Chocolate Cake with Cherry Pie Filling – Picture this: a rich, moist chocolate cake generously filled with a homemade cherry pie filling. The cake is frosted with a velvet layer of chocolate ganache and decorated with fresh cherries. Now, don’t tell me you’re not ready to dip your spoon into this cake.
This Chocolate Cake with Cherry Pie Filling will redefine your love for chocolate and cherries, a combination that does not need further proof. And the best part is: this chocolate cherry cake is easier than it might lead you to think, and you can split the preparation over 2 days.
Ingredient notes
Here are helpful notes about some ingredients to help you select the best options for ensuring recipe success.
For the chocolate cake:
- Dutch process cocoa powder, also called baking cocoa.
- Fine sugar: you can use caster or granulated sugar.
- Milk: whole or 2% milk-fat
- Vegetable oil with a neutral flavor like canola oil / rapeseed oil.
The Cherry Filling is made with cherries (fresh or frozen), sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Optional: Kirsch (cherry liquor for a boozy filling)
Chocolate Ganache:
- Chocolate: 40% cocoa content. If you can’t find chocolate with 40% cocoa content, make a mix: half milk chocolate with 30% cocoa content and half semi-sweet chocolate with 50% cocoa content.
- Heavy cream, full fat, 30% milk fat minimum
- Unsalted butter
This recipe requires additional essential ingredients, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
How to make this Chocolate Cake with Cherry Pie Filling ?
Here is a summary of the recipe. Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions at the end of this post.
Chocolate Ganache: Heat the chocolate and half of the heavy cream over a double boiler. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Add the butter and stir until completely melted. Add the remaining heavy cream. Stir until fully incorporated. Cover and place in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours until the ganache is set.
Cherry Filling: Heat cherries with sugar until they begin to break down. Add a mixture of lemon juice and cornstarch and cook until it thickens. Let it cool.
Bake the chocolate cakes: In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Next, add the wet ingredients and stir until well combined. Transfer the batter to cake pans and bake in the oven.
Assembly:
Once baked and cooled, level the cakes if needed.
Place the first cake on a cake board. Pipe a rim of ganache around the edge of the first cake layer. Then, spoon the cherry filling into the center.
Top with the second layer, making sure the layer cake is upside down.
Cover the sides and the edge of the top of the cake with the ganache. Make sure the ganache is soft enough; it will make things easier. Then, smooth the side with a scraper / smoother.
Decorate the top with a giant rosette, leaving 1 inch of space from the edge and then pipe small blobs all around. Add fresh cherries.
Tips
For the chocolate cakes:
- Ingredients at room temperature: It’s easier to combine
- Don’t overmix the batter, mix until just combined.
- Divide the batter evenly by weighing it (about 450g in each cake tin)
- Use aluminum cake tins for best results.
- Use a wet strip around the sides of the tin. It prevent hard edges, domed cakes.
- To ensure that your cakes remain moist, be careful not to overbake them.
Cherry filling:
- Cook on medium heat. Don’t try to speed up the process with high heat.
- Ensure the cornstarch is fully dissolved with the lemon juice before adding it, and ensure the cherry compote is hot when ready to add it. If it’s not hot enough, you may have lumps.
- When ready to use, give a stir with a spoon/spatula to smooth a little bit. If you make it in advance, it may look like jello after a couple of days. Don’t worry, stir and the texture will be back.
Chocolate Ganache:
- When heating the chocolate and heavy cream to make the ganache, use a spatula, not a whisk, as we don’t want to incorporate air.
- If the ganache is too firm, place it in a microwave in a 5-10-second burst until you reach the right consistency. It should be soft enough to pipe but not too soft to hold the shape.
Assembly:
- Let the cakes cool completely before frosting. Ganache can’t be added to warm cakes or will melt.
- Pour hot water on your spatula and smoother / scraper and wipe it off; it will help smoothen and apply the ganache.
FAQs
How do I store the Chocolate Cake with Cherry Pie Filling?
Store the cake in the fridge, under a cake dome, for up to 2 days.
Can I make it ahead?
- You can prepare the chocolate cakes one day ahead of time. Once baked, let them cool, and then wrap the cakes (without any frosting or filling) tightly in cling film and place them in the fridge or on your countertop if it’s not too hot. Otherwise, you can freeze the cakes for up to 1 month.
- The cherry filling can be made a few days in advance. Cover touching the surface and place in the fridge for up to 1 week. When ready to use, give it a stir to give its texture back.
- You can prepare the chocolate ganache 1 day in advance. Cover and let it in the fridge. Place it in a microwave in a 5-10-second burst the following day until you reach the right consistency.
Looking for more cherry recipes?
- Try the White Forest Cake, the vanilla version of the the traditional German cake
- The Cherry Frangipane Tart: a little gem, a symphony of texture and tastes
- The Black Forest Cupcakes
If you tried this Chocolate Cake with Cherry Pie Filling or any recipe on the blog, let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment below or a rating.
