If you want a chocolatey, fudgy and indulgent dessert, this Chocolate Cherry Cake fits the bill. It’s ideal for Christmas day because you can make it ahead, keep it at room temperature (no need for fridge space) and serve it warm or cold.
“If I could I’d give this 6 stars. This is my standby ‘all sing all dance’ dessert.
Stored at room temp. it lasts very well.”
– Maureen Wilde
Nicky’s Notes
This cake blends the flavours of a black forest tart with the fudgy texture of brownies. The ground almonds keep the cake moist for days, so it’s perfect to prepare in advance.
Table of Contents
- Nicky’s Notes
- 📋 What do we need?
- 🔪 How to make this chocolate and cherry cake
- Pro Tip
- 🍽️ More gluten free desserts?
- Make ahead guide
- 📺 Watch how to make it
- Chocolate Cherry Cake Recipe
- 🎄 More Festive Bakes
📋 What do we need?
Note on the cherries
You can use fresh, frozen or tinned cherries for this recipe. If using frozen cherries, add them still frozen or drain any excess liquid if they’ve defrosted. If using tinned cherries, drain well before adding.
🔪 How to make this chocolate and cherry cake
Full recipe with detailed steps is available in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then add vanilla and almond extracts.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time. The mixture may look split—don’t worry, it will come back together.
- Fold in ground almonds, cocoa powder and baking powder, then stir through melted chocolate and chocolate chips for plenty of chocolate flavour.
- Spoon the batter into a prepared flan tin and press in the cherries. Bake until the centre is set and a skewer comes out clean.
When the cake comes out of the oven, mix a little cherry jam with water and brush over the warm cake for a glossy, sticky finish.
Pro Tip
- Serve the cake cold with coffee, or slightly warm with thick cream. To warm slices, microwave briefly or reheat wrapped in foil in a medium oven for a few minutes.
I like to swirl a little cherry jam into the cream and garnish with fresh cherries for serving.
🍽️ More gluten free desserts?
There are several gluten free desserts on the site that pair well with this cake; a few favourites include Turkish Delight Brownies, Cherry and Almond Cake, Amaretti Cookies, White Chocolate & Pistachio Blondies, Orange Drizzle Cake and a no-bake Pecan Caramel Cheesecake.
A delicious gluten free cake that’s sure to please a crowd.
Make ahead guide
- Make the cake, cool, cover and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Warm individual slices briefly if you prefer them hot.
- To freeze: cool completely, cover tightly and freeze. Defrost overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving, or warm slices briefly.
📺 Watch how to make it
Watch a step-by-step video to see how the cake comes together.
Click the stars to rate or comment
Chocolate Cherry Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 225 g unsalted butter room temperature, cut into chunks
- 200 g golden caster (or granulated) sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 4 medium eggs
- 200 g ground almonds (coarse almond meal)
- 50 g cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 100 g dark chocolate melted
- 50 g chocolate chips
- 300 g fresh or frozen black cherries pitted
- 2 tbsp cherry jam
To Serve:
- thick whipped cream
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 170C/325F (fan) and lightly grease a 23cm loose-bottomed flan tin.
-
Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and whisk until fluffy, about 3–4 minutes.
-
Stir in vanilla and almond extracts, then add the eggs one at a time, whisking between each addition. The mixture may look split but will come back together.
-
Fold in ground almonds, cocoa powder and baking powder until combined.
-
Mix in the melted chocolate and chocolate chips.
-
Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and level the surface with the back of a spoon.
-
Slice half the cherries in half and leave half whole. Arrange them on top of the batter, placing halved cherries cut-side up, and gently press them into the mixture.
-
Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
-
Remove from the oven. Mix the cherry jam with 2 tbsp cold water and brush it over the warm cake. Cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
-
Serve topped with thick whipped cream. For extra flavour, swirl a little cherry jam into the cream and add fresh cherries. The cake is delicious warm with ice cream or at room temperature.
Notes
Tip: Use frozen, fresh, or tinned cherries.
If using frozen cherries, you can add them frozen; if they’ve defrosted, drain any excess liquid. For tinned cherries, drain well before using.
Make ahead
Yes — cool the cake, cover and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Warm slices briefly if you prefer them hot.
Freeze
Cool, cover and freeze. Defrost overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temperature before serving or warm slices briefly.
Nutritional information is per serving, without whipped cream.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
This chocolate cherry cake recipe was first posted in March 2017 and has been updated with new photos and tweaks to improve the method.
🎄 More Festive Bakes
Seasonal & Holiday
Easy Christmas Cake Recipe
Cakes & Desserts
Fruity Tea Loaf
Cakes & Desserts
Chewy Amaretti Cookies
Cakes & Desserts
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Cakes & Desserts
Frangipane Mince Pies
Christmas
Simple Christmas Cake Decoration
Some links in this post may be affiliate links which support the site at no extra cost to you. Nutritional information is approximate. For full terms see the site’s terms and conditions.