Serving Up {Cake}: Cherry Chocolate Cake

About four years ago, we were living in Las Vegas and we went to church with a young, childless couple.  He was our ever faithful home teacher - visiting us every month without fail.  She came over once a week to sit with my sleeping baby so that I could volunteer in my daughter's 1st grade class.  We really loved this couple.  For any number of reasons I decided to bake them a cake one day and I made them a Cherry Chocolate Cake that I happen to think is beyond delicious!  It isn't necessarily the most beautiful looking cake and they may have received it with a bit of skepticism - but any skepticism was quickly replaced with adoration.  He reported to me later that the night after I had given them this cake, he woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't stop thinking about the cake.  He finally decided to get up and go into the kitchen to eat some of it only to discover that his wife had already done the same thing and she had not even attempted to hide the evidence of her midnight cake indulgence.  I loved that they would share that story and I think about Nate and Nicole, without fail, every time that I make this cake.

A number of years prior to that experience I had been given a copy of the book "The Cake Mix Doctor" - basically a book of 150 different recipes that begin with a simple cake mix.  It is kind of a fun book, that I have still not come close to fully exploring.  Luckily, this recipe for Cherry Chocolate Cake was one of the very first recipes that I discovered, made and fell in love with.  Four ingredients for the cake, four ingredients for the frosting - you are only eight ingredients away from a wonderfully moist chocolate cake that has a delightful hint of cherry, only enhanced by the almond extract.  And unlike most cake-mix cakes, this cake actually tastes better (if that is possible) the day after.

CHERRY CHOCOLATE CAKE     Pin It

(recipe from The Cake Mix Doctor)

printable version

cake:

1 pkg. plain devil's food cake mix (I use the triple fudge cake mix)

1 can (21-ounce) cherry pie filling

2 eggs

1 tsp. almond extract

chocolate glaze:

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup whole milk

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a 13x9 baking pan by lightly spraying with oil spray.

Place the cake mix, cherry pie filling, eggs and almond extract in a mixing bowl.  Blend on low speed for 1 minute.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for 2 additional minutes.  The batter will be thick.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread out completely.  Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes or until the cake tests done.  Allow the cake to cool slightly.

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, butter and milk and cook over medium-low heat until the butter melts and the mixture comes to a boil.  Allow to boil for one full minute, ensuring that the sugar is completely dissolved.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chocolate chips until all the chips are melted and the glaze is smooth.  

Pour the glaze over the cake while it is still warm.  The glaze will be runny but will thicken as it cools.  Allow the cake to cool completely before cutting and serving.