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Chocolate and cherries just belong together, don’t they? I’ve always believed there’s something incredibly romantic about that combo—rich chocolate, bright cherries, a little burst of tart sweetness—and this chocolate cherry cake brings it all together with almost no effort.
My grandma looooved cherry cordials. I remember having them at her house one Christmas and instantly, the moment I bit into them I knew… these are not for me…haha!
Nowadays my taste buds have grown up quite a bit and I can see how much cherries and chocolate belong together!
Because this cake stays unbelievably moist (thank you, cherry pie filling!), it’s a total crowd-pleaser for Valentine’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries, or honestly any night you want something that feels a little special without getting too fussy. Trust me—one bite and you’ll know why this cake keeps disappearing around here.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Chocolate Cherry Cake
If you’re a chocolate lover, this cake is about to become a new favorite. A boxed chocolate cake mix and canned cherry pie filling come together for a rich, ultra-moist chocolate cherry cake that tastes way more homemade than it is—without the extra effort.
- Easy and Impressive: Because the base starts with a cake mix, the batter comes together in minutes. Mix, bake, cool—done. It’s the kind of dessert that feels special without adding stress to your day.
- Extra Chocolatey: The frosting doubles down on the chocolate with both melted chocolate and cocoa powder for deep, fudgy flavor—no dry or overly sweet frosting here.
- Generously Frosted: The recipe makes enough frosting for a thick, dreamy layer (the way I like it!), but you can use less and stash the rest in the fridge for another dessert if you want.
- Pretty Finishing Touches: Add a sprinkle of chocolate chips or a few extra cherries on top for color and texture—it makes each slice look irresistible.
Slice into squares and serve—no one has to know how easy it was.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This box cake mix recipe couldn’t be simpler to make! Here’s everything you’ll need to make this super easy chocolate cake with cherry pie filling:
For the Cake
- Chocolate Cake Mix: Creates the base of the cake with strong chocolate flavor, structure, and tenderness, saving time without sacrificing taste.
- Cherry Pie Filling: Adds rich cherry flavor, natural sweetness, and moisture that keeps the cake incredibly soft. They also create juicy pockets in every bite.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together, provide lift, and help the cake set with a tender, moist crumb.
- Almond Extract: Enhances the cherry flavor (cherries + almond mimic each other naturally) while adding warmth and depth to the chocolate.
- Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips: Add bursts of rich chocolate flavor throughout the cake and melt slightly into the crumb for extra gooeyness. We melt them and add the chocolate to the frosting too!
For the Frosting
- Unsalted Butter: Forms the base of the frosting, adding richness, smooth texture, and a creamy mouthfeel.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting while creating a silky consistency that’s easy to spread.
- Cocoa Powder: Boosts the chocolate flavor in the frosting and balances the sweetness of the sugar and cherries.
- Whole Milk: Thins the frosting to a smooth, spreadable consistency while adding creaminess and helping everything blend together.
- Light Corn Syrup: Adds shine and stability to the frosting, helping it stay glossy and smooth instead of crusting over.
- Vanilla Extract: Rounds out the chocolate flavor and adds warmth, preventing the frosting from tasting flat or overly sweet.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances all the chocolate and cherry notes so the flavors taste richer and more defined.
How to Make Chocolate Cherry Cake (Step-by-Step)
The key thing to remember when making this chocolate cake mix recipe is that you do NOT mix together the chocolate mix like it instructs on the packaging. Instead, follow these instructions:
- Combine: Stir together the cake mix, cherry pie filling, eggs, egg yolk and vanilla.
- Fold: Then, fold in the chocolate chips.
- Spread the cake batter into a greased 9×13-inch baking pan and bake.
- Once the cherry cake has cooled completely, make the homemade chocolate frosting.
- Frost the cake and top with additional chocolate chips or sprinkles.
How to Serve Chocolate Cherry Cake
If you are serving this chocolate cherry cake recipe for Valentine’s Day then let me give you a few ideas for what to serve for the rest of dinner. Some of our favorite easy but fancy main dishes are garlic butter steak at home, whole roasted chicken, sausage and peppers pasta, or smoked tri tip.
Chocolate Cherry Cake FAQs
I bet that would be delicious! I feel like any canned fruit pie filling would work in place of the cherry pie filling. If you use another type of pie filling in this easy chocolate cake recipe, please leave a comment below telling us how it turned out!
As long as you buy a 15-ounce boxed cake mix, this cherry cake recipe should turn out okay. I imagine you’d need to stick with “regular” cake mixes (i.e. plain yellow, white, or chocolate cake) and avoid specialty cake mixes, like angel food cake. I’ve only made this recipe with chocolate cake mix, so I can’t say for certain.
Nope! Use it as-is. The juices help keep the cake extra moist.
Yes!
Cupcakes: ~18–22 minutes
Bundt: ~40–55 minutes
2 round pans: ~23–27 minutes
Always check early—every oven is a little different!
Tips for Making Chocolate Cherry Cake
- Be sure not to add more almond extract than the recipe below calls for. Almond extract can quickly overwhelm the other flavors in this chocolate cherry cake, so be careful!
- The key to a smooth and creamy frosting is whipping the butter for the full amount of time. You’ll want to beat the butter for 2-3 minutes until it gets light and fluffy. Once you add the powdered sugar you’re going to do the same thing! The longer you beat the frosting, the more air is incorporated and the more fluffy it will be.
- Once you take it out you’ll want to make sure the cake is completely cool before you start frosting it. Otherwise you’ll end up with melty frosting all over the place!
Make Ahead, Storing and Freezing
This chocolate cake with cherries is great for making ahead of time! It stays moist for 2–3 days when tightly covered. The flavor deepens after resting overnight.
You can store the cake at room temperature for up to three days or in the refrigerator for up to one week.
If you want to make it really far in advance, you can make the cake and freeze it for up to 2-3 months, then let it defrost and frost it once it’s ready to serve.
So whether you’re slicing this up for Valentine’s Day or sneaking a forkful straight from the pan at midnight (no judgment—we’ve all been there), this chocolate cherry cake is one of those desserts that just sticks. It’s rich without being heavy, sweet with a little tang, and it tastes even better the next day… assuming there’s any left.
More EASY CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPES:
Watch How to Make Moist Chocolate Cherry Cake…
Prevent your screen from going dark
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Preheat oven to 350°F.
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Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan. Set aside.
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Combine cake mix, cherry pie filling, eggs, egg yolk, and almond extract.
1 Box Chocolate Cake Mix, 1 Can Cherry Pie Filling, 2 Large Eggs, 1 Egg Yolk, ½ teaspoon Almond Extract
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Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine.
1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks
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Pour in prepared baking pan and bake for 35-40 minutes.
For the Frosting
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Once the cake has cooled, make the frosting. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixer, beat the butter on high speed until light and fluffy, for 2-3 full minutes.
1 ½ Cups Unsalted Butter
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On low speed, gradually add the confectioners sugar and cocoa powder and beat for another 2-3 minutes.
3-4 Cups Confectioners’ Sugar, 1 Cup Cocoa Powder
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Then add the melted chocolate, followed by the milk, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Beat for 1 minute.
8 Ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate, ¼ Cup Whole Milk, ¼ Cup Light Corn Syrup, 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract, ¼ teaspoon Salt
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Then turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and beat for 3 full minutes.
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Frost cooled cake and top with sprinkles.
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Slice and serve.
- Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 589kcal, Carbohydrates: 73g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 33g, Saturated Fat: 18g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 83mg, Sodium: 286mg, Potassium: 376mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 46g, Vitamin A: 677IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 83mg, Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
