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slice of cake on a plate with a fork taking a bite out of it and more slices of cake on a wire rack in the background

Easy Chocolate Cherry Cake

This easy chocolate cherry cake will be your go-to dessert for picnics and barbecues this summer!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 32 minutes
Chilling Time 8 hours
Total Time 52 minutes
Servings 16
Author Kelsie

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 15.25-ounce box chocolate cake mix + ingredients to make the cake*
  • 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 21-ounce can cherry pie filling

Topping

  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder sifted if it’s lumpy
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13- by 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set pan aside.
  2. Mix cake mix according to directions the box. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake as directed for a 13- by 9-inch cake. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
  3. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes about 3/4 of the way into the cake (you don’t want to poke through to the bottom). The holes should be about 1 inch apart.
  4. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over the cake, then allow the cake to cool to room temperature.
  5. Once the cake has cooled, gently spread the cherry pie filling over the cake. Refrigerate overnight.

Topping

  1. When ready to serve, whip the heavy cream until it thickens.
  2. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla and whip to stiff peaks. Spread over the cake. Slice and serve.
  3. Uneaten cake can be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze slices, tightly wrapped, for up to 1 month.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

  • *I used Betty Crocker Super Moist devil’s food cake but you can use any chocolate cake mix as long as it’s roughly 15.25 ounces
  • Be sure you use sweetened condensed milk NOT evaporated milk
  • To make this cake even easier, you can just frost it with a tub of Cool Whip
  • I strongly recommend using heavy cream rather than whipping cream because heavy cream whips up stiffer, making it better for frosting a cake