Cherry Cake with Fudge Filling and Triple Berry Frosting

Cherry Cake with Fudge Filling and Triple Berry Frosting

This Cherry Cake features tender layers bursting with juicy cherries, a decadent fudge filling that's rich and chocolatey, and a vibrant triple berry frosting that adds a touch of summer sweetness. It's the perfect dessert to impress your guests or enjoy a special occasion with a delightful homemade treat.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 35

Cool Time: 15

Total Time: 1 10

Servings: servings

Calories: 667kcal

Author: Michelle

Ingredients

For the Cherry Cake:

2 sticks unsalted butter room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar divided
4 eggs divided
2 3/4 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup dried cherries chopped
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

For the Fudge Filling:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3 tablespoons milk
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Triple Berry Frosting:

1/2 cup frozen berries
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Cherry Cake:

Beat the butter until it’s creamy. Slowly pour in 1 1/2 cups sugar while it’s mixing and beat on high until it’s lightened in color and nice and fluffy, somewhere around three to five minutes of beating. Separate your eggs while the butter and sugar are mixing. Slowly add the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well between each addition.
2 sticks unsalted butter, 1 3/4 cups sugar, 4 eggs
Add the baking powder and salt, and mix well. Add 1 cup of flour and stir until mostly combined. Add the vanilla, almond extract, and 1/2 of the milk and stir until combined.
2 3/4 cups flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Add 1 more cup flour, stir. Add the rest of the milk and stir. Add the last of the flour and stir one last time. Next, add the cherries, and carefully stir until just combined.
1 cup dried cherries
Add the cream of tartar, and start beating the egg whites. Once they’ve gotten nice and frothy, go ahead and slowly add the last 1/4 cup sugar you were reserving while still beating the eggs. Continue to beat them until they form soft peaks. Don't overbeat or else they'll turn dry and nasty.
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Add about 1/4 of the beaten egg whites to your cake batter, and stir gently to combine. Once you have the first bit incorporated, pour the rest of the egg whites into the batter and gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Scrape with a spatula under all the batter and twist to lift.
Grease 2 9×2 pans well (or 3 8×2). Pour the batter evenly into the pans, and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the cake tester comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a rack for 10 to 15 minutes before inverting them to remove from the pans and cool the rest of the way. Once they’re fully cooled, frost as desired.

Fudge Filling:

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Add the milk and cocoa powder and stir. Start adding powdered sugar. Add a little more milk if it’s too thick. Add powdered sugar until it’s as thick as hot fudge sauce (not chocolate syrup).
1/2 cup cocoa powder, 3 tablespoons milk, 2 cups powdered sugar
Keep stirring over the heat until the fudge starts falling off the spoon cleanly. Stir until it’s cooled down to almost room temperature and has thickened nicely. Spread it on the cake.

Triple Berry Frosting:

Heat the berries and butter in a heavy saucepan until they’re melted, then start adding the powdered sugar.
1/2 cup frozen berries, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 4 cups powdered sugar
Use immersion blender to puree the berries in the frosting, then add more powdered sugar and cook for another five minutes or so.
Let it cool and then spread it over the cake.

Equipment

Spatula Set

Wire Cooling Racks

1 1/2 Quart Saucepan

Notes

If vanilla bean paste is not available, use vanilla extract. The quantity stays the same.
Gently stir the cake batter until just combined. Overmixing can develop gluten strands, which can make the cake tough.
For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.

Nutrition

This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.