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Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake

5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Decorate Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 12 slices, give or take
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Chocolate Cake – Dry Ingredients
  • ¾ cup cocoa powder
  • 2 cups gluten free flour (I only use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder (I use Otto's)
  • 1 tsp salt
Chocolate Cake – Wet Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cups coconut sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup almond milk (I use vanilla unsweetened)
  • ¼ cup espresso
  • ½ cup coconut oil, melted
Homemade Cherry Syrup
  • 2 cups frozen cherries
  • ½ cup sugar or monk fruit
  • ½ cup water
Homemade Cherry Jam
  • 3 cups frozen cherries
  • ¼ cup honey, sugar or monk fruit
  • 2 tsp water
  • 1 tsp tapioca starch
Cherry Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
  • 1 cup butter, room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • pinch salt 
  • ¼ cup cherry jam
Cake Toppings
  • chopped chocolate bar
  • fresh cherries
  • homemade cherry jam

Method
 

Homemade Cherry Syrup
  1. Combine cherries, water and sugar or monk fruit in a pot on the stove over medium heat.
  2. Bring to a slight simmer and keep an eye on the mixture, mixing lightly and pressing down on the cherries as the sugar dissolves.
  3. Once the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture has thickened, your simple syrup is done! Strain the syrup into a resealable glass container leaving out the cherries and let cool before using.
Homemade Cherry Jam
  1. Add cherries and water to a pot and place it on the stove over medium/high heat, bringing it to a boil.
  2. While it boils just slightly, mash the cherries into the water.
  3. Add in the honey or sugar and allow it to simmer while continuing to mash together the ingredients.
  4. Combine the water and tapioca starch/flour together and mix until fully combined. Then, pour the mixture into the jam, stirring immediately as you add it in.
  5. Continue mixing until the mixture is thick, then remove it from the heat and allow the jam to fully cool.
Chocolate Cake
  1. Set butter for the buttercream on the counter to come to room temperature, line the bottoms of 2 6 inch cake pans with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350℉.
  2. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
  3. Then, add in all of the wet ingredients aside from the coconut oil and the espresso (adding the hot coconut oil and espresso to the cold ingredients can cause the coconut oil to harden) and mix until fully combined.
  4. Then, quickly mix in the coconut oil and espresso until no clumps remain.
  5. Pour the batter into the two cake pans and bake for 35-40 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
  6. Allow the cakes to cool, then remove them from the pans by gently running a butter knife along the sides of the cake and then carefully flipping each cake upside down onto a baking sheet.
  7. Carefully slice off any uneven parts off of the top of the cake to make for a flat surface for frosting (and be sure to save the scraps for snacking, of course).
  8. Place the cake layers in the fridge to chill.
  9. Once cooled completely, pour and brush 1 tbsp of the cherry syrup onto the tops and bottoms of the two cake layers (this means 4 tbsp total, 1 tbsp per side).
  10. Place the cake back in the fridge until time to decorate. The colder the cake the easier it is to frost!
Cherry Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
  1. Using a stand or electric mixer, whip the butter until smooth.
  2. Then, sift in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing completely in between each addition. Be sure to scrape the sides to ensure everything is incorporated.
  3. Mix in the vanilla and salt, then finally mix in the jam until just combined. Note: If your buttercream starts to separate, that means there is too much moisture. Add in an additional cup of powdered sugar and it should be just fine!
Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake
  1. Once it's time to put the cake together, place the bottom layer of cake onto a cake plate or cake stand, then top it with some of the cherry buttercream. Smooth out the buttercream in a way that creates a boarder of frosting around the perimeter so that the jam has a place in the center.
  2. Place half of the jam into the center and smooth it out into an even layer, still with a frosting boarder keeping it in place. Sprinkle your chopped chocolate bar over top, then place the top layer of cake on top of that.
  3. Frost the top of your cake, again leaving a boarder of frosting to hold in the jam.
  4. Frost the sides of the cake (to the best of your ability, it does not have to be perfect! Homemade is beautiful.) and once to your liking, place the cake in the fridge to set the buttercream a bit.
  5. Once ready to finish decorating, add the rest of your buttercream to a piping bag and decorate it as you wish! Finish it off by placing the rest of your jam in the center of the cake followed by the rest of your chopped chocolate. Then of course, place your fresh cherries around the cake.
  6. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve and enjoy!