This luscious four inch layer cake is is perfect when you want a special cake just for two. It’s filled with a sweet maraschino filling and iced with rich chocolate ganache.
My son’s birthday is just three days after my husband’s birthday. Now that my son’s older we celebrate both birthdays on the same day. Although they don’t mind sharing a party, they both have different ideas of what the perfect birthday cake is. So this year I decided to make them each their own little cake.
My son loves cakes made with chocolate and cherries, so I made him this little Cherry Chocolate Cake. I used the chocolate cake recipe I used to make my grandson’s smash cake. The recipe doesn’t use eggs, so you don’t have to worry about dividing eggs.
All you need to make the filling is a little jar of maraschino cherries, a little sugar and cornstarch. The chocolate ganache is easy to make as well, just heat some heavy cream, pour the hot cream over the chocolate, stir it until it’s smooth and creamy, then just wait until it’s thick and spreadable.
This adorable cupcake stand from the Martha Stewart Collection at Macy’s was sent to me from the folks at Martha Stewart Living. It’s the perfect stand to showcase this little cake, or any fabulous little dessert you’ve whipped up in the kitchen.
The knife was in my hand, and I was going to cut the cake in half, but my son stopped me and said he wanted the entire cake to himself. He even wanted to eat the cake right off the pretty cake stand. His eyes were a little bit too big for his tummy though, and he ended up saving half the cake for the next day. It is a cake for two after all.
Although I made this cake for my son’s birthday, it would also be the perfect dessert to share with someone you love for Valentine’s Day.
Cherry Chocolate Cake for Two
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup hot water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons maraschino cherry liquid
- 2 tablespoons chopped maraschino cherries
- 4 oz. milk chocolate finely chopped
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 4" x 2" round cake pan with non-stick baking spray.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a small cup, whisk together water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix just until blended.
- Bake 18 - 20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- Maraschino Cherry Filling
- In a small saucepan mix sugar and corn starch until it's well blended.
- Add cherry liquid and stir to dissolve sugar and cornstarch. Stir in cherries.
- Cook over medium high heat until mixture comes to a boil and thickens to the consistency of pie filling. Remove from heat and cool completely before using.
- Chocolate Ganache
- Place chocolate in a glass bowl. Heat heavy cream over medium high heat just until it comes to a boil.
- Remove from heat and immediately pour cream over chocolate; let rest two minutes, then stir until chocolate is completely melted. Cool until ganache is thickened and has a spreadable consistency.
- Assembling cake
- Cut the cake in half horizontally and spread the maraschino filling on the bottom half, carefully stack the top half on top of the filling. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the chocolate ganache. Decorate top with grated chocolate and a maraschino cherry, optional.
More cherry chocolate cake recipes you might like:
Black Forest Cheesecake Cake, Barbara Bakes
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake with Maraschino Cherry Filling, Barbara Bakes
Chocolate Cherry Cola Cake, Something Swanky
Cherry Chocolate Dump Cake, Dine & Dish
Oana
Look at this tiny beauty! Chocolate and cherry, now that’s something that works together a treat. I’d devour this on my own 😀
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
I like the way your son thinks. Just give me a fork and get out of the way. Bless him.
His cake is perfect for a very special birthday.
Krystle (Baking Beauty)
Love chocolate and cherries together. I need to get a small cake pan and this little stand asap, so cute!! Pinned!
Cecret
Barbara- thank you for this recipe! I doubled the recipe and used two 4×2 heart springform pans. I made a chocolate cherry version for my dad and a cookies and cream version for my husband 🙂
My husband prefers a sweeter frosting so I added powdered sugar to the ganache for his cake-it is very tasty and very sweet! I’m sure my dad will love his cake as he loves anything chocolate and cherry 😉
Gotta get me that little cake stand from Martha!
Another winning recipe from Barbara Bakes!!
Barbara Schieving
Hi Cecret – thanks, such a sweet comment! What a fun idea to use heart shaped pans. How nice of you to make on for your dad too. Happy Valentine’s Day!
My Inner Chick
PERFECT
for me and Mr. L. xx
Angie@Angie's Recipes
What a beautiful and romantic cake!
Sue {munchkin munchies}
An adorable and delicious cake with the perfect cake stand to display it!
Betty
I love small desserts- there are no leftovers to tempt me later! This would be a perfect treat for a special occasion for hubby and me. 🙂
Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen
I think you meant for one, right?! 🙂 Really beautiful!
Medeja
What a nice idea to make cake just for two 🙂
Annamaria @ Bakewell Junction
Barbara,
My hubby and I love chocolate and this cake looks perfect. I can’t wait to try it.
Annamaria
lovelypalate
This little cake is adorable! I love maraschino cherries too!
Rachel (Rachel's Kitchen NZ)
Might just make this for my own birthday in a couple of weeks – love the size of it!
Carol
That is one gorgeous little cake-and a delicious one too I know. I love the idea of a cake for 2….that would be perfect for us.
I love that cake stand….I’m a sucker for those kind of things. What a great way to present that special birthday cake.
Rocky Mountain Woman
That would be a cute idea for Valentine’s Day!
Maybe even for a friend who is under the weather…
June Burns
What a cute cake! I love cherry + chocolate together, such a great combination 🙂
Rosa
Very cute and tempting! A great dessert for lovers.
Cheers,
Rosa