This chocolate covered cherry cake is the ultimate box cake mix hack for when you want a decadent, bakery-quality dessert without any of the stress. By swapping out the oil for a can of cherry pie filling, you get an incredibly moist cake that tastes exactly like a chocolate-covered cherry truffle. It’s my favorite "secret weapon" recipe for potlucks because it looks fancy but is secretly so easy to whip up!
This chocolate covered cherry cake recipe is incredibly easy to make, but the results taste like you spent all day in the kitchen. By using cherry pie filling as the secret ingredient, you get a cake that is naturally moist and bursting with flavor without needing a drop of vegetable oil.
The real "icing on the cake" is the rich, chocolate glaze. It’s very similar to the one on my Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake, providing a silky, decadent finish that perfectly complements the fruit-filled base.
If you take this chocolate covered cherry cake to a party or potluck, be prepared for questions! It’s consistently the most talked-about dessert on the table and vanishes almost as soon as it's sliced.
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🥘Ingredients
- Devil's food cake mix- try to use Duncan Hines or Pillsbury, since there's more ounces in those boxes
- cherry pie filling- used instead of oil; stick with full sugar filling for optimal sweetness and thickness
- eggs- use at room temperature for easier mixing
- pure almond extract- tastes much better than imitation
- sugar, butter, whole milk, semisweet chocolate chips- for the rich and decadent chocolate glaze
🔪Instructions
- Step 1: Blend the cake mix, cherry pie filling, almond extract, and eggs with a mixer.
- Step 2: Spread cake batter into greased 9x13 pan; bake.
- Step 3: Bring butter, sugar, and milk to a boil; remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips.
- Step 4: Pour glaze over warm cake; cool before slicing and serving.
Hint: Don't worry if the glaze for your chocolate covered cherry cake looks thin at first! It will thicken and firm up into a fudgy, set topping as it sits on the warm cake.
🥣Substitutions
Box Cake Mix - While Devil's Food is classic for this chocolate covered cherry cake, you can also use a Chocolate Fudge or Swiss Chocolate mix. If you have a mix "with pudding in the mix," it will make the cake even denser and more moist.
Milk - If you don't have whole milk on hand for the glaze, you can substitute half and half or heavy cream for an even richer finish.
Butter - You can use salted or unsalted butter. If using unsalted, add a tiny pinch of salt to the glaze to help balance the sweetness of the cherry pie filling.
📖Variations
Cherry Vanilla Cake - If you want a lighter version, try using a golden or white cake mix instead of chocolate. It creates a "Cherries and Cream" flavor that is just as delicious.
Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes: You can easily turn this batter into chocolate cherry cupcakes! Simply line a cupcake tin with paper liners and bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes.
Black Forest Twist: For a true Black Forest vibe, top your cake with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of chocolate shavings instead of the glaze.
For additional ideas with cherry pie filling, check out Cherry Crunch and Cranberry Cherry Dessert Squares.
🍽Equipment
- 13x9 nonstick pan
- hand mixer
- large mixing bowl
- scraping/rubber spatula
- wire cooling rack
- mixing spoons
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- small pot
- non-scratch serrated knife
- serving spatula
🍶Storage
This cake can be stored at room temperature, covered tightly with foil, for up to 5 days. However, because of the fruit content and the fudgy glaze, many people find it tastes even better when served cold directly from the refrigerator!
You can also freeze the cake, wrapped in foil, for up to 6 months. Thaw the cake overnight on the counter before serving.
💭Top tip
The secret to a perfect chocolate covered cherry cake is not overbaking it. Bake the cake just until the center springs back when lightly pressed and the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan. This ensures your cherry chocolate dessert stays incredibly moist and fudgy rather than dry.
🗨️FAQ
Because the taste of this delicious dessert resembles the flavor of chocolate covered cherries.
Yes! While Devil's Food is the standard for a rich chocolate covered cherry cake, you can also use Chocolate Fudge, Swiss Chocolate, or even a White cake mix for a "cherries and cream" variation. Using a mix with "pudding in the mix" will result in an even denser, moister texture.
This is a classic box cake mix hack where the moisture from the 21-ounce can of cherry pie filling replaces the need for vegetable oil and water. The syrup in the pie filling, combined with the eggs, provides all the fat and liquid necessary for a perfectly moist crumb.
There is no need to chop the cherries. As you use your hand mixer to combine the ingredients, the beaters will naturally break the cherries into smaller, bite-sized pieces that distribute evenly throughout the chocolate covered cherry cake batter.
🥄Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
🍴Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake:
A special thank you to my aunt for sharing this amazing recipe with me!
📋Recipe
Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 box devil's food cake mix Pillsbury or Duncan Hines because there's more ounces in the box
- 1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
Chocolate Glaze:
- 1 cup sugar
- ⅓ cup butter
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- 1 & ⅓ cups semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the dry cake mix and cherry pie filling.
- Next, add the almond extract and eggs.
- Blend with your hand mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Increase the mixer's speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more. Scrape the sides again, if necessary.
- Then pour the batter into your prepared pan, smoothing the top with the rubber spatula.
- Bake at 350℉ for 30 to 35 minutes.
- In a medium saucepan, add sugar, butter and milk. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil. After it boils, stir constantly for 1 more minute.
- Remove the pan from heat and stir in the chocolate chips.
- When the chips have melted and the glaze is smooth, pour it over the warm cake so that it covers the entire surface.
- Cool the cake for 20 minutes, then cut the cake into squares before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional information is provided by a third party service and is intended for guidance purposes only. KitchenReadyBetty.com makes no claims to its accuracy.
Helen H. says
We love chocolate covered cherries, so I couldn't wait to give this easy cake recipe a try. It came out delicious and I didn't miss the vegetable oil one bit!
Kitchen Ready Betty says
It's so moist without the oil. The cherry pie filling is such a great substitute. I'm so glad you enjoyed this easy recipe.
Barbara K. says
It's too tempting. not to try.
Kitchen Ready Betty says
I completely agree—that rich chocolate glaze really is the 'cherry on top' and makes this easy cake mix recipe taste like it’s made from scratch. It’s definitely my favorite part of this Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake.
Heidi says
Your chocolate glaze is absolutely heavenly and it adds the perfect finishing touch to your lovely cake. But skipping the oil for some delicious cherry pie filling... this is SO smart. I always want dessert, but making it healthier means I can splurge way more often!
Kitchen Ready Betty says
Hi Heidi! I am so glad you enjoyed the chocolate glaze—it really is the best part of this easy cherry cake recipe! Swapping the oil for cherry pie filling is such a simple way to keep the cake moist while making it a slightly healthier dessert option. Since you love smart shortcuts and that chocolatey flavor, you have to try my new Easy No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie next—it's another winner!