Chocolate and Valentine's Day go hand-in-hand. It's rare to hear or see one mentioned without the other during the month of February. Chocolate and cherries are also a good combination. This Valentine's Day, why not combine all three? This chocolate cherry cake is bursting with chocolate covered cherry flavored goodness and is perfect for celebrating the romantic holiday.
Ingredients:
For the cake:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup water
- 1 box Devil's food cake mix
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cherry extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 (10oz) jar maraschino cherries, drained and sliced with a few reserved for toppings (optional)
For the frosting:
- 6-1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 (8oz) packages cream cheese
- 2 sticks (1 cup) butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cherry extract
- Red gel food coloring (optional)
Directions:
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and spray a few circular cake pans with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine all of the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir. In another, larger mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, eggs, water, vanilla extract, and cherry extract.
- Add around half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and blend them together. Then add in the rest of the dry ingredients and blend until combined.
- Pour the batter into the cake pans and bake until the middle of each cake springs back slightly when touched.
For frosting:
- Cut the sticks of butter into smaller pieces and add it to a mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Beat with low to medium speed until the butter has softened and is smooth.
- Do the same with the cream cheese blocks and add to the bowl, beating until combined.
- Add in the vanilla and cherry extracts.
- Gradually add in the powdered sugar and beat the mix on low speed until everything is blended.
- If you want to add a pinkish or red tint to the frosting, add a small bit of the gel food coloring and beat until the frosting is fluffy. To get a faint pink hue, a very small amount of coloring is needed though more can be added to reach your desired color.
- If you will be using a pastry bag and tip to fill and frost the cake, you may need to let the frosting chill in the refrigerator for a short time before using. Otherwise, it can be applied once the cakes have cooled.
Cake Assembly:
- Place the first layer of cake on your cake stand, base, or plate.
- Apply a layer of the cream cheese frosting on top and sprinkle with a few sliced cherries if desired.
- Repeat these steps two more times.
- Add a thin layer of frosting to the outside of the cake, then place the cake in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the refrigerator for 20-25 minutes to chill.
- Once chilled, add a second layer of frosting to the outside of the cake and decorate the top as desired. If you set aside any cherries from earlier, they can be used to decorate the top of the cake.