Chocolate Cherry Cake

Chocolate cherry cake is the doctored cake mix recipe that’s earned a permanent spot on church potluck tables since the 1970s. A box of devils food cake mix gets stirred together with a can of cherry pie filling, two eggs, and a teaspoon of almond extract. No oil, no water, no fuss. The pie filling provides all the moisture, and the result is a cake that’s denser, fudgier, and more interesting than the box mix alone.

Almond extract is the secret. It amplifies the cherry flavor in a way that makes people swear there’s marzipan in the cake when there isn’t.

The finishing move is a poured chocolate fudge icing made on the stovetop. Sugar, butter, and milk boil for one minute, then chocolate chips get stirred in until smooth. Pour over the cooled cake while still warm so it spreads thin and sets into a glossy chocolate sheet.

Pro Tips

• Mix by hand with a spatula, not a mixer. Overbeating breaks down the pie filling and you lose those whole-cherry pockets in the finished cake.
• Cool the cake completely before icing. Hot cake melts the icing too thin and it slides right off the surface.
• Pour the icing while it’s still warm and pourable. Once it cools below 95°F (35°C) it firms up and won’t spread evenly across the cake.
• Cut into squares before icing if you want neat edges. Cutting through fresh icing pulls and tears, but pre-cut squares set with smooth tops.

Variations

• Use strawberry or blueberry pie filling for different fruit-and-chocolate combos.
• Stir a half cup of chocolate chips into the batter for extra fudgy pockets.
• Add a few drops of red food coloring to the icing for a Black Forest visual.