Chocolate Cherry Cake with a Soft Crumb

Chocolate Cherry Cake with a Soft Crumb keeps the shopping list focused on Dutch-processed cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, and kosher salt. It serves 16 slices.

Count on 30 minutes of prep, 40 minutes of cooking, about 1 hour from the first measurement to the plate.

Ingredients Method

What goes in the bowl

For the Chocolate Cherry Cake

• ¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• ¾ cup vegetable oil or another neutral oil
• ¼ cup coffee brewed and cooled
• 21 ounces cherry pie filling canned or homemade

For the Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

• 10 ounces cream cheese room temperature
• ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• Pinch kosher salt
• 6 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

How the cooking goes

To prepare the cake

1. Warm the oven to 350°F conventional (no fan), spray a rectangular cake pan with nonstick cooking spray, and place a piece of cut baking paper in the bottom.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Keep it to one side.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, vanilla, and sugar until the texture looks smooth. Gradually whisk in the vegetable oil to emulsify the batter.
4. Beat the coffee into the egg mixture. Then fold through the dry ingredients with a silicone spatula until no dry lumps remain.
5. Put the cherry pie filling and fold to combine.
6. Tip into your prepared pan, smooth the top with an offset spatula, and bake in the preheated oven.
7. Oven-bake until a cake tester comes out with a few clinging crumbs and the center provides a little resistance when pressed lightly with your finger. The bake time will greatly depend on the pans that you choose. A rectangular baking dish will take between 40-45 minutes. Mine took 44 minutes. This cake batter will bake faster in 3 cake pans. It bakes 32 minutes when divided between 3, but for 2 pans it bakes between 35-40 minutes.
8. If using round cake pans, allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then flip it out onto a wire rack, remove the paper from the bottom of the cake. Allow to cool until it is no longer warm before flipping back over. Don’t stress if a little bit sticks to the rack.
9. If you are baking a rectangular one-layer cake, just let it cool on a wire rack in the cake pan. Cool completely before frosting.

Prepare the buttercream

1. In the bowl of a electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together until homogeneous.
2. You sift the cocoa powder and powdered sugar right into the bowl, then mix on low speed until the mix looks even. Add salt and vanilla extract, more until the seasoning suits the pot if desired.
3. Switch to the whisk attachment and beat until lightened and fluffier. If you would like an even lighter topping, add ¼-½ cup heavy whipping cream and beat the mixture until it reaches stiff peaks.

Assemble the cake

1. Portion the frosting on the top of the cooled cake and spread it out with a large offset spatula. You made swirls using the tip of the offset spatula. Top with chocolate shavings or more cherries if desired.

After it comes off the heat

Let the pan settle before you slice, so the crumb stays together. Cover leftovers once they are cool.

If you want another plate from Cakes, open Maple Cake with a Soft Crumb and Fruit Cake with a Soft Crumb.