Cherry Chip Cake

Cherry Chip Cake, is a nostalgic classic of fluffy cake loaded with cherry chips, and decorated with cherry frosting. It's perfect for birthdays, holidays, or any celebration.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cake, cherry

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 25

Chill 2

Total Time 3 25

Servings servings

Calories 533kcal

Ingredients

Cake

15.25 ounces white cake mix
10 ounces maraschino cherries chopped - save the juice (save a few cherries for garnish too)
½ cup butter - melted
3 eggs
½ cup milk
½ cup maraschino cherry juice reserved from the maraschino cherries

Frosting

2 pounds confectioner’s sugar
1 cup butter unsalted, softened to room temperature (2 sticks)
6 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice from above

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Rinse and pat dry the cherries. Rough chop and then set aside a paper towel until ready to use.
Prep two 8” or 9” cake pans - grease, line the bottom with parchment, and grease again. Set aside.
Combine the cake mix, chopped cherries, melted butter, eggs, milk, and reserved cherry juice in a large mixing bowl - beating until thoroughly mixed. (approx 60-90 seconds on med-high)
Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared pans.
Bake for 22-25 minutes or until the toothpick test returns clean. You can also gently press the center of the cakes with your finger. If it springs back, they are done.
Cool in the pans for about 15 minutes. Then flip them out onto a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.

Frosting

Combine the confectioner’s sugar with the butter in a large mixing bowl. Gently mix on low until the butter starts to absorb the sugar.
Add the milk and cherry juice and then increase the speed - whipping until light and fluffy.

Decorate

Place one of the cake layers on the serving plate.
Spread some of the frosting into an even layer on top - it should be about ¼” thick - as this will serve as the filling.
Place the other layer of cake on top.
Spread the frosting in a thin coat all over the whole cake. It’s okay to see the cake through the frosting - this will be your crumb coat. This is what seals in the crumbs.
Refrigerate or freeze the cake until the frosting firms - approx 30 minutes.
Once the cake is chilled, remove and then add the decorative coat of frosting all over the cake in a smooth, even layer.
Use a piping bag fitted with a star tip to pipe along the top and bottom of the cake however you desire.
Garnish with the reserved cherries before serving.

Notes

Leftovers can be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. I like to wrap the cake with plastic wrap - keeping the plastic touching any areas of the inside of the cake - this is the part that will dry out over time. Once wrapped in plastic, then add a layer of foil around that. This will keep the cake as fresh as possible until you serve it again.

Remove from the fridge and allow the cake to come to room temperature again before serving. The frosting will be so much creamier if it isn’t chilled.

Nutrition