Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake is delicious proof that you can't judge a cake by its cover. This dessert may look unassuming, but don't let that fool you. After just one bite, you'll enter a world of elegant sweetness and be totally hooked! Its rich, chocolate-cherry flavor is truly scrumptious and out of this world amazing!

Why We Love It

I never thought I could be wooed by a cake. Trust me: there's been plenty of cake in my life. Some I have loved dearly and others I have thought of fondly over time. But when I first tried Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake, it was love at first bite--which quickly turned into infatuation. This is almost a little too embarrassing to admit, but when this chocolate wonderful is in the house, it's pretty much all I can think of. This super-moist, chocolaty cherry, glaze-topped gem is absolutely one of my favorites of all time. And when it's gone (as in devoured, yet loved)...well, let's just say it's not forgotten!

The really funny thing about this is that even though it tastes majestic, Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake is ridiculously simple to make. And the icing on top?--well, let's just say I think the glaze on this may have coined that expression!

Why You'll Love It

Now I'm going to let you in on a little secret: Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake is actually a box cake hack! [Insert gasp here.] That's right--it's even easier to make than you thought! There's no flour or sugar to measure, and the really neat thing is that even though we use a cake mix, there's no vegetable oil in this recipe because the cherry pie filling (and 2 eggs) give us all the moistness we need! Simply use your hand mixer to blend the cake ingredients and bake it. Then make a simple--yet decadent--chocolate glaze on your stovetop to top it with. Let the cake sit for 20 minutes and then you will be in heaven--absolute cake heaven.

And, I'm warning you now, if you take this to a social, be prepared for all the raves and recipe questions--because this just might be the most talked about dessert (dare I say food?) on the table!

Love decadent treats? Check out our Peanut Butter Butterscotch Blondies and Make Ahead Monkey Bread! If you especially love chocolate glazed decadent treats (like this one), then you have to try Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake!

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 box devil's food cake mix
• 1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure almond extract

For the chocolate glaze:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 & 1/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

How to make Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake

You'll want to gather the following equipment:

• 13x9 nonstick pan
• hand mixer
• large mixing bowl
• scraping/rubber spatula
• wire cooling rack
• mixing spoons
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• small pot
• nonscratch serrated knife
• serving spatula

Kitchen Ready Betty tips:

Before starting...

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
• Grease pan

Make the Cake

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.

Place the cake in your 350 degree preheated oven and bake it for 30 to 35 minutes.

Kitchen Ready Betty tip: Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack while you prepare the glaze.

Make the Glaze

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. Use a spatula as needed to spread the glaze evenly.

Cool the cake for 20 minutes, then cut the cake into squares before serving.

Kitchen Ready Betty tip: The glaze may be thin, but it will firm up as it sits!

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake Leftovers?

If you're a chocolate lover like me, this cake won't be around for long!

Store the cake, covered in aluminum foil, at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. Or, freeze the cake, wrapped in foil, for up to 6 months. Thaw the cake overnight on the counter before serving.

A special thank you to my aunt for sharing this amazing recipe with me!