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Cherry Dr Pepper Cake Recipe


  • Author: Isabella
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 12 servings 1x

Description

This Cherry Dr Pepper Cake is a moist and flavorful chocolate cake infused with cherry-flavored soda and studded with maraschino cherries. Topped with a rich cherry frosting made from reserved cherry juice and butter, this indulgent dessert is garnished with chocolate shavings and extra cherries for a delightful presentation and taste.


Ingredients

Scale

Cake

  • 10 ounces maraschino cherries (remove stems from 15 cherries and reserve juice for frosting)
  • 1 box Devil’s food chocolate cake mix (dry)
  • 1½ cups cherry Dr Pepper soda
  • 1 cup butter, softened

Frosting

  • Reserved maraschino cherry juice (about ¼ to ⅓ cup)
  • 3 cups powdered sugar (plus ½ cup extra if needed)
  • ¼ cup chocolate shavings

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the cake.
  2. Prepare Baking Dish: Lightly spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with baking spray such as Baker’s Joy or Wilton’s Bake-Ease to prevent the cake from sticking.
  3. Prepare Cherries: Remove cherries from the jar and reserve the juice for the frosting. Remove stems from 15 cherries, slice each cherry into quarters. Keep remaining stemmed cherries for garnish.
  4. Mix Cake Batter: In a large bowl, combine the dry Devil’s food cake mix with the cherry Dr Pepper soda using a stand mixer or handheld mixer on low speed until just combined.
  5. Add Cherries: Gently fold in the sliced cherries using a large spoon, distributing them evenly throughout the batter.
  6. Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for about 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  7. Cool the Cake: Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely in the baking dish before frosting.
  8. Make the Frosting: Beat softened butter with the reserved cherry juice (about ¼ to ⅓ cup) on medium speed until creamy.
  9. Add Powdered Sugar: Lower mixer speed and gradually add 3 cups of powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, until frosting reaches a firm but spreadable consistency. Add up to an additional ½ cup powdered sugar if needed.
  10. Frost the Cake: Spread the prepared cherry frosting evenly over the cooled cake surface.
  11. Score Serving Pieces: Lightly score the frosting to mark individual serving sizes.
  12. Garnish: Place one of the reserved stemmed cherries in the center of each serving piece. If there are fewer cherries than pieces, slice the remaining stemmed cherries to garnish the other pieces.
  13. Chill: Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes to 1 hour to help the frosting set before cutting and serving.
  14. Add Chocolate Shavings: Sprinkle chocolate shavings evenly over the top of the frosted cake as a finishing touch.

Notes

  • Use a gentle folding technique to maintain the airiness of the cake batter when adding cherries.
  • If the frosting is too thin, add powdered sugar gradually to avoid making it too thick to spread.
  • For extra chocolate flavor, use high-quality chocolate for the shavings or make your own with a vegetable peeler.
  • Chilling the cake before serving improves frosting texture and makes cutting easier.
  • Store the cake covered in the refrigerator; consume within 3-4 days for best freshness.
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 28 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Cherry Dr Pepper Cake, chocolate cake, maraschino cherries, cherry soda cake, chocolate frosting, homemade cake dessert