Chocolate Cherry Cake III

I have made this cake many times for almost 25 years! This is incredibly moist with the perfect chocolate icing. When I'm asked to bring something for a large gathering, I often bring this, baked into bars. Bake in a 15x10" pan, about 20-30 minutes. It's easier to serve this way, and goes further too.

Have been wowing people with this cake for 15+ years. I have always used: chocolate fudge cake mix instead of devil's, 4 eggs instead of two and boil the icing base for 1 minute instead of two. TIP to make super MOIST: after boiling icing base and adding chocolate chips, I pour the icing mixture over cake when chips are 1/2 to 3/4 melted (instead of smooth). This allows some of the milk/sugar/butter to seep down into the cake, and also leaves small morsels of chocolate chips in the icing on top. Super easy to make, knock your socks off taste.

I used a bundt pan and this cake came out great. Thanks

Have made this recipe many times because I am a chocolate cherry lover. The recipe is a good place to start, but I have experimented with it since i have made it so many times. Cake texture is MUCH better if you mix the wet ingredients together first (including your cherry pie filling), and also add 1/3 cup water and 1/3 cup oil to those ingredients. Then mix in your cake mix. Also, instead of using the frosting recipe, I fold in dried cherries and chocolate chips to the batter, then bake, and serve the cake alone. The dried cherries and chocolate chips definitely give the flavor of the cake a big boost!

The cake alone is worthy of many, many more stars. (I did add about 1/4 cup of oil to the batter). Rich, moist and a nice mild cherry flavor. Mmmm. The frosting, however, wasn't the greatest match for this wonderful cake. Too sweet and distracting. After making it again, you absolutely must use the SATINY CHOCOLATE GLAZE recipe instead. Mr. "I don't like cherries" has already requested a third round with this cake...

Absolutely fantastic. Most importantly, it does not taste like a packaged cake. It's absolutely delicious --- moist, flavorful, festive but still simple. I baked it in a 10" Bundt pan for about 40 mns and it came out perfect. The almond extract makes a big difference, so do not skip or substitute it. I suggest following the recipe exactly as is. The frosting is fudgy and fabulous. The cherry flavor is subtle, but still definitely there. The whole thing is much better the next day, however. You might not be that excited about it if you eat it when it's just out of the oven. Make the cake, pour the frosting on it per directions, and serve it the next day. It's a major hit!

Best cake I ever made. I used a dark chocolate with pudding in cake mix. You must use receipe frosting as it makes the cake. Family loves it! A receipe to never forget.

This cake is the best! It's been around forever known as "Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake" It was the first dessert to disappear at a church function and nobody believed how easy it is to make! The chocolate icing is amazing and Soo easy. I can't wait to try it on other types of cakes/cookies in the future! I added pecans to the icing just because my dad loves them :o) I'm sure it didn't change the flavor all that much. I'm also planning to try this reviewer's ideas soon... "Used a CLASSIC WHITE mix and BLUEBERRY filling. used VANILLA EXTRACT instead of almond, and added 1/2 of LEMON'S ZEST to batter, as well as a handful of huge frozen blueberries. Baked for 32 min in a bundt pan. For frosting I halved the recipe and used WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIPS in lieu of the chocolate and added the remaining LEMON ZEST from the lemon....absolute perfection. Due to less surface area, it was perfect to halve the frosting recipe for bundt"

Delicious cake. Used recipe as written and wouldn't change a thing.A must try for you chocolate cherry lovers.

Mmmm. Very yummy. It was so moist and the cherry gave it just enough flavor. I sprinkled a little powder sugar over the top and it looked so elegant. My guests raved, and I couldn't keep my own hands off it.

This cake was excellent! I substituted vanilla for the almond extract. It was a cinch to prepare and the icing was the perfect finishing touch. It was very moist and the frosting was not too rich and didn't get hard or crusty as some frostings do. I will definately be making this again. :)

This is a good and easy cake to make. It is light and fluffy and not really dense but still very good. I added cool whip in the middle and added cherry filling on the top, lots of cherries yummy!!

Such a good recipe. I have been making this for a long time and it always gets rave reviews. My husband is not a chocolate lover and he wanted this cake for his birthday. The almond extract is a must and so is the frosting. Don't try to substitute store bought, it won't be the same.

Very easy cake to make, I did not make the frosting as its for my son to take to work tomorrow. I did only get to taste a very small slice, but I thought it was a great tasting moist cake. I think you could use use this recipe as a base for a great tasting black cherry Gateau.

Even though I normally make cakes from scratch, I tripled the ingredients for 50 servings for a church dinner, and people were begging for the recipe. I have to admit, it was delicious! Very easy to make even when tripling the recipe.

This was a huge hit at work. I followed the recipe as is and it was great!!

This recipe is perfect. I made a chocolate ganache with the chips and created individual little well cakes. Happy Valentines Day all.

I wasn SOOOOO not impressed with this cake. It looked beautiful, but that was about the most exciting part of it. I thought that the actual cake part was very bland. It was not bad tasting, just not great. The texture was very moist. The frosting was very good and had good chocolate flavor. It kind of saved the cake. Without that it would have just taseted like bread with the occasional bite of cherry. Sorry but I will not be making this again. If I am going to spend the calories I want to enjoy every bite.

For a beginner I needed to know how to test if cake is done after 25-30min. I removed it after 30 but toothpick was not clean. Shortly after that the cake sunk in the middle. I thought since this was a moist and chewy cake that maybe it would not test done prior to removal. What did I do wrong?

After reading the recipe several times and looking at my dried mess in my bowl I decided to follow the cake directions and add the liquid since these directions just said add cherries and eggs....otherwise this would have been a 5 star dessert. IT was delish and the chocolate topping is a must. I did poke holes in the cake before adding frosting and WOW

I got rave reviews last week for this cake. I followed the recipe, but jazzed it up a bit for presentation. First off, instead of 9x13, I used two round 9" pans. I used the cherries from another can of pie filling (minus all the goo) between layers, then poured the icing all over the finished product. One tip: try to pour evenly and avoid smoothing the icing with a spatula--it takes away from the shiny finish. When the icing was dry and I was ready to serve, I dusted the entire cake with a mixture of cocoa powder & powdered sugar (combine 1 part powdered sugar with 3 parts cocoa powder for a bittersweet dust). It was gorgeous, moist, and everyone gobbled it up.

Used a Bundt pan and drizzled the icing over the cake. It turned out wonderfully, and it went just oh-so-quickly. I will make this again and again.

This cake is fabulous! It is so moist and not overly sweet. I made it two days ago, and it tastes even better now. I made it in my springform pan. It looked great. It can easily be decorated with fruit and whipped cream. I plan to make it again for an upcoming social event.:-)

I love this cake and have been eating it since I was a kiddo. I bake it in a 9x13 cake pan and add chocolate pudding to the top instead of frosting, by refridgerating this cake with the pudding, it makes it unbelievably moist and very yum, yummy!!

I made this cake as written and found it a little dry. Made it again and added 1 Tlb of oil and it is great. Moist and yummy.

Out of this world! My family went crazy over this cake.....I loved it too and I am not a huge chocolate "nut". The only thing I did different was add a teaspoon of almond extract to the icing recipe. This one is a keeper for sure!

Wow, this is RICH!!! But really really good!! I didn't change anything, small servings are a must, enjoy!

Easy and awesome! The only change I made in the ingredients is I used 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract instead of 1 teaspoon. I made it in a bundt pan, drizzled the FANTASTIC frosting on it as if it were a glaze, and then placed eight maraschino cherries on top for decoration. Prepared this way I have a pretty cake that tastes WONDERFUL! I took it to a potluck and received rave reviews; I am definitely going to use this recipe over and over!

Made this with my 10 yr old chocoholic grand-daughter and she (and the rest of the family) absolutely loved it!!!! It's also good baked in a cookie sheet (if making for a potluck or wanting a thinner cake) and I want to try putting in mini-muffin tins for a bite full of wonderfulness!) We made the frosting listed in this recipe. We thought it was going to be too sweet and considered using less sugar but went with the recipe and it was just perfect! Thank you, Jan, for a moist, easy, cake recipe!

this is excellent, but as written, the icing winds up cracking and gets a very stiff outer coat that breaks apart when you cut it. Otherwise it is yummy and so easy. I will try boiling the icing a little bit less next time!

Love this cake! The last time I made this,I made some changes-went to a bundt pan, but the center piece was missing, so had to keep checking for doneness & adding time. Ran out of almond flavoring so used pecan flavoring. Forgot to add the chip to the batter,so pulled it out after 4 minutes & stirred them in. Despite all this it turned out great & was a hit at the party I took it to. The frosting is sweet, but made a lovely drape down the sides of the cake, texture was fine.

Wish I could give this 100 stars. Melt in your mouth moist. I microvave store bought chocolate frosting for 35 seconds. Stir and pour 1/2 container over cake. then you can sprinkle with nuts or choclate chips. Saves time and looks beautiful.

This cake was pretty good, I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 just because I didn't care for the cherries, although my husband LOVED it! It was very simple to make and I'll make it again for my husband

didn't really care for this cuz it was WAY to rich! and i was expecting a more cherry flavor.

mmmmm, mmmmm, yummmmm... do NOT leave out the almond flavoring, it really makes the cake. And the frosting? omg, i want to be buried in that fudge frosting. Thank you for the recipe Jan, I love you, I love you, I love you

Wow, wow, wow! This cake was absolutely delicious! I made a nice frosting for the cake and used food colouring to make it pink for Valentine's day. I accidentally forgot to add the extract, however it was wonderful all the same. Perhaps next time I will add more cherry filling as it was a bit too subtle. I highly recommend that you all make this cake, it was moist and wonderful!

My family loved this so much and my husbands co workers! 2 days after I made it I had to make 3 more for 3 different events everyone loves it and it goes the same day it's made. Plus I found it so simple to make. I used milk chocolate frosting to top it off and it was Divine!!!

I was disappointed as I could hardly taste the cherries in the cake. The frosting was way too rich.

Very good and so easy. I think this will be my new way of making cakes... box cake + pie filling! I wonder what vanilla cake with lemon filling would taste like... :P

this ranks right up there with Texas Sheet Cake, with the added advantage of not being quite so sweet (or fattening!). I always halve the icing recipe, though; I find the full recipe overwhelms the cake and you only need a thin glaze on top.

Yummy! Very easy. I made this as a last minute dessert to take to a party and it was a hit. Not overly heavy on the cherry flavor but very moist & chocolaty. I used Triple Chocolate Cake instead of Devil's Food since that's what I had. I used a 9x13 pan. I used the frosting also even though I was worried after reading some of the reviews. I think the frosting is a must; don't substitute.

Thank you for a terrific recipe!!! I am definitely making this one again and again.

I made this cake without the frosting because I was short on time so I used pre-packaged chocolate frosting. This cake is a great alternative to just a regular chocolate cake. The cherries add a nice texture and make this cake very moist and the almond extract is necessary- I added a 1/2 tsp. extra, in fact. Rave reviews from the DH. I made 2 8-inch round cakes and made a beautiful layered cake and served it after our Valentine's dinner. Will make this again for another special occasion!

I make cakes for a local cafe and this gets rave reviews! I haven't made the frosting from this recipe. Shamed to say I just use the canned. I tend to put a nice raspberry jam filling in between the layers and call it Black Forest Cake!

I needed a quick dessert for a gathering I had - saw this but the only cake mix I had was red velvet - it was AWESOME!! I made it again for a party a few days later & used the devils food cake mix...I liked the red velvet better. Not sure what the picture is at the top of the page - did not look appetizing & thought about looking for another recipe....glad I didn't :)

This cake is wonderful. Everyone who has tried it really loves it. It keeps very well also.

If i could give this a 6 stars, i would. Very moist, chocolatey and very easy to make. The topping is more of a fudge than frosting. This is definitely a keeper.

I made this for a Church fellowship and nearly all was eaten; with mostly good reviews. I added 1 cup of chocolate chips to the batter. Like others it wasn't very 'cherry tasting'and was definitely better the 2nd day. Don't really know what you could add to improve flavor. I did put a maraschino cherry on each cake square and I baked mine in a 10X15 jelly roll pan. Good but not Great.

I give this four stars but it's because I'm a dolt and decided to frost it myself with a whipped cream based frosting so it wasn't chocolatey enough for me. If I would have used the chocolate chips as the recipe states, I'm sure it would have been decadent. Next time!

I only had two eggs, so I threw in a heaping teaspoon of whipped cream cheese (the only thing I could think of that I had on hand that would help add moisture). I didn't have any chocolate chips, so I made this in a bundt pan and didn't put frosting on it. Within an hour of it cooling half of it was gone. The only reason the other half is still left is because my boyfriend and I agreed to safe it until tomorrow. Amazing!!!

Whoa!! This is excellent!! I made it for my boyfriends birthday and have had many requests to make for other peoples birthdays!! Sometimes when I am low on time I use premade frosting, but it still is awesome.

This is absolutely delicious. Very chocolatey and easy to make.

I have yet to make this; I just found the recipe this evening, but when I do, I think that I will simplify it even further by just making ganache and pouring it over while warm. (Equal ounces of cream and chopped bittersweet chocolate. Bring cream to the boil, add chocolate and stir until melted--dark chocolate deliciousness that tastes like flourless chocolate cake.) I usually make ganache using 16 oz. cream and 16 oz. dark or bittersweet chocolate. I use ganache to dip cupcakes or pour over a regular cake (easiest frosting ever) It then makes a beautiful canvas to add piped flowers, etc. Any remaining, I put in the refrigerator to solidify then cube. I have lots of very fudgy squares that last for quite a while. I've been able to go a three weeks with great willpower. I don't like regular fudge--too grainy and sweet, but I LOVE this. I don't like my chocolate too sweet.

This was very moist! Everyone loved it. I used strawberry pie filling instead and put sliced strawberries on top.

Absolutely delicious! Don't substitute another frosting for this fabulous cake! It's so fudgy and delicious. I have gotten many requests for this very yummy cake. And so EASY! This has become one of my favorite recipes when we have dinner guests.

My kids scream for this! ?????? chocolate cherry icing on the top!! Perfection

I also added a little almond extract to the frosting. Yum.

Great cake. Very moist and very easy to prepare. We made it for a group of 170 people for a church dessert and it was a huge hit. Everyone loved it. Defintely will use this recipe again.

My review was completely changed without any warning, so I'll just make it short and say that this recipe, as is, is very disappointing. Make the changes suggested by past reviewers and it'll come out a lot better. Made as directed it just tastes like chocolate cake.

I cooked this last night for my parents and my children. I must say it is the best thing I have ever baked! I don't think any chocolate cake will ever live up to this... Loved IT!

Good, easy, satisfying recipe. I make these on a sheet pan and serve as bars.

I've made this two times now and my friends love it! I would recommend adding just a tablespoon of water to help mix the batter a little easier.

This is exactly Chocolate Cherry Cake II. I took "MELLO 57" suggestion and blended the pie filling, eggs & extract in the blender first. Actually I only had 1 egg so for the other egg I used 2 Tbsp water, 1 Tbsp oil & 2 tsp baking powder and it worked great. I also added 1/2 c applesauce and 1 c flour-coated semi-sweet chocolate chips to the batter. I baked it in a 9X13 pyrex dish for 35 minutes. Wow! This is the most moist cake I've ever had -and I've had a lot! I didn't make the frosting because I added the chocolate chips to the batter and I figured I'd just dust a little powdered sugar on top. At the last minute, my mom twisted my arm and said to put frosting so I cheated and warmed up 1/2 a store bought chocolate frosting in the microwave and poured it on top. This is very, very rich so you must be a chocoholic to enjoy this.

What a great and easy recipe! My husband devoured it! Thanks for the recipe, Jan!

Oh My Gosh!!! This cake is great!! Cherries chocolate cake, and fudge frosting all come together into one great tasting cake. Didn't change a thing and never plan too. All you need when you are done is a cold glass of milk. Thanks for the great recipe Jan.

If you like chocolate this is for you. The cherries added a extra little kick that was very good!! I dont like cherries so i was a little skeptical but this was actually very good.

My family has been making this cake for almost 10 years. It's always a hit. Infact... so many people associate this cake with me (in my old home town) they call it Sybil cake. I don't know where the recipe originated... but it's a classic winner. It's SOOO chocolicious.

Pretty good. A twist on the basic chocolate bundt cake. It didn't have enough cherry flavor for me personally, but was an overall decent cake.

PHENOMENAL!!!! This chocolate cake recipe is one of the best I've ever had--it's so moist and every once in awhile you find a delicious cherry hiding!! We used store bought vanilla frosting and it was delicious!!! One word of warning---you have to stir this very thoroughly because the cherries tend to hide pockets of unmixed cake--so stir stir stir!!

Words cannot describe the goodness of this recipe! I thought it was perfect and so did everyone else I made it for. I am excited to try out different variations with white cakes.

I used 3 eggs because my eggs were kind of small. Other than that I followed the directions, baked for 30 minutes and poured the icing on a few minutes after it was done. Wonderful!

So delicious and moist! I made it as a birthday cake and it got rave reviews!

Very nice, simple to make, moist cake. I think it is much prettier in a bundt pan; however, if you do put it in a bundt pan, bake for approximately 50 minutes. This cake cuts beautifully even if it is warm! I made this cake for a friend who had left shoulder surgery and her husband who had broken his left shoulder! I figured something chocolate would hit the spot, and I think this one did! I just dripped the icing and only used half of that called for. Also, I used reduced sugar cherry pie filling.

The best chocolate cake ever!

I have never rated any recipe on this site before, but I need to tell all that this is amazing and very rich cake possibly the best if had. Thanks for the recipe.

Nice, fast desert. Very easy. Made 2 cakes for work, 1 with the frosting and 1 without (for those who dislike frosting). Provided some Cool-Whip for those who took the cake with no frosting. It is good both ways, but I personally liked the frosting version better. You could probably use 1/2 the frosting and that would be plenty. Thanks for the recipe!

When I made this recipe I didn't use the icing. I thought it may be a bit to rich for my liking. I put whipped cream on the top drizzled with chocolate sauce. Took it to a pot luck and it got rave reviews.

This was fabulous!!!! It tastes just like a chocolate covered cherry! We finished it in one day, mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!! We will definately make this again, thanks!

The first cake I ever baked, and wow it was good! I'll definitely be making this again.

Excellent cake, super moist. Next time, I will take another reviewer's suggestion and bake in a 10x15 pan.

Made two of these for an Ice Cream Social. Had both of them mixed and in the oven literally in less than 5 minutes. The icing is excellent. Hot seller, too.

Turned out perfectly the first time. I made it in a Bundt pan, so the frosting did some puddling up in the middle, but that's the good part to scrape up! I took it to my church and everyone raved!

This cake was perfect for my daughter's birthday topped with a few chocolate covered cherries. Moist and yummy. It helps to break up the dry mix with a fork before stirring in the other ingredients.

This cake is out of this world!!! I will definitely be making this again...so easy and so good!!

I have made this cake for over 7 years now with almost exact ingredients (3 eggs instead of 2). It has been an all-star favorite at EVERY potluck or dinner I have taken it to. Everybody asks for the recipe! The cherries are to make the cake moist, not to totally flavor it...it's a subtle taste. You can also find the recipe in the original Cake Doctor cookbook.

Very Tasty - extremely easy to make - and no one will know that it from a cake mix. I make the cake in a stoneware bar pan and when the cake has cooled down - I spread the icing on. So quick and easy. I find that the bar pan gives a better sized slice of cake, not as much to hold in your hand. The batter does appear stiff but just ignore - the cake turns out beautifully

This is the recipe to use when you're in a hurry. Its great and doesn't taste like a mix.

I made this last weekend and it was a huge hit! I had a store-bought frosting, so I put it in the microwave just to soften it before spreading it on. I took another reviewer's idea and poked some holes in it so the frosting would work its way into the cake. A couple of us were craving it soon after it was gone.

Awesome cake! I used to make this years ago, and I'd lost the recipe. It sure was great to find it here! The only difference is, I put 1/4 cup of water in the batter. Makes it easier to handle, and the cake comes out a little lighter. Thanks... this one's a keeper!

This cake was so good. It was one of three at a party and it was the only one that completely disappeared. The frosting is rich and smooth with a great chocolate taste. I did use milk chocolate chips however as I am not a dark chocolate person that much.

I made this and it was really easy to make and really yummy to eat. I made it into muffins though. I didn't make or use the icing, I left them plain Next time I am thinking of trying this recipe using a butter pecan cake mix and apple pie filling.

I've been making this for years. It is really good and easy. It's also good to use fudge cake mix.

This recipe is the best! My mom made it for years. The only thing that I do different is buy another can of cherry pie filling and drizzle it on top of the frosting. To Die For!!!

I made the cake and icing according to the directions but when I poured the icing on the cake it absorbed into the cake instead of sitting on top of it as expected which made it a mushy goo.

You can't go wrong with this one! I did not change one thing (I usually do) but no need to do so here. Easy, quick, inexpensive to make and yeilds a nice size. Made three times so far! Thank you so much, it will become a family classic, already has.

I loved the simple recipe! I used 3 eggs (because I read that someone used 4) and it took a bit longer because I used a 9" circle pan- but it worked well and took about 45/50 minutes. I got antsy and poured the frosting on before the cake cooled, but I think it'll be okay. I decorated with maraschino cherries and chocolate chips and some powdered sugar. Yay cake-making!

Chocolate and cherries - WOW. This cake was a serious hit. EVERYONE raved about it, even those who don't like cherries. It was easy to make for such a delite.

What a delicious, beautiful, and super simple cake! I used a lower sugar version of the pie filling, 3/4 cup sugar, 3 T butter, and 1/2 t. extract. It turned out so well and tasted great right after cooling, Can't imagine it could taste even better the next day, but that will certainly be something to look forward to! Baked about 40 min in a Bundt pan. Thank you!

This always turns out perfect. Thank you