oil: Keeps the cake exceptionally moist. You can substitute with any neutral oil like canola or grapeseed. Unexpectedly out of oil? Try using mayonnaise! Seriously, check out this chocolate mayonnaise cake recipe!
• Cherry Pie Filling: You’ll need about 21 ounces, whether you use canned or homemade. One batch of this homemade cherry pie filling recipe, minus about 1 cup, is perfect. What to do with the extra cup? Serve it alongside this amazing chocolate ice cream or use it to make this cherry almond tart.
• Vanilla Extract: Enhances the other flavors. Feel free to experiment with coffee extract or almond extract for a unique twist!
• Brewed Coffee: Intensifies the chocolate flavor. Instant coffee or espresso powder also works in a pinch.
• Cream Cheese: Essential for a tangy and stable frosting. Use full-fat cream cheese for the best results. Whipped cream cheese will result in a looser buttercream.

Variations for Chocolate Cherry Cake

Want to customize your cake? Here are a few exciting variations to try!

• Add Extra Mix-Ins: Fold in ½ to 1 cup of semi-sweet, dark, or even white chocolate chips along with the cherry filling for extra pockets of chocolatey goodness. Chopped almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts would also be delicious additions.
• Transform It into a Black Forest Cake: Layer the cake with whipped cream and add a splash of kirsch (cherry liqueur) to the cherry pie filling for an authentic Black Forest experience.
• Experiment with Different Pie Fillings: The blueberry pie filling from this blueberry pie recipe or the mixed berry pie filling from this mixed berry pie recipe would also be fantastic substitutions.
• Change the Frosting: Skip the frosting altogether and serve slices with freshly whipped cream and extra cherry filling on the side. Alternatively, top it with chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream or this chocolate buttercream frosting recipe.

Professional Tips for Baking the Perfect Chocolate Cherry Cake

• Use Tapioca Starch for Homemade Cherry Pie Filling: If you’re making homemade cherry filling and plan to freeze it, use tapioca starch instead of cornstarch. Cornstarch can become crumbly and cloudy when frozen and thawed, while tapioca maintains its texture and clarity.
• Don’t Overbake! The cake is done when a cake tester comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. It will continue to bake as it cools. Overbaking leads to a dry cake, and nobody wants that!
• Refrigerate for Clean Slicing: For beautifully clean slices, refrigerate the cake before cutting. You can also use a warm knife by dipping it in hot water, wiping off the excess, and then slicing.

How to Make Chocolate Cherry Cake: A Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these detailed instructions to create this decadent chocolate cherry cake. Find specific measurements and a printable recipe card below.

Preparing the Cake

1. Pan and Oven Setup: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) conventional (no fan). Spray a rectangular cake pan (9×13 inches) with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper. This ensures easy removal.

This same recipe works beautifully baked in two 9-inch round pans or three 8-inch round pans.

2. Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the Dutch-processed cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
3. Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, vanilla extract, and granulated sugar until smooth. Gradually whisk in the vegetable oil until the batter is emulsified (well combined).

4. Combine Wet and Dry: Whisk the brewed coffee into the egg mixture. Then, gently fold in the dry ingredients using a silicone spatula until just combined and no dry lumps remain.
5. Add Cherries: Gently stir in the cherry pie filling until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
6. Pour and Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Bake in the preheated oven.
7. Check for Doneness: Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out with a few clinging crumbs. The center should also spring back slightly when gently pressed with your finger.

Baking time will vary depending on the pan size and oven. A 9×13 inch rectangular cake will take approximately 40-45 minutes. For round cake pans, start checking for doneness around 32 minutes for three 8-inch pans, or 35-40 minutes for two 9-inch pans.

While the edges pulling away from the sides of the pan is a sign of doneness, it’s often the last indicator, and the cake may already be slightly overbaked at that point.

8. Cooling: If using round cake pans, let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely. For a rectangular sheet cake, cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before frosting.

Preparing the Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream

This frosting comes together in minutes if all ingredients are at room temperature.

9. Cream Butter and Cream Cheese: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer in a large bowl), beat the room temperature butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy.
10. Add Dry Ingredients: Sift the Dutch-processed cocoa powder and powdered sugar directly into the bowl. Mix on low speed until just combined to avoid creating a cloud of sugar. Add a pinch of kosher salt and the vanilla extract. Mix to combine.
11. Whip to Fluff: Switch to the whisk attachment (if using a stand mixer) and beat until the frosting is lightened and fluffier. For an even lighter topping, add ¼ to ½ cup of heavy whipping cream and beat until stiff peaks form.

Assembling the Cake

12. Frost and Decorate: Scoop the frosting onto the cooled cake and spread evenly with a large offset spatula. Create swirls using the tip of the spatula for a visually appealing finish. Top with chocolate shavings or extra cherries, if desired.

If making a 2 or 3-layer cake, this recipe yields a thin coating of frosting, which many find perfect. However, feel free to double the chocolate frosting recipe or create a two-toned frosting by using half as a plain cream cheese frosting (add more vanilla extract) for the filling and the other half as chocolate frosting for the outside.

Chef’s Recipe Tip

When working with cream cheese frosting, ensure that your cakes are completely cooled, or even cold, before assembling. Cream cheese buttercream frosting has a lower melting point than American buttercream, so using chilled cakes will prevent the frosting from sliding off.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Chocolate Cake Recipes

If you love chocolate cake, be sure to try these other delicious recipes!

• Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake: Surprisingly moist and flavorful!
• Devil’s Food Cake: The ultimate rich and decadent chocolate cake.
• Easy Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe: A simple and reliable recipe for a classic chocolate cake.
• Chocolate Raspberry Cake: A delightful combination of chocolate and fruity flavors.

Did you try this recipe? Please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below! I love hearing from you.

Detailed Chocolate Cherry Cake Recipe

Chocolate Cherry Cake

A decadent chocolate cake with tart cherries and a tangy chocolate cream cheese frosting.

Author: Chef Lindsey

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings: 16 slices

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cherry Cake

• ¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• ¾ cup vegetable oil (or another neutral oil)
• ¼ cup brewed coffee (cooled)
• 21 ounces cherry pie filling (canned or homemade)

For the Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

• 10 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
• ½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• Pinch kosher salt
• 6 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

To Prepare the Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) conventional (no fan). Spray a rectangular cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and place a piece of cut parchment paper in the bottom.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, vanilla, and sugar until smooth. Gradually whisk in the vegetable oil to emulsify the batter.
4. Whisk the coffee into the egg mixture. Then, fold in the dry ingredients with a silicone spatula until no dry lumps remain.
5. Add the cherry pie filling and fold to combine.
6. Pour into your prepared pan, smooth the top with an offset spatula, and bake in the preheated oven.
7. Bake until a cake tester comes out with a few clinging crumbs and the center provides a little resistance when pressed lightly with your finger. The bake time will greatly depend on the pans that you choose. A rectangular baking dish will take between 40-45 minutes. This cake batter will bake faster in 3 cake pans. It bakes 32 minutes when divided between 3, but for 2 pans it bakes between 35-40 minutes.
8. If using round cake pans, allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then flip it out onto a wire rack, remove the paper from the bottom of the cake. Allow to cool completely before flipping back over.
9. If you are baking a rectangular one-layer cake, just let it cool on a wire rack in the cake pan. Cool completely before frosting.

Prepare the Buttercream

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together until homogeneous.
2. Sift the cocoa powder and powdered sugar right into the bowl, then mix on low speed until combined. Add salt and vanilla extract; add more to taste if desired.
3. Switch to the whisk attachment and beat until lightened and fluffier. If you would like an even lighter topping, add ¼-½ cup heavy whipping cream and beat the mixture until it reaches stiff peaks.

Assemble the Cake

1. Scoop the frosting on the top of the cooled cake and spread it out with a large offset spatula. Create swirls using the tip of your offset spatula. Top with chocolate shavings or more cherries if desired.

Recipe Notes

• Yield: 9×13 cake pan
• Presentation: The cake slices best when cold. You can remove the cake from the pan, slice it, and then put it back in the pan for transport or storage.
• Flavor Tips: The frosting is best served at room temperature, but the cake is delightful at any temperature.
• Technique: Make sure the cream cheese and butter are room temperature when making the frosting.
• Storage: Store covered at room temperature for 3 days in the fridge for 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 478kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 356mg | Potassium: 192mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 536IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2mg

Before You Go

I hope you enjoyed this delicious chocolate cherry cake! Check out my other tempting cake recipes, including the best red velvet cake recipe and this festive funfetti cake!