This simple 3 ingredient chocolate cherry cake is absolutely swoon-worthy. With just a box of cake mix, cherry pie filling, and eggs you get a flavorful and moist cake. Top it off with the homemade chocolate frosting and you have yourself a decadent winner for any occasion.
This cherry chocolate cake is not only incredibly simple to make, but it is absolutely delicious. Anyone you serve it to will want a second piece! I’m a huge fan of mixing fruit with chocolate and you just can’t beat the cherry- chocolate combination! You will swoon, take my word for it.What is chocolate cherry cake?
My inlaws are huge fans of the cherry-chocolate combination, so I was introduced to this cake years ago. This recipe is as simple as it gets for moist and delicious cake. It’s like a chocolate cherry dump cake and can be made in a 9×13 baking dish, springform pan or two smaller cake rounds for a chocolate cherry layer cake. The possibilities are endless, and always delicious.
Cherry Chocolate Cake Ingredients
For the cake, you will need:
-Boxed Chocolate Cake mix: You can use a box of your favorite chocolate cake mix or devil’s food chocolate cake mix (which I prefer) for a more chocolatey flavor.
-Cherry Pie Filling: In your grocery store’s baking aisle is canned pie fillings. You need aa 21-oz can of cherry pie filling.
-Eggs: We need 2 eggs to help bind and leaven this cake into perfection.
For the frosting you will need:
-Butter: 6 Tablespoons of butter will help to enrich the frosting and make it smooth.
-Milk: We need 1/3 cup of milk to help make the frosting thinned down to the perfect consistency.
-Sugar: We need 1 cup of sugar to make the frosting nice and sweet. We will be heating the frosting so granulated sugar is preferred.
-Vanilla: Just a teaspoon of vanilla will help to flavor and enhance this wonderful frosting recipe.
-Chocolate Chips: We want 1 12 ounce package (or 2 cups worth) of semi-sweet chocolate chips to get us the perfect chocolate ganache texture and flavor we want to compliment the cake.
How to Make Chocolate Cherry Cake
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick baking spray (the one with flour) and then set it aside. You can also use a 10 inch springform pan like I did, it works nicely.
Combine the cake mix, cherry pie filling, and eggs in a large bowl. Stir together with a rubber spatula or large spoon until well mixed. Don’t use an electric mixer as that will break up the cherries.
Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the cake is set and a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
While the cake is finishing up, make the frosting in a large saucepan. Combine the sugar, butter, and milk in the pan and bring the mixture to a boil for 1 minute, while stirring constantly. If you like your frosting thicker, let it boil for 2-3 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and add in the chocolate chips and vanilla. Stir with a wire whisk until the chocolate chips have melted and the frosting is smooth.
Pour the warm frosting over the warm cake and spread the mixture out to cover the cake.
Let it cool on a wire rack before serving. Enjoy!
CHERRY CHOCOLATE CAKE
Ingredients
Chocolate Cherry Cake
- 15 oz chocolate cake mix
- 21 oz can cherry pie filling
- 2 eggs
Chocolate Frosting
- 6 TBSP butter
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips 2 cups
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Spray a 13×9 pan with nonstick baking spray containing flour and set aside. {If you’re opting for a fancier presentation, use a 10" spring form pan like I did. It works beautifully!}
- In large bowl, combine cake mix, cherry pie filling and eggs. Stir together with large spoon or rubber spatula. (Do not use a mixer; it will break up the cherries).
- Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350-degrees 30 to 40 minutes, or until cake is set.
- While cake is almost out of the oven, combine sugar, butter and milk in large saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, and then boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. {I like a thicker frosting, so I boiled mine for 2-3 minutes.}
- Remove from heat and add chocolate chips and vanilla. Stir with a wire whisk until the chips are melted and frosting is smooth.
- Pour over warm cake and spread to cover. Let cool on wire rack before serving. 16 servings.
Nutrition
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How long is chocolate cherry cake good for?
Can I freeze the chocolate cherry cake?
Can I make chocolate cherry cake dairy free?
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Christina at I Gotta Create! says
Sounds divine! Pinning! <br /><3 Christina at I Gotta Create! <br />Wildly Original Linky party is open!
kitty says
I've eaten this cake and it is wonderful! Your pics look gorgeous.
Ashley :D says
Making this cake for our churches Valentine’s banquet. We auction cakes to raise funds for the youth to go to camp. Unfortunately, I didnt see the part about not using electric mixer. 😔 Hoping it still comes out yummy! Making a bundt cake that is shaped like a flower, also added some chocolate chips to the batter! Hope it comes out clean and easy! Thanks for the wonderfully easy recipe!
Nicole says
Your cherries may be a little less visually appealing, but the flavor should still be pretty incredible!
kitty says
You might want to see if you can take off word verification. Someone gave me that hint awhile ago and I didn't even know that I had it.
Ashley :D says
Making this cake for our churches Valentine’s banquet. We auction cakes to raise funds for the youth to go to camp. Unfortunately, I didnt see the part about not using electric mixer. 😔 Hoping it still comes out yummy! Making a bundt cake that is shaped like a flower, also added some chocolate chips to the batter! Hope it comes out clean and easy! Thanks for the wonderfully easy recipe!
Nicole says
I certainly hope it still turns out well but it sounds like it should be delicious
mindi1 says
I made this into 20 cupcakes, which left more frosting in the pan than used so next time I will half that part. I baked them 15 minutes and they are perfectly moist. This recipe is really delicious, I will make it again.
Chelsea says
Brilliant idea to make them into cupcakes. I did that and halved the frosting and it was perfect. Thanks for the suggestion. That way instead of eating the whole cake I can just freeze the cupcakes and pull them out as needed!
Joyce says
I have never had so much trouble with frosting….and I bake a lot. There was no way I was “pouring” this frosting on. I hope it tastes better than it looks! lol.
Jessica says
I wonder if you seized your chocolate?? I’ve never had issues with this frosting- and haven’t heard of others having issues! If yours was thick and sort of grainy looking, I think you might have seized your chocolate, which happens when you either heat it too quickly or stirred too aggressively. The frosting is definitely pourable… I even like to let it cool longer to thicken up a bit.
Susan says
How long do you cool the cake in the pan before frosting? Do you frost it in the pan?
Kathie says
This looks and sounds amazing. I am wondering if it would work with raspberry pie filling instead of cherry?
Nellie says
Yep, it works with raspberry pie filling too!
Nancy says
You indicate that you used a 10 “ springform pan and connect it to amazon. It looks like you used a Bundt pan? Misleading photos ! Please clarify ! Size of Bundt pan? This should be stated in recipe.
Thanks
Jessica says
I’ve made it multiple ways- I find most people don’t have a springform pan, so a bundt pan is lovely. I’ve tested/ photographed it in a variety of ways. It’s versatile!
Ludmila Hacina says
Hello! How could I substitute the cake mix? thank you!
Jessica says
You’re welcome to use a favorite chocolate cake recipe!
Tina Louise Russell says
Can you use fresh or frozen cherries in this recipe instead of pie filling?
Nellie says
The pie filling provides most of the moisture to the cake so that you aren’t adding any additional water or oil. I’m sure you could use fresh or frozen cherries, but then you would probably need to make the cake with the oil and water as indicated on the cake mix before mixing in the cherries. Hopefully that helps!
Tina Louise Russell says
Thank you so very much for your reply. I have always loved to bake and always from scratch, but with the proghression of my disability it now takes 2 – 3 times longer to get the prep done and frustration with myself sets in so I stopped baking as often as I once did. I decided to just follow your recipe instructions and as a result, not only did the cake turn out amazingly (even with ready-made frosting), I was able to conserve energy and not experience frustration with myself. With easy recipes like this, I am no longer concerned with baking from scratch and look forward to getting back to my love of baking!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!