Cherry cake recipes go in a lot of directions, and these 29 cover the full range from simple dump cakes and cupcakes to a Cherry Dacquoise Cake With Cream, a Romanian Sour Cherry Cake, and a Cola Chocolate Cherry Cake that uses soda as a baking ingredient. Whatever the occasion or how much effort is on the table, there’s a cherry dessert in this collection that fits.
Jump to:
- What makes these recipes special?
- Top Tips
- Black Forest Dump Cake Recipe (4 Ingredients)
- Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake (3 Ingredient Recipe)
- Black Cherry Cupcakes
- Black Forest Cake
- Foolproof Chocolate Cherry Cake
- Easy Cherry Devil’s Food Cake Recipe
- Cola Chocolate Cherry Cake
- Very Cherry Dump Cake
- Cherry Cupcakes with White Chocolate Glaze Recipe
- Romanian Sour Cherry Cake Recipe
- Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake
- Cherry Chip Cake Mix Cookies
- Cherry Almond Cake
- Easy Black Forest Poke Cake Recipe
- Cherry Almond Olive Oil Cake
- Amazing Cherry Dacquoise Cake With Cream
- Cherry Chip Cocktail Cake
- Crockpot Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake
- Skillet Cherry Chocolate Cake
- Cherry Cake Recipe (Easy Vintage Dessert)
- Blueberry Cherry Dump Cake
- Cherry Upside-Down Cake
- Peach Cherry Upside Down Cake
- Old Fashioned Cherry Chocolate Chip Cake
- Easy Cherry Dump Cake (Only 4 Ingredients!)
- 3-Ingredient Cherry Dump Cake
- Cherry Cake Cups Recipe (Made with Cake Mix)
- Cherry Dump Cake + Video
- Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake
- Comments
Dump cakes make up a significant portion of this collection, and there’s genuine variety among them including a Black Forest version, a Crockpot version, a Blueberry Cherry version, and a Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake that pairs two fruits together. The Black Forest Poke Cake is also worth flagging as a lower-effort alternative to the full Black Forest layer cake for anyone who wants that flavor without the assembly.
On the more distinctive side, the Cherry Dacquoise Cake With Cream and the Cherry Almond Olive Oil Cake are the most unusual options in the collection and worth saving for occasions where something beyond the expected is called for.
Top Tips
- Drain canned cherries before adding them to batter. Excess cherry juice makes batters too wet and can significantly affect texture, especially in dump cakes where the balance of moisture is part of what creates the right result. Pat them dry after draining for best results.
- For dump cakes, don’t mix the layers after assembling. The separate layers are what create the contrast between a soft cherry base and a more cake-like top, and stirring them together collapses that. Dump and spread, then bake without combining.
- Use tart cherries when available for black forest-style cakes. Sour or tart cherries have a stronger flavor that holds up better against dark chocolate than sweet cherries, which can get lost in heavily chocolatey recipes. If fresh tart cherries aren’t available, jarred morello cherries work well.
- Let cherry cakes cool completely before frosting or slicing. Cherries release moisture as they cool, so cutting into a warm cake often results in a wetter interior than the finished product will actually have. Cooling also helps frostings and glazes set properly rather than sliding off.
- Pit fresh cherries over a bowl to catch the juice. Cherry juice stains and getting it on a cutting board means it ends up everywhere. A simple cherry pitter held over a bowl keeps the workspace clean and collects juice that can be used in frostings, glazes, or syrups for the cake.
Black Forest Dump Cake Recipe (4 Ingredients)
A Black Forest dump cake in 4 ingredients brings the classic flavor combination down to the most minimal version possible. A reliable shortcut for when the goal is Black Forest flavor without the work of a full layered cake.
Photo credit: Simply Stacie
Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake (3 Ingredient Recipe)
Three ingredients in a chocolate cherry dump cake is about as minimal as a baked dessert can get. A recipe worth knowing for the occasions when time and ingredient count both need to stay low.
Photo credit: The Slow Roasted Italian
Black Cherry Cupcakes
Black cherry in a cupcake gives a slightly deeper, darker cherry flavor than standard maraschino-based versions. A cupcake that takes the cherry flavor somewhere more interesting without complicating the format.
Photo credit: Cake Mix Recipes
Black Forest Cake
A classic Black Forest cake is the anchor of any cherry cake collection and worth having as a reference. A layered dessert that earns its reputation whenever chocolate and cherry are on the menu.
Photo credit: Noshing With The Nolands
Foolproof Chocolate Cherry Cake
A foolproof chocolate cherry cake is making a genuine accessibility promise for anyone who has struggled with the combination before. A recipe that leads with reliability as its main selling point.
Photo credit: Baking Beauty
Easy Cherry Devil’s Food Cake Recipe
Devil’s food cake with cherry added gives the very dark, rich chocolate base a fruit counterpoint. An easy version of a pairing that works better than most people expect going in.
Photo credit: CopyKat Recipes
Cola Chocolate Cherry Cake
Cola in a chocolate cherry cake is a soda-baking approach that gives the crumb a specific texture and a hint of caramel depth alongside the cherry. A cake that takes the combination somewhere the standard version doesn’t go.
Photo credit: Dutch Oven Daddy
Very Cherry Dump Cake
A very cherry dump cake that just needs dumping, stirring, and baking is exactly what it sounds like: minimal effort, big fruit flavor. A straightforward cherry dessert for anyone who wants the fruit front and center without chocolate.
Photo credit: The Soccer Mom Blog
Cherry Cupcakes with White Chocolate Glaze Recipe
White chocolate glaze over cherry cupcakes gives a lighter, sweeter finish than a standard buttercream, and lets the cherry flavor carry more of the weight. A cupcake where the glaze is doing real work rather than just adding decoration.
Photo credit: Simply Stacie
Romanian Sour Cherry Cake Recipe
Sour cherry in a Romanian cake is a different direction from the sweet cherry versions that dominate most collections. A recipe worth clicking through to see how the tart fruit changes the overall dessert.
Photo credit: The Romanian Cookbook
Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake
The chocolate-covered cherry candy is the inspiration here, scaled into a full-size cake rather than a single piece. A dessert built around that specific candy store flavor combination.
Photo credit: Kitchen Ready Betty
Cherry Chip Cake Mix Cookies
Cherry chip cake mix as a cookie base gives a specific pink-tinged cherry flavor that’s different from anything made with fresh or canned cherries. A seasonal cookie worth saving for when the mix is available.
Photo credit: It Is A Keeper
Cherry Almond Cake
Almond paired with cherry in a cake gives the fruit a slightly nutty backdrop that makes the whole dessert feel more layered. A cake that leans elegant without requiring any complicated technique.
Photo credit: A Cedar Spoon
Easy Black Forest Poke Cake Recipe
The poke method lets the Black Forest flavors soak through the entire cake rather than just sitting on top as layers. An easy approach to the classic that skips the stacking and assembly entirely.
Photo credit: The Freckled Cook
Cherry Almond Olive Oil Cake
Olive oil in a cherry almond cake gives a moister crumb and a slightly savory depth that a butter-based version doesn’t have. A cake worth making during cherry season when the fruit is at its best.
Photo credit: Parsley And Parm
Amazing Cherry Dacquoise Cake With Cream
A cherry dacquoise is the most unusual dessert in this collection and genuinely different from anything else on the list. A meringue-based layered cake with cherry and cream that’s worth making for a special occasion.
Photo credit: Living Sweet Moments
Cherry Chip Cocktail Cake
A cocktail cake with cherry chip is an adult-leaning dessert that plays on the cherry flavor in a slightly unexpected direction. A party cake that works equally well as cupcakes based on the image.
Photo credit: Cooking With Curls
Crockpot Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake
Moving the chocolate cherry dump cake into the Crockpot means the oven stays off while the dessert slow-cooks on its own. A set-it-and-wait option for a warm chocolate cherry dessert without any active cooking.
Photo credit: Mess For Less
Skillet Cherry Chocolate Cake
Cooking cherry chocolate cake in a skillet gives it a different edge and crust than a standard baking pan version. A one-pan approach that skips the oven and works over direct heat.
Photo credit: Dutch Oven Daddy
Cherry Cake Recipe (Easy Vintage Dessert)
A vintage cherry cake recipe is the kind of thing that predates the dump cake era and still holds up well. An easy, old-school option for anyone who wants a straightforward cherry cake without the trendy shortcuts.
Photo credit: Simply Stacie
Blueberry Cherry Dump Cake
Adding blueberry to a cherry dump cake gives it two different fruit flavors and colors that work well together in the finished dessert. A summer berry dump cake that’s worth making when both fruits are in season.
Photo credit: It Is A Keeper
Cherry Upside-Down Cake
A cherry upside-down cake flips the standard pineapple version’s logic and applies it to a different fruit, creating a caramelized cherry layer on top after baking. A visually striking cake that looks impressive without requiring anything beyond basic technique.
Photo credit: Bakes By Brown Sugar
Peach Cherry Upside Down Cake
Peach and cherry together in an upside-down cake is a late-summer fruit pairing that brings two different stone fruits into the same dessert. Worth making when both are at their seasonal best.
Photo credit: Delicious Meets Healthy
Old Fashioned Cherry Chocolate Chip Cake
Old fashioned in the title signals this isn’t trying to update or complicate the cherry chocolate chip combination. A reliable, classic version of the pairing that doesn’t need any reinvention.
Photo credit: Baking Beauty
Easy Cherry Dump Cake (Only 4 Ingredients!)
A four-ingredient cherry dump cake is a reliable recipe for a warm fruit dessert with almost no prep time. A pantry-friendly option that delivers more than the simplicity of the method suggests.
Photo credit: Celebrating Simply
3-Ingredient Cherry Dump Cake
Three ingredients for a cherry dump cake is the absolute floor for how minimal a dessert can be while still baking. A recipe for when the goal is simply a warm cherry dessert on the table with no fuss.
Photo credit: By Kelsey Smith
Cherry Cake Cups Recipe (Made with Cake Mix)
Cherry cake cups made with cake mix are individual servings that skip the cutting and plating of a full-size cake. A practical format for parties or gatherings where portioned desserts make more sense than a sliced cake.
Photo credit: Simply Stacie
Cherry Dump Cake + Video
A video walkthrough alongside the recipe makes this cherry dump cake easier to follow for first-timers who want to see the technique before trying it. Worth bookmarking if watching rather than reading is the preference.
Photo credit: The Slow Roasted Italian
Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake
Pineapple alongside cherry in a dump cake gives the fruit layer a tropical twist that a straight cherry version doesn’t have. A two-fruit dump cake worth trying when something a little different is the goal.
Photo credit: Noshing With The Nolands
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