Chocolate Cherry Cake with Chocolate Covered Cherries
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Creamy rich chocolate frosting and chocolate covered cherries elevate this chocolate cherry cake to a truly stunning dessert. Think of it as Black Forest Cake without the whipped cream and enhanced with more chocolate to delight chocoholics everywhere. It’s a decadent, gorgeous fancy cake for any festive occasion!
In my family we love chocolate cake with lots of creamy chocolate frosting.
This year since I have a plethora of cherries I decided to make my version of black forest cake.
Don’t worry, this chocolate cherry filled cake is not complicated at all, there are just a few steps, but the result is a chocolate-lovers cake made in heaven!
This recipe is for a three layer cake but, oops! We ate the three layer one before I could take photos so these images are of the two-layer one I also made.
Why you’ll love this Chocolate cherry filled cake
Over-the-top chocolate in every bite
Rich cherry filling made with fresh cherries, not the canned stuff
Beautiful enough to serve for fancy events, like special birthdays, anniversaries, or holidays
A few steps to this upscale cake, but each step is easy and the result is so worth it!
In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the flour, sugar, cocoa baking soda, and salt and mix until combined.
Add the eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and buttermilk, and mix until just combined.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and and then stir the hot coffee into the batter by hand. The batter will be runny. It’s supposed to be.
Pour into your cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with just a few bits of cake stuck to it. For 9 inch pans, that should be anywhere from 20-30 minutes. Start checking around 15 minutes. If you use different size pans than you will have a different baking time.
When you remove each cake from the oven, let it cool for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan, and carefully tip the pan over on a cooling rack. If you used parchment paper on the bottom remove it. Let cakes cool completely before frosting.
For the cherry filling:
In a small saucepan stir the sugar and the cornstarch together, then add the cherries and mix.
Place over low-medium heat to melt the (frozen) cherries. If using fresh cherries I add a couple tablespoons of water to make a little syrup.
Continue to cook for about 4 minutes until there is a thick syrup and the mixture comes to a boil. Do not leave unattended or the mixture will burn.
Remove from heat and add the butter and the almond extract and mix well.
Set aside to cool.
For the frosting:
Melt butter in large bowl.
Whisk or use electric hand held mixer to blend in cocoa.
Add one cup of powdered sugar, and a little milk, alternating between the two until both are incorporated and the frosting is creamy.
Add vanilla and blend.
Use to frost the top and sides of the cake.
For the garnish:
Follow the directions on the melting wafers and dip in the cherries. Let cool/set and then garnish cake.
To assemble the cake:
Cut one layer in half horizontally.
Place one (half) layer on a plate and add 1/3 of the cherry filling to the center. Spread around.
Top with the next layer of cake, adding 1/3 filling to the top.
Add the next layer, top with filling.
Then add the final layer.
Do not top with the filling! ( you should not have any left).
Frost the entire cake with the Hershey’s chocolate frosting.
Garnish with chocolate covered fresh cherries in a ring around the top of the cake.
Tips & Variations
Add frosting to the layers. You can use some of the frosting on the layers and then add the cherry filling.
Decorate the frosting. You can score the frosting on the sides of the cake with the tines of a fork or other implement for creative designs.
Use more fruit. After garnishing with chocolate dipped fresh cherries, feel free to pile more fresh cherries in the center of the cake for a beautiful decoration.
Storage
You can store this cake in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, best covered with a cake dome. Bring to room temperature before serving for maximum flavor.
This cake can be frozen for 2-3 weeks by wrapping in plastic wrap. When defrosting, be sure to remove the plastic wrap before it thaws so the frosting will not stick to the plastic.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease and flour 2 9″ cake pans, or grease and line with parchment paper circles.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the flour, sugar, cocoa baking soda, and salt and mix until combined.
Add the eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and buttermilk, and mix until just combined.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and and then stir the hot coffee into the batter by hand. The batter will be runny. It’s supposed to be.
Pour into your cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with just a few bits of cake stuck to it. For 9 inch pans, that should be anywhere from 20-30 minutes. Start checking around 15 minutes. If you use different size pans than you will have a different baking time.
When you remove each cake from the oven, let it cool for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan, and carefully tip the pan over on a cooling rack. If you used parchment paper on the bottom remove it. Let cakes cool completely before frosting.
For the cherry filling:
In a small saucepan stir the sugar and the cornstarch together, then add the cherries and mix.
Place over low-medium heat to melt the (frozen) cherries. If using fresh cherries I add a couple tablespoons of water to make a little syrup.
Continue to cook for about 4 minutes until there is a thick syrup and the mixture comes to a boil. Do not leave unattended or the mixture will burn.
Remove from heat and add the butter and the almond extract and mix well.
Set aside to cool.
For the frosting:
Melt butter in large bowl.
Whisk or use electric hand held mixer to blend in cocoa.
Add one cup of powdered sugar, and a little milk, alternating between the two until both are incorporated and the frosting is creamy.
Add vanilla and blend.
Use to frost the top and sides of the cake.
For the garnish:
Follow the directions on the melting wafers and dip in the cherries. Let cool/set and then garnish cake.
I must make this.