EASY 4-Ingredient Chocolate Cherry Cake
Make an easy 4-Ingredient Chocolate Cherry Cake recipe, moist and tasty. The perfect weekend dessert served with Vanilla Ice Cream! Watch the video!
This 4-Ingredient Chocolate Cherry Cake recipe is a great any-time of year cake to make. It’s perfect for any occasion, with easy ingredients to keep in your pantry, and everyone loves it. We call this our 30-minute cake, because it’s out of the oven in 30 minutes, and ready to frost (or not) and serve!
If you love chocolate, you’ve also got to try my Toffee Chocolate Bundt Cake!
4-Ingredient Chocolate Cherry Cake
Friends, I’ve had this recipe for years. It was my sister’s go-to chocolate cake recipe over 40 years ago. This recipe anyone can make, especially when you’re in a pinch with impromptu guests coming in 30 minutes. Or maybe you’ve forgotten you committed to bringing dessert to a party (do you do that, too?). Let’s get started: All you need are these ingredients to bake this cake.
Ingredients for 4-Ingredient Chocolate Cherry Cake
- Devils Food Cake Mix
- Can cherry pie filling
- Eggs
- Almond extract
You can buy the frosting for a quick spread while the cake is cooled, or make your own.
Frosting ingredients:
- Powdered sugar
- Butter
- Milk
- Semisweet chocolate chips
- Vanilla
- Cocoa
Here are the reasons why we love this cake!
- Anyone can make it. Even a small child!
- Easily stocked ingredients in the pantry.
- Everyone loves it. Everyone!
- You won’t go home with leftovers (if you bring to a party).
- You won’t be tempted with leftovers (if the party is at your house). HA.
- Any kind of ice cream pairs well with this. We love vanilla!
- If you don’t want to make a frosting, serve it with ice cream OR … a warm fudge topping!
How do I make a chocolate cake moist?
All you need on hand is a chocolate cake mix, a can of pie cherries, eggs, and the secret ingredient … almond extract.
What makes the cake so moist is the can of pie cherries!
Tips and Variations:
- It’s the ultimate QUICK and tasty, moist chocolate birthday cake – ever! My sister’s touch is to add almond extract! (Good job, sis!)
- Optional to leave out the almond extract if you want only a chocolate and vanilla flavor.
- Be sure to check every cherry for pits. Once in awhile a pit is left in one or two of the cherries, and you don’t want your guests to break a tooth.
- Change up the cake mix for a variation of chocolate cake mixes, or even try a white or yellow cake mix. But then again, it wouldn’t be called “chocolate cherry” cake. LOL
- Don’t overbake the cake. You want it to be perfectly moist.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. You can also spread a jar of Trader Joe’s fudge on top, for a quick frosting.
- The cake is amazing served warm.
- Add more cherries on top when you serve each piece.
How to make a simple frosting?
Wanna make the frosting?
- Mix together powdered sugar, soft butter, milk, semisweet chocolate chips. Cook over stovetop at medium heat and then add vanilla and cocoa.
- Spread over the warm cake immediately.
It’s also great to serve for any special occasion? Like Game Day or Valentine’s Day or Christmas — or family night or a potluck?
I am a huge fan of my Le Creuset pan and KitchenAid mixer (or hand-mixer) for baking cakes!
More easy chocolate desserts to try:
Irish Black and White Bread Pudding (yes, chocolate and white chocolate)
Cherry Berry Dump Cake [Crazy for Crust]
Get the Recipe:
4-Ingredient Chocolate Cherry Cake
Ingredients
Equipment
- 9x13 baking dish (I like to use a ceramic baking dish)
- Stand mixer (I love my KitchenAid stand mixer)
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a bowl and beat for 1-2 minutes. If you want chunkier cherries, mix by hand.
- Pour batter into 9×13 sprayed pan.
- Bake at 350F for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
- Frost with your favorite frosting, whipped cream, or serve with your favorite ice cream!
Notes
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
Can I make cupcakes with this recipe?
Yes, you can totally make cupcakes. I haven’t tried it, so I don’t have the baking time. Just don’t over bake them!
Baking time is to long. Should only be 25 minutes 30 max. Awesome dessert, so quick and easy.
Great, thanks!
Hi, has anyone ever made these in cupcake form??
The recipe calls for Devils food cake mix and then 2 eggs. Are these 2 eggs in addition to the 2 eggs and whatever ingredients you need to add as directed on the Devils food cake box? To make the devils food cake by itself you would need 1 Cup (250 mL) Water
1/3 Cup (80 mL) Vegetable Oil 3 Large Eggs. So does this mean for this recipe you just ignore the instructions on the devils food cake mix box and just use the mix and only add 2 eggs and the cherry filling and almond extract? Thanks so much! Sorry for the stupid question.
Yes, only use 2 eggs.
I just finished the cake with the icing on top. Do you have to refrigerate it? This cake is for tomorrow.
No, you don’t.
I make this cake every so often and it always is a hit. Always moist, good and chocolately, and the cherries add a great flavor. Frosting is more of an icing but definitely adds to overall great dessert. Yummmmm……
I have made this and its really… GOOD
Do you think this recipe will work with raspberry pie filling?
I do think it would work. I have not tried it myself though. :)
Can I add Cream Cheese to this?
Sure, although I’ve never tried that.
Can I substitute strawberry pie filling for cherry pie filling in the Easy 4ingredient Cherry Chocolate cake?
Yes! Great idea!
I made this tonight and my husband said “yummy”. Will definitely be making this again.
I used chocolate fudge cake mix and it was baked in 25 minutes in my gas oven.
So easy and tastes so good!
I have made this many times. But it’s Easter and the only devils food cake was a triple chocolate Duncan Hines. It was like a box of dry cake mix with 2 eggs and the almond extract when I beat it. I finally ended up adding the cherries and beating it. It turned out just fine. I did use fudge frosting instead of making from scratch because of a time restriction.
I didn’t have almond extract so I used vanilla extract.
This cake was so good that my father said it was better to do it without Irving.???
Sounds like a great recipe, but I am allergic to nuts and nut flavorings, can that be left out?
Yes!
can you bake this cake in a bundt pan?
Hi, I have not tried that, but I’m sure you could!
Trying this today with a red velvet cake mix and baking cupcakes instead. I will let you know how they turn out.
Yes, let me know if it turned out?
Can i make this I two 8inch rounds?
I haven’t made it that way, but I’m thinking you can. Just make sure the pans are greased well because it is a moist cake.
Love, love, love this recipe. I personally don’t like to use cake mixes. I’m a from scratch kind of gal. When I have a last minute decision to make..I go to this recipe.. I’m always asked for the recipe. I Ade almond pieces as well
Sandy the yellow cake with peaches is wonderful. I sometimes add a can of sliced peaches also to get more peach flavor. Going to make with fresh canned peaches with juice drained and see how it comes out. Hubby loves this one.
I am 83 male juse bake came out gteay
Can I use a yellow cake mix with peaches eggs and almond flavoring? The chocolate was wonderful. Wanted a change
I bet that would be fabulous. Can you let me know if you loved that combo?
Have actually had this recipe since I got it off of a Wilderness Pie filling can back in the mid 80’s. Has always been a crowed pleaser. You can use other pie fillings simularly spice cake mix and apple pie filling, lemon pie filling and lenon cake. It you really want to try something for a holiday event. Bake an angel food cake in a jelly roll pan roll ot with a towel ot parchment paper let the cake let it cool while. Your waiting for the cake to cook. Whip up some dream whip ad a 8 0z cream whip and 1/4 cup sugar . When the cake is cooled roll it and fill it with cream cheese mixture as you roll it into a log top with cream cheese lrft over an pie filling of choice. I like blueberry or fresh cut strawberries. No end to what you can do with a cake mix and a can of pie filling.
Love this recipe! It’s my new favorite. I love to eat but only like to cook lol I’m kind of a baking newbie I stick with easier recipes. This one definitely works for me. I usually add cool whip for topping but tonight I’m gonna try it with dark cherry root beer float ice cream. I thought that would be yummy. Oh ya I bake the cake for only 25 mins and comes out perfect. I use electric gas stove.
This is one of those recipes I call “simply ridiculous” (in a good way) because you can’t believe how good it is until you’ve tried it. Then when someone is raving over it (as my picky son did!) you simply say, “And the recipe is simply ridiculously easy.”
I’ve made this cake three times now, and it gets raves from everyone who tries a slice.
The cake is really moist, and the combination of chocolate and cherry is delicious.
This is a definite keeper!
Couldn’t make it without your recipe!
Thank you for sharing
Thanks Rachel, we love it, too!