Chocolate Cherry Cake
Moist chocolate cake with a light and fluffy, sweet-tart cherry cream cheese filling that's great for summer celebrations
Equipment
- Electric mixer with paddle and whisk attachments
- 2 8-inch round baking pans
- 1 8 inch round springform pan
- Cake leveler or serrated knife
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cake
- ½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup strong brewed coffee hot
- 1 cup buttermilk or Greek yogurt with a squeeze of lemon juice
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
For the Cherry Cream Cheese Filling
- 2 cup cherries, pitted (7 oz)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp corn starch
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ oz powdered, unflavored gelatin
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
For the Assembly
- 20 whole cherries with stems
- 2 oz dark chocolate bar for shaving
Instructions
Make the Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350?. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a slow stream, pour the hot coffee into the flour mixture while mixing. Add the buttermilk and whisk until incorporated. Whisk in the oil. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
- Divide the batter in half between the two baking pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Cherry Cream Cheese Filling
- In a medium saucepan, combine pitted cherries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice. Cook over low heat until simmering. Stir occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Add the corn starch and continue to cook on low for about 5 minutes, stirring until the mixture thickens. Remove ¼ cup of the cherry mixture and set aside. Transfer the remainder to a glass bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or until completely cool.
- Bloom the gelatin by sprinkling the powdered gelatin over ¼ cup of cold water and letting it sit until all the water is absorbed. Do not stir. If the ¼ cup of the cherry mixture is still steaming, pour the bloomed gelatin into it and stir to dissolve. If the cherry mixture is not still hot, heat it in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until steaming. Then dissolve the gelatin into the cherry reduction and set aside.
- Whip the heavy whipping cream into stiff peaks. Add the gelatin-cherry mixture and stir until combined. Chill the cream while completing the next step.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer or wooden spoon to beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the cold cherry reduction and stir until combined. Add the powdered sugar and stir to combine. Fold the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream and return to the refrigerator to cool. The filling may be thin at this time but will firm up when cool.
Assemble the Cake
- Once both cakes are completely cool, level and torte the cakes with a serrated knife or cake leveler. Trim off any bumps on top, and split each cake in half, creating 4 layers.
- Use an 8-inch springform pan to help the cake keep its form. Line the sides of the springform pan with acetate sheets or parchment paper. Lay one cake layer in the bottom on the pan. Spread ¼ of the cherry cream cheese filling on top, then add a layer of cake on top of that. Repeat until all 4 cake layers are used up. Finally, spread the remainder of the cherry cream cheese filling on the top layer. Decorate with fresh cherries.
- Chill the entire cake in the springform pan for at least an hour, or overnight if possible. To serve, remove the outer ring of the springform pan, lift the cake onto a cake stand, and peel off the parchment paper or acetate sheet. Use a vegetable peeler to shave dark chocolate on top. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
I recommend making this recipe a day ahead of time, as there are many resting and chilling steps.