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This chocolate cherry cake is one of the most flavorful cakes I’ve made. The recipe came about accidentally. I was updating our German chocolate cake and ended up with 2 perfect chocolate cake layers. Not wanting them to go to waste, I used what I had on hand to make a cake for the weekend.
While assembling the cake, there were a couple of times that I laughed at myself thinking that I had ruined it but instead something remarkable happened. This chocolate cake lights up your taste buds in several spots at once.
The kirsch and cherries amplify the chocolate in an intense and delicious way. Try a slice and you’ll know what I mean! I was surprised that the kids enjoyed it as well despite the adult flavors and they slept so well afterwards (I kid, I kid!) – the kirsch is not overbearing at all.
Also, here’s a peek behind the scenes with my cute little assistant. We’re still working on the “assistant” part. I’m so grateful to work from home. I often think about my 12 hour night shifts working as an RN three days in a row and how torn I felt about it.
Thank YOU for reading my blog, trying my recipes and sharing them with the ones you love. It’s because of you that I get to do this full time. I’m truly thankful for you, my friends! This chocolate cherry cake is for you 🙂
Ingredients for Chocolate Cake Layers:
9 large eggs, room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour *measured correctly
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 Tbsp (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temp
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Ingredients for Cherry Syrup:
4 cups fresh or frozen cherries, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/3 cup kirsch (a cherry liqueur from the liquor store)
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
Ingredients for Chocolate Frosting:
3 sticks (3/4 lb) unsalted butter, softened at room temp and cut into pieces
8 oz cream cheese, softened at room temp and cut into pieces
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp real vanilla extract
How to Make Chocolate Cake Layers:
Prep: Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Line bottoms of two 9″ round pans with parchment paper (don’t grease sides). Chop cherries and combine with 1/3 cup kirsch – marinate at room temp while while making the cake.
1. Beat 9 large eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment for 1 min on high speed. With mixer on, gradually add 1 cup sugar and continue beating on high a full 8 min. It will be thick and fluffy.
2. Whisk together 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup cocoa powder and sift in thirds into egg batter, folding with a spatula between each addition. Fold just until no streaks of flour remain, scraping from the bottom to get any hidden pockets of flour; do not over-mix or you will deflate the batter.
3. Gently fold in 1/2 tsp vanilla and 4 Tbsp room temp melted butter, folding as you add butter in a slow stream and scraping the bowl to make sure butter isn’t pooling at the bottom. Fold just until incorporated – don’t overmix! Divide batter equally between two prepared cake pans and bake right away at 350˚F for 20-25 minutes (my oven took 22 min), or until a toothpick comes out clean.
4. Let cake cool 10 minutes then run a thin spatula around the edges to loosen, transfer to a wire rack, remove parchment backing and cool to room temperature.
How to Make Chocolate Frosting:
1. Beat together 3 sticks softened butter and 8 oz softened cream cheese until smooth and fluffy on med/high speed (2 min).
2. Whisk together 3 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa and 1/2 tsp salt then sift them into your frosting. Beat on medium/low speed until incorporated.
3. Add 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, increase speed to med/high and beat until fluffy and smooth and sugar is well incorporated (4 min).
How to Assemble Chocolate Cherry Cake:
1. Drain cherries and keeping both syrup and cherries. Into remaining syrup, add 1 Tbsp sugar and 1/4 cup water, stir until dissolved and set aside.
2. Slice 1 cake layer in half and set aside.
3. Into a large mixing bowl, tear the second un-cut cake layer into large crumbs. Add 1/3 of chocolate frosting and drained cherries. Stir just until combined and cherries are evenly distributed. This is the part where you’ll be like, “what in the world?!” Just stay with me, it will be amazing!
4. Place a sliced cake layer cut-side-up onto a cake platter and brush with 1/3 of your syrup then add a thin layer of chocolate frosting. Top with the crumbled cake mixture and even it out with clean hands into the shape of a cake layer. Brush the top lightly with 1/3 syrup.
5. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the cut side of your second cake half. Place frosted-side-down onto your cake and brush with remaining syrup. Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of chocolate cherry cake.
Print friendly for the Chocolate Cherry Cake ↓↓↓
Chocolate Cherry Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cake Layers:
- 9 large eggs, room temp
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 Tbsp 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted & cooled to room temp
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For the Cherry Syrup:
- 4 cups fresh or frozen cherries, pitted and coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup kirsch, a cherry liqueur from the liquor store
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
For the Chocolate Frosting:
- 3 sticks, 3/4 lb unsalted butter, softened at room temp and cut into pieces
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened at room temp and cut into pieces
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 1/2 tsp real vanilla extract
Instructions
Prep:
- Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Line bottoms of two 9″ round pans with parchment paper (don’t grease sides). Chop cherries and combine with 1/3 cup kirsch - marinate at room temp while while making the cake.
How to Make Chocolate Cake Layers:
- Beat 9 large eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment for 1 min on high speed. With mixer on, gradually add 1 cup sugar and continue beating on high a full 8 min. It will be thick and fluffy.
- Whisk together 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup cocoa powder and sift in thirds into egg batter, folding with a spatula between each addition. Fold just until no streaks of flour remain, scraping from the bottom to get any hidden pockets of flour; do not over-mix or you will deflate the batter.
- Gently fold in 1/2 tsp vanilla and 4 Tbsp room temp melted butter, folding as you add butter in a slow stream and scraping the bowl to make sure butter isn't pooling at the bottom. Fold just until incorporated - don't overmix! Divide batter equally between two prepared cake pans and bake right away at 350˚F for 20-25 minutes (my oven took 22 min), or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cake cool 10 minutes then run a thin spatula around the edges to loosen, transfer to a wire rack, remove parchment backing and cool to room temperature.
How to Make Chocolate Frosting:
- Beat together 3 sticks softened butter and 8 oz softened cream cheese until smooth and fluffy on med/high speed (2 min).
- Whisk together 3 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa and 1/2 tsp salt then sift them into your frosting. Beat on medium/low speed until incorporated.
- Add 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, increase speed to med/high and beat until fluffy and smooth and sugar is well incorporated (4 min).
How to Assemble the Drunken Cherry Cake:
- Drain cherries and keeping both syrup and cherries. Into remaining syrup, add 1 Tbsp sugar and 1/4 cup water, stir until dissolved and set aside.
- Slice 1 cake layer in half and set aside.
- Into a large mixing bowl, tear the second un-cut cake layer into large crumbs. Add 1/3 of chocolate frosting and drained cherries. Stir just until combined and cherries are evenly distributed.
- This is the part where you'll be like, "what in the world?!" Just stay with me, it will be amazing!
- Place a sliced cake layer cut-side-up onto a cake platter and brush with 1/3 of your syrup then add a thin layer of chocolate frosting. Top with the crumbled cake mixture and even it out with clean hands into the shape of a cake layer. Brush the top lightly with 1/3 syrup.
- Spread a thin layer of frosting on the cut side of your second cake half. Place frosted-side-down onto your cake and brush with remaining syrup. Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides.
I’m kind of at a loss for words with this cake. It’s that good. The best way to describe it is to experience it. Make this for your next celebration and you will impress your peeps 🙂
