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Sour Cherry Cake

Make this sour cherry cake as a simple and flavorful summer dessert perfect for gatherings and casual family meals alike!

Chocolate cherry cake is made with ingredients already likely in your pantry while also highlighting the harvest of cherry season.

A round frosted cake sitting on a piece of wood with fresh cherries in front a cherry decorated cloth in the background with text overlay stating: chocolate & sour cherry cake.

Cherries

This tasty summer cake starts with fresh sour / tart cherries. You’ll need a full cup and a half after they’ve been pitted. Because I buy large quantities of cherries, I use a pitter but you can do it by using a straw and just pushing the pit through the cherry.

Cutting the cherries in half after they’ve been pitted makes sure no pits get missed. Feel free to roughly chop instead of halving, if desired.

Don’t have fresh sour cherries? Use canned or frozen cherries but make sure to drain cherries incredibly well first. The extra liquid might cause issues in the batter.

Substitute sweet cherries if desired. The flavor will be different and the cake more sweet without the tart fruit but still delicious

Chocolate Chunks

I added some dark chocolate chunks to the cake batter for extra richness and a bit of soft texture. One could skip this entirely, if desired.

Alternatively add some chocolate chips instead of chunks. Use dark, semi-sweet, even milk chocolate as preferred.

A slice of frosted chocolate cake on a white plate with the remaining cake sitting on a round wooden plank with fresh cherries behind it.

Other Optional Additions

This is an easy recipe that lends itself to well to changing up and making your own.

Some nuts in the cake batter or even used as a decoration on top of the frosting would be nice. Slivered almonds would be a beautiful addition and the combination of almond and cherry is always delightful.

One Layer or Multiple?

I baked the cake in a 10-inch springform pan and left the cake as a single layer. One could slice that single layer into two or more layers and frost in between, if desired.

The cake batter could also be baked in round 9 inch cake pans. Just check for doneness earlier.

Close up of a slice of frosted chocolate cake on a white plate with the remaining cake sitting on a round wooden plank with fresh cherries behind it.

Frosting Choices

I made a sour cherry frosting from homemade sour cherry butter, powdered sugar, and butter. This was simple, beautiful, and flavorful. 

Don’t have sour cherry butter? Try substituting any sour cherry jam you have on hand – you may need to add a little milk or water to make it smooth.

A simple vanilla frosting would be amazing. Plain chocolate frosting too would work perfectly.

A plain cream cheese frosting would also be delicious.

A chocolate or vanilla glaze would work too, just poured over the top and allowed to drip down the sides. 

Skip the frosting all together and dust with just a bit of powdered sugar and serve with fruit, ice cream, or whipped cream instead. 

A round frosted cake sitting on a piece of wood with fresh cherries in front a cherry decorated cloth in the background.

Refrigerate Leftovers

There is a lot of moisture in this cake. Refrigerate leftovers rather than let sit at room temperature. 

Make Ahead

Because this is such a moist cake, it can easily be made a day or two ahead of time.

Bake the cake today, refrigerate overnight, frost and refrigerate tomorrow. Serve later. That kind of thing.

Want more delicious recipes featuring cherries? Try making some sour cherry muffins for breakfast.

Yield: 12 Servings

Chocolate Sour Cherry Cake

A round frosted cake sitting on a piece of wood with fresh cherries in front a cherry decorated cloth in the background.

Dark and rich chocolate sour cherry cake is a simple but heavenly dessert perfect for summer.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Cooling Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate Cherry Cake

  • 1/2 Cup Salted Butter, softened
  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1/2 Cup Milk
  • 1 teaspoon Almond Extract
  • 1 1/2 Cups Unbleached, All-Purpose Flour
  • 6 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
  • 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 1/2 Cups Pitted Cherries, halved
  • 1/2 Cup Dark Chocolate Chunks, optional

Sour Cherry Frosting

  • 6 Tablespoons Sour Cherry Butter
  • 1/4 Cup Salted Butter, Softened
  • 3 Cups Powdered Sugar

Instructions

Make the Cake

  1. Butter and flour a 10-inch springform pan.
  2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
  4. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  5. Beat in the eggs, milk, and almond extract until everything is thoroughly combined.
  6. Slowly mix in the flour mixture until almost combined.
  7. Fold in the cherries and chocolate chips, mixing until the batter is thoroughly combined.
  8. Pour and spread evenly into the prepared pan.
  9. Bake in the preheated oven for 55 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  10. Cool completely in pan on a wire cooling rack.
  11. Once cool, remove ring from springform to frost and serve as desired.

Make the Frosting

  1. Cream together the butter and sour cherry butter until combined and very soft.
  2. Add a little powdered sugar at a time and mix until everything is combined and forms a spreadable frosting.
  3. Spread on to cooled cake.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1 Slice

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 438Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 259mgCarbohydrates: 68gFiber: 2gSugar: 51gProtein: 5g

We try our best but cannot guarantee that nutrition information is 100% accurate.

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