Chocolate Cherry Cake

This chocolate cherry cake is a healthy dessert to celebrate cherry season. Try this recipe when you see spring cherries at the market. Gluten free, dairy free, and delicious!

I love when cherry season hits the markets here in Massachusetts. I buy them week after week, reaching for a handful at snack time. My cherry pitter is one of the kitchen gadgets that I use just about daily during the late spring.

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I also love to use cherries in fruity recipes. From homemade Pop Tarts to snack bars and cobblers, there are so many different ways to feature this versatile fruit. Cherries are sweet enough without being too sweet, which is part of why I can’t get enough of them.

This chocolate cherry cake is such a delicious dessert. Pureed cherries add a great texture and flavor to the cake, and the whole cherries and chocolate sauce on top of the cake bring it to the next level. The presentation is so pretty, and it doesn’t take much effort to make this cake. Feel free to substitute wheat flour and butter for the gluten-free flour and coconut oil if you’d prefer. It comes out delicious either way!

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Chocolate Cherry Cake

$.92 per serving

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 12

Calories 389 kcal

Author Annemarie

Ingredients

For Cake

• 1 3/4 cups gluten free flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup pitted cherries
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For Topping

• 2 tbs maple syrup
• 1 ounce dark chocolate
• 1 tbs coconut oil
• 2 cup pitted cherries

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 inch round cake pan.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Place 1 cup of pitted cherries in a blender or food processor along with 1/4 cup water. Process until the cherries are chopped very finely.
4. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cherry/water mixture along with the eggs, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, and stir to combine.
5. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
6. While the cake is cooling, heat the maple syrup, chocolate, and coconut oil in a double boiler. Heat the mixture just until the chocolate is melted. (If you leave it on the stove for too long, the chocolate mixture may seize up. Read this post to see how to save the chocolate sauce.)
7. Drizzle the chocolate mixture over the cake, then place the remaining 2 cups of pitted cherries on top of the cake. You can cut them in half if they’re large cherries, or leave them whole if they’re not too big.

Chocolate Cherry Cake Price Breakdown

This cake costs a total of $11.04, or $.92 per serving. Try this delicious chocolate cherry cake for a healthy, fruity dessert that everyone will love!