Chocolate Cherry Cake

Thanks to help from a boxed mix, this Chocolate Cherry Cake with fudge icing is an easy dessert recipe that's perfect for any occasion!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword chocolate cake recipe, chocolate cherry cake, easy chocolate cake recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Cooling Time 3

Total Time 3 45

Servings slices

Calories 310.3kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

1 cup sugar
5 tablespoons salted butter
1/3 cup milk (I use 2%, but whole milk or cream will also work well)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Optional, for serving: maraschino cherries; ice cream; whipped cream; colored sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together cake mix, cherry pie filling, almond extract and eggs until well blended.
Transfer batter into prepared dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to start cooling.
While the cake cools, prepare the icing.
In a small saucepan, combine sugar, butter and milk. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Immediately pour the icing over the warm cake. Cool completely and then slice and serve.

Devil's Food Cake is richer, darker and fluffier than a regular chocolate cake. That said, you can certainly substitute a box of chocolate cake mix for the Devil's Food cake mix called for in this recipe.
Almond extract gives the cake a unique, homemade flavor -- and it's a great flavor combination with the cherries. That said, if you don't care for almond flavor or if you don't have any almond extract, you can substitute with an equal amount of vanilla extract.
I've used semi-sweet chocolate chips here, which is a nice, rich, not-too-sweet contrast to the cake. You can substitute with milk chocolate chips or even white chocolate chips if you prefer!
If you'd like to include sprinkles on the top of your cake, I recommend adding them while the icing is still warm and soft. You can certainly sprinkle them over top once the cake is cooled, but they won't "stick" as easily in the frosting.
Make sure that you allow plenty of time for the cake to cool completely before trying to slice it. The icing will harden and form a great ganache-like coating on the cake, which will also make it easier to serve. I recommend planning on at least 3 hours of cooling time (but your cake may require a bit more or less).
How to store the cake: This cake will keep on the counter for 1-2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It just gets better as it sits!
To extend the life of your cake, you can freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.