Why This Recipe Works
Perfect flavor combination — I didn’t always like a fruit-and-chocolate combo. But my dad was a big chocolate lover and especially loved chocolate and fruit together. His favorite was always this cherry chip cake with chocolate frosting. My mom used to make this for him from a box mix. But they discontinued that mix so I made it from scratch for him (he loved it, of course). And, while recipe testing, I can concur this IS a delicious flavor combination. I may never like oranges and chocolate but cherries and chocolate? Yes, please!
Impress your friends — I say this half-jokingly, but this cake is pretty impressive-looking isn’t it? And it’s not something you come across every day. So if you’ve got a dinner party coming up or a birthday or any event where you want to make something that stands out from the same old, same old, then this cherry chip cake recipe is it!
Cherries — Of course, you can’t have this cherry cake without cherries but they really do make all the difference. I use maraschino cherries, you know the jarred ones with the red, sweet syrup. Those are key. I’ve never tried using any other kind so I’m not sure how fresh or frozen would work, but if you try it let me know!
Chocolate frosting — This cherry cake with chocolate frosting uses a chocolate ganache frosting, made with heavy cream and chocolate chips. The key is whipping up the middle layer of frosting to provide a fluffy buffer between cake layers and then pouring the rest of the frosting over the top for a glossy, chocolate glaze.
