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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.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
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 🙂
I’ve made this cake many times and it is always a hit. Do you know how I could covert this to a 9×13 sheet cake recipe? Thank you.
Hi Jenny! I’m so glad you enjoy it. I haven’t tested it in a larger version, but a 9×13″ sheet pan has about 25% more volume than two 9″ round pans. I hope that helps give you a reference of how to increase the recipe. You’ll need to watch the cake batter in the oven because the baking time will be different.
Is it ok to substitute butter and cream cheese with canola oil? How many ounce does it come up to for both ingredients? Thanks.
I have not tested that to advise. If you experiment, please let us know how it works for you.
What substitutes can I use if I can’t find kirsch? Both a non alcoholic and liquor substitute?
Hi Barb, a golden rum would work well here, you can use cherry juice or make a simple syrup with water and sugar.
Can the frosting be piped using a piping bag?
Hi Galina, yes that chocolate buttercream frosting is stable for piping.
Can cherry extract be used and cherry pie filling instead of the Kirsch and the frozen and/or fresh cherries? If so how much cherry extract?
Hi Esmeralda, do you have rum? I think a golden rum would work well. For a non-alcohol version, I think a cherry juice would work better although I haven’t tested it to advise of the measurement.
I am pretty sure it is my fault, but it was a complete waste. I have followed instructions carefully though. Looks like one cup of sugar was not able to fluff up eggs enough. But I made tres leches and that one turned out very good.
Hi Marina, 1 cup of sugar is enough for the recipe to work. Make sure you have room temperature eggs and aren’t using a coarse grain sugar which doesn’t incorporate as readily. Also if using something besides a stand mixer, you will need to give it longer to beat or the cake won’t rise properly. I hope that helps.
Hi Natasha! Love all your recipes but I had to pause before making this wonderful cake … 9 large eggs?? Really? 9. Is this a misprint? Thanks, Terry
Hi Terry, that is no misprint. This egg does require 9 eggs.
Hi Natasha! Do you think this cake would hold up making a day in advance? I can’t use my stand mixer while my husband is working from home tomorrow. It’s super loud.
Hi Rachel, absolutely! This one can be made a day in advance and then stored in the refrigerator overnight. Let it sit at room temperature for a little while to soften before serving. I hope you love it!
Has anybody tried this with gluten free flour? I have all purpose 1 to 1 gluten free flour.
Hi Rachel, I have not tried this one with gluten free flour but a couple of readers reported great results using gluten free flour for our traditional sponge cake which is very similar to this one. I think it’s worth experimenting 🙂
Thank you! I’ll definitely experiment before making it for someone’s birthday. I figure with so little flour required, it should be great! Better safe than sorry though.
Natasha, this cake is delicious and kind of easy to make. Next time I am thinking to add a layer of meringues( trying to recreate my husband’s favorite cake from the local bakery in Brooklyn,NY). When would you recommend to add meringue layer before or after “the cherry mix”? I thinking to add some on top too. Thanks.
Hi Irina, I think it would work best after the cherry mixture but be sure there is a layer of cream between the cherry layer and the meringue layer so the meringue doesn’t soften too quickly from the cherry juices. I’m so curious to know how your cake turns out!! 🙂
That cake was so good. I’ve made it twice already. Thanks for the recipe
Elena, you are on the roll with baking 😬. Thanks again and you are welcome!