Chocolate Cherry Bundt Cake

This chocolate cherry bundt cake is a moist chocolate cake studded with chopped frozen cherries. It's topped with a pretty pink cherry icing made with cherry juice! This cake has the perfect balance of rich, sweet, and fruity flavors.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Chocolate lovers' dream- Dutch-processed cocoa powder combined with espresso powder makes this chocolate bundt cake's flavor so rich and deep. If you're a real chocoholic, you can frost the cake with chocolate glaze or ganache instead of cherry icing.
• Juicy cherries in every bite- Frozen cherries release more liquid as they bake, so every bite is full of cherry flavor.
• Showstopper for holidays- Adorned with fresh cherries and drizzled with pink icing, this cake is perfect to make for Valentine's Day, birthdays, or date night.

For more cherry recipes, check out these chocolate cherry scones, lemon cherry cake, cherry cinnamon rolls, and this chocolate cherry tart!

Ingredient Notes

• You can make the chocolate cake with unsweetened or dutch-processed cocoa powder, but I highly recommend dutched! It's treated with alkali, which reduces acidity and will give the cake a deeper chocolate flavor.
• Espresso powder is an optional ingredient, but it really helps deepen the flavor of the chocolate cake.
• The cake is made with unsalted butter and vegetable oil for a rich buttery flavor and moisture that lasts days. You can use any kind of neutral oil, including canola and avocado oil.
• Make sure your large eggs are at room temperature so they blend easily into the creamed butter and oil. If they are cold they will cause the butter to seize up and curdle.
• If you don't have buttermilk, you can substitute plain Greek yogurt or sour cream.
• I made this cake with frozen cherries because I like the juicy pockets they create in every bite. You can use fresh sweet cherries if they're in season, just make sure to wash and pit them before chopping. A cherry pitter will be your new best friend!
• For the cherry icing, you need powdered sugar which blends in easily with tart cherry juice.

For the full list of ingredients and measurements, see the recipe card below.

Expert Baking Tips

• Use a scale: Measuring your ingredients in grams with a kitchen scale is the most accurate method and is especially important to the flour. Too much flour will make the cake dry! If you're using measuring cups, measure your flour correctly using the spoon and level method. Fluff up the flour and then spoon it into your measuring cup, swiping off the excess with a butter knife.
• Don't overmix the batter: Mix the batter with a rubber spatula until lumps and clumps are gone.
• Releasing the pan: Sometimes bundt cakes can be a little stubborn. Make sure to generously grease your pan and then sprinkle it with a little sugar or cocoa powder to create a barrier. Make sure to let the cake cool for 20-30 minutes before you try releasing it, or it might fall apart since the heat makes it more delicate. If the cake still doesn't want to come out, put a towel on the counter and gently bang the edges of the pan to loosen it.
• Let the cake cool completely before icing: It takes 1-2 hours for the cake to reach room temperature, so wait to make the glaze. If you pour the glaze on the cake while it's still hot, it'll melt and side off.

Step by Step Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously grease a 10-cup bundt pan with cooking spray. I used PAM Baking Spray and the bundt slid right out!

Step 1: In a large bowl, sift together the all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and espresso powder. Whisk in the salt.

Step 2: Use an electric mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment to cream together the softened butter and oil. Once mostly combined, add the granulated sugar, beating on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).

Step 3: Add the eggs one at a time until well blended, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.

Step 4: With the mixer on low speed, alternate between adding the buttermilk and the mixture of dry ingredients.

Step 5: When there are just a few dry streaks of flour remaining, switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the frozen cherries.

Step 6: Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10-20 minutes before turning it on to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 7: Make the cherry glaze by whisking powdered sugar, cherry juice, and heavy cream together until smooth.

Step 8: Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake. Garnish with chocolate chips or chocolate shavings and enjoy!

Storage

Store the chocolate cherry bundt cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let it come to room temperature before serving.

More Chocolate Cake Recipes to Try