Attention cake lovers! The contrast of slightly tart dark chocolate and sweet, fruity cherries makes this easy chocolate cherry sheet cake a delightful treat.
Another great thing about this recipe: the batter comes together quickly and you can have the cake in the oven within about 10 minutes, making it an ideal last-minute bake for unexpected guests.
Taste and Occasion
This chocolate cherry sheet cake is delicious year-round. It shines with fresh cherries in season, but you can easily use drained jar cherries or frozen fruit when fresh ones aren’t available. The combination of cocoa, melted dark chocolate and juicy cherries gives a moist, tender crumb and a lovely balance of sweet and slightly tart flavors.
Ingredients
This recipe is a chocolatey variation of a simple summer fruit sheet cake. The proportions are straightforward: butter, sugar and eggs form the base, with flour, ground nuts, cocoa and baking powder folded in. Dark chocolate is melted into the batter for a richer chocolate flavor, while cherries are scattered on top before baking.
For convenience I often use jarred cherries; if you prefer, pit fresh cherries with a corer. Either way works well and the result is the same — an easy, satisfying cake.
How to make the Chocolate Cherry Sheet Cake
Preheat the oven to 360°F (180°C). Grease a baking sheet and dust it with flour or line it with baking paper.
Wash and pit fresh cherries, or drain jarred cherries. Beat soft butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
Whisk together the flour, ground nuts (hazelnuts or almonds), cocoa and baking powder. Fold the dry ingredients into the batter alternately with the melted dark chocolate and the milk (or a substitute such as cooled coffee or cherry juice), mixing until combined but not overworking the batter.
Spread the batter evenly on the prepared baking sheet, smooth the surface and scatter the cherries over the top. Bake for about 20–25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs. Allow to cool slightly before cutting and serving.
Top Tip
If you prefer to bake this cake in a springform pan, halve the ingredient amounts. The sheet version is great for serving a crowd, so making the full batch is handy when you want extra to freeze or share.
Recipe Card
Easy Chocolate Cherry Sheet Cake
Equipment
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Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 250 grams butter, soft
- 160 grams sugar
- 5 eggs, medium
- 300 grams all-purpose flour
- 100 grams ground hazelnuts, or almonds
- 40 grams baking cocoa
- 16 grams baking powder
- 100 grams dark chocolate, melted
- 150 milliliters milk, or coffee or cherry juice
- 500 grams cherries, fresh or drained
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 360°F (180°C). Grease a baking sheet and dust with flour or line with baking paper. Wash and pit cherries or drain jarred cherries.
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Beat the soft butter with the sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, mixing after each addition. Combine flour, ground nuts, cocoa and baking powder. Fold the dry mix into the batter alternately with the melted chocolate and milk, stirring until just combined.
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Spread the batter evenly on the prepared baking sheet, smooth the top and scatter the cherries over it. Bake for 20–25 minutes, then let cool slightly before slicing.
Notes
- You can replace milk with cooled coffee or cherry juice for a different flavor profile.
- If you don’t have cherries available, try currants, blueberries or apricots instead.
Ingredient substitutions
Variations
If you love cherries, try other cherry cakes such as a cherry cake with crumbles or a moist cherry cake with nuts. For a creamier option that still combines chocolate and cherries, a Black Forest–style cake is an excellent choice.