This Chocolate Cherry Cake is a rich, moist layer cake made with real cherries and chocolate, frosted with a tangy cream cheese frosting swirled with homemade cherry jam! It’s an elegant, bakery-style dessert perfect for special occasions or summer celebrations!
I love making this cake every single summer, whenever cherries are in season!
If you love chocolatey dessert recipes, you are also going to LOVE my If you love summer desserts, you are also going to love my my Single serving Molten Lava Cake, 3 ingredient Oreo Cake & Fudge Oreo Brownies!
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Ingredients for Chocolate Cherry Cake
- Milk
- Neutral Oil
- Unsalted Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- All-Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Large Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Full-Fat Cream Cheese
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Cherry Jam (Homemade Or Store-Bought)
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Prep the cherry jam & cream cheese frosting day prior!
Combine all wet & dry ingredients for cake!
Transfer to baking trays & bake!
Assemble & enjoy!!
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch pans.
- Sift dry ingredients.
- In stand mixer, mix oil and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla.
- On low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk, starting and ending with dry.
- Fold in optional chocolate chips.
- Bake 30–35 mins. Cool completely.
- Make cherry jam and frosting the day before; cool jam, beat butter and cold cream cheese, add sugar and jam, refrigerate overnight.
- Assemble cake with frosting and jam. Decorate and serve.
Please scroll all the way down for the full recipe card!
Cake-Specific Ingredient Substitutions:
- Neutral Oil → Melted butter (adds richness but may make cake slightly denser)
- Milk → Buttermilk (adds moisture and tender crumb, reacts well with baking soda)
- Granulated Sugar → Light brown sugar (enhances moistness and adds subtle caramel notes)
- Fresh/Frozen Cherries → Frozen tart cherries (maintain tartness and moisture without excess water)
- Chocolate Chips → Chopped semi-sweet or dark chocolate chunks (melts nicely for gooey pockets)
Frosting-Specific Substitutions:
- Powdered Sugar → Confectioners’ sugar only (do not substitute with regular sugar to keep frosting smooth)
- Cream Cheese → Mascarpone (richer but less tangy, keeps frosting thick and smooth)
Equipment for Chocolate Cherry Cake
- Stand Mixer (with paddle attachment)
- Mixing Bowls
- 8-inch Cake Pans
- Parchment Paper
- Wire Cooling Rack
Storage
Store the frosted cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. To freeze, wrap unfrosted cake layers tightly in plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before frosting. You can also freeze frosted slices individually and thaw as needed.
Top tips
Don't Overmix the Batter – Mix just until the ingredients are combined to keep the cake soft and tender.
Use Cold Cream Cheese – Cold cream cheese helps keep the frosting thick and pipeable, especially with reduced sugar.
Cool Jam Fully Before Folding – Make sure the cherry jam is completely cooled before adding to the frosting to prevent it from becoming runny.
FAQs on Chocolate Cherry Cake
Yes! Just make sure to drain them well and pat them dry with a paper towel to avoid excess moisture in the batter. Avoid using cherry pie filling, as it's too sweet and thick. Jarred sour cherries work beautifully if you like a little tartness.
If your frosting is too soft to pipe, chill it for 1-2 hours. Still too loose? Beat in 1–2 tablespoons of cornstarch or milk powder to stiffen it up without adding more sugar. Always use cold cream cheese and beat it just until smooth to avoid a runny texture.
Definitely! This recipe makes about 16 standard cupcakes — just reduce the bake time to 18–22 minutes. You can also bake it in a 9x13-inch pan (bake 35–40 minutes) or as three 6-inch layers. Just make sure to adjust baking time and check with a toothpick.
Related
Looking for other dessert recipes like this? Try these:
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the neutral oil and granulated sugar until combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk in two parts. Start and end with the dry ingredients. Mix gently just until smooth and no streaks remain. Avoid overmixing.
- If using, gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine pitted cherries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice. Simmer for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally and mashing some cherries.
- If desired, mix cornstarch with water to make a slurry, stir into the jam, and cook for 2–3 more minutes until thickened.
- Remove from heat and let the cherry jam cool completely.
- In a large bowl, beat unsalted butter on high speed for 2–3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Add cold cream cheese and beat on medium speed until smooth and combined. Avoid overbeating.
- Mix in vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar, beating on low then medium-high until thick and fluffy.
- Gently fold in 2–3 tablespoons of cooled cherry jam.
- Cover and refrigerate the frosting overnight to firm up.
- If cakes have domed tops, level them with a serrated knife.
- Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread frosting evenly on top. Optionally, add a thin layer of cherry jam.
- Top with the second cake layer. Apply a crumb coat and chill briefly.
- Finish frosting the entire cake smoothly.
- Decorate as desired with fresh cherries, chocolate shavings, or piping.
- Let the cake sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
Food safety
We sometimes take for a granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience, that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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