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–+ servings

Chocolate Cherry Cake

5 from 1 vote
Moist chocolate cherry cake filled with chocolate pudding & piled high with whipped cream.
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Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Servings8 slices
Calories491 kcal

Ingredients 

Chocolate Cherry Cake

  • 30 g dutch process cocoa powder (¼ c. + 1 tbsp.)
  • 1 tsp. instant espresso
  • 65 g whole milk (¼ c. + ½ tbsp.)
  • 75 g vegetable oil (¼ c. + 2 tbsp.)
  • 100 g granulated sugar (½ c.)
  • 1 egg room temperature
  • 90 g sour cream (¼ c. + 2 tbsp.) room temperature
  • 80 g all purpose flour (⅔ c.)
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 80 g fresh cherries pitted, sliced in half (½ c.)

Chocolate Cherry Pudding

  • 1 packet instant chocolate pudding (96g / 3.4 oz.)
  • 335 g heavy whipping cream (1 ½ c.)
  • 115 g whole milk (½ c.)
  • 100 g fresh cherries pitted, sliced in half (½ c. + 2 tbsp.)

Whipped Cream

  • 225 g heavy whipping cream (1 c.)
  • 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste
  • ⅛ tsp. salt
  • extra cherries for garnish

Instructions 

Chocolate Cherry Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Generously butter a 7" springform pan and coat it with sugar.
  • Add the cocoa powder and instant espresso (if using) to a medium sized mixing bowl.
  • Heat the milk in a large microwave safe bowl or liquid measuring cup until it's hot and starts to foam up (you'll want it to be larger bowl/cup to avoid the milk spilling over into your microwave)
  • Immediately pour the hot milk over the cocoa powder. Stir the mixture together until it's cohesive and there's no lumps.
  • Add in the vegetable oil, sugar, egg, and sour cream. Whisk vigorously until combined.
  • Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until only a few flour streaks remain, then fold in the cherries just until no streaks of flour remain.
  • Pour the chocolate cake batter into your prepared 7" cake pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes. To check for doneness: I recommend using a thermometer for the best results: when stuck into the middle of the cake the thermometer should read 205°F / 96°C. The cake is also done when the center no longer jiggles and the top becomes more firm.
  • Allow the cake to rest in the cake pan for at least 15 minutes before transferring it out to a cooling rack.

Chocolate Cherry Pudding

  • Add the instant chocolate pudding mix to a medium sized mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the heavy cream and whole milk until it's all been used, then whisk for an additional 2 minutes.
  • Transfer the pudding to the fridge to chill until you're ready to assemble the cake.
  • Once the cake has completely cooled to room temperature, slice it in half horizontally to get two even pieces. If the cake seems a little over-baked/dry, brush some milk onto the inside part of both halves.
  • Place the bottom half of the cake into the pan. Spread ½ of the chocolate pudding mixture over the cake, then top it with a layer of cherries, followed by the remaining pudding mixture.
  • Place the top half of the cake on to the pudding - pushing down slightly to secure it. Cover the cake and place it in the fridge while you make the whipped cream.

Whipped Cream

  • Add the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla and salt to a medium sized mixing bowl (or to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.) Beat the mixture until soft peaks form.
  • Remove the cake from the fridge and from the pan. Top it with the whipped cream and extra cherries. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Notes

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Checking for doneness:
I wouldn't recommend using the toothpick test for this cake. While testing, I found that once the toothpick came out of the cake clean, the cake was over-done and dry after baking. Instead, I highly recommend checking the internal temperature of the cake with a thermometer (as noted in the recipe)

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 491kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 6gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 197mgPotassium: 262mgFiber: 2gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 1180IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 135mgIron: 1mg