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Chocolate Cake with Maraschino Cherries
This Chocolate Cake with Maraschino Cherries recipe is moist, decadent, and bursting with cherry flavor. It’s a delicious dessert that’s surprisingly easy to make at home!
Servings: 12 -16 servings
Calories: 663kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar*
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder I used [KA Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa]
- 2 teaspoons baking soda*
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups hot water*
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules I substituted 1 teaspoon chocolate extract
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Maraschino Cherry Filling
- 10 oz. jar maraschino cherries chopped
- ½ cup maraschino cherry liquid
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter
Glossy Chocolate Icing:
- 1 stick unsalted butter 8 tablespoons
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 ¼ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- pinch of salt
- 1 ¼ cups heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules I substituted 1 teaspoon chocolate extract
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
To Make the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350º with rack in the center. Spray two 9x2 inch round cake pans with non-stick spray.
- Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. (Don't use a mixer.)3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups sugar*, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda*, 1 teaspoon salt
- Combine water, oil, vinegar, instant coffee, and vanilla in a large measuring cup. Add to the dry ingredients and whisk just until combined, a few lumps are OK.2 cups hot water*, ¾ cup vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Divide batter between pans, then bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes.
- Cool cakes on a rack for 15 minutes, then invert them onto the rack.. Leave cakes upside down (this flattens domed cakes) to cool completely.
- *I made the following high altitude adjustments: Decreased the sugar by 2 tablespoons, used 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda and 2 ¼ cup hot water.
Maraschino Cherry Filling
- In small saucepan combine sugar and corn starch. Gradually add in cherry liquid, stirring to dissolve sugar.2 tablespoons corn starch, ⅓ cup sugar, ½ cup maraschino cherry liquid
- Stir in cherries. Cook over medium high heat until mixture comes to a boil and thickens.10 oz. jar maraschino cherries
- Remove from heat and stir in butter. Cool completely before using.1 tablespoon butter
Glossy Chocolate Icing
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sugar, cocoa, and salt. (Mixture will be thick and grainy.)1 stick unsalted butter, 1 ½ cups sugar, 1 ¼ cups unsweetened cocoa powder, pinch of salt
- Combine heavy cream, sour cream, and instant coffee in a large measuring cup, mixing until smooth. Gradually add cream mixture to chocolate until blended and smooth.1 ¼ cups heavy whipping cream, ¼ cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
- Cook until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth and hot to the touch, 6 - 8 minutes. Do not boil.
- Remove from heat, add vanilla. Cool icing at room temperature until spreadable 2 - 3 hours. Icing may be chilled until completely cold, then warmed gently in microwave until spreadable. Heat at high power in 20-second intervals, stirring well after each interval. (I got a little impatient and whipped the frosting after two hours because it still hadn't set up enough.)2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Notes
Recipe Inspiration: Inspiration for this show-stopping chocolate cake with maraschino cherries came from a recipe in the cooking magazine Cuisine At Home.
Make it Cupcakes: This batter makes about 24 cupcakes. Bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes. Pipe filling into centers after cooling.
Cocoa Powder: Natural cocoa works, though the color will be lighter. Adjust baking soda to 1½ teaspoons if using natural cocoa.
Cherry Options: Fresh or frozen sweet cherries can replace maraschino cherries for a less sweet filling. Cook them down with sugar and cornstarch the same way.
Nutrition
Calories: 663kcal | Carbohydrates: 107g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 399mg | Potassium: 281mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 74g | Vitamin A: 436IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 3mg