Double Chocolate Cherry Cake

12:45 PM    


Turn your ordinary afternoon cake into an impressive dessert, worthy of all occasions. This luscious chocolate cake features rich dark chocolate chunks, dried cherries, sour cream and double pudding mix along with other baking ingredients. The final product is generously garnished with thick chocolate glaze and coarsely chopped chocolate bar.

Ingredients:
  • small amount of unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting the pan.
  • 1 package (18 oz.) of yellow cake mix with pudding.
  • 1/2 cup of granulated sugar.
  • 1 package (4 oz) of instant pudding mix.
  • 4 large eggs (room temperature).
  • 3/4 cup of vegetable oil.
  • 1/2 cup of water.
  • 8 oz. of sour cream.
  • 3 dark chocolate bars (3 oz each), coarsely chopped.
  • 1/2 cup of dried cherries (coarsely chopped).
  • 1 tbsp of vanilla extract.
Chocolate Glaze:
Garnish:
  • 1 dark chocolate bar (3 oz), coarsely chopped.

Directions: 
  1. Preheat oven at 350 F. Meanwhile, grease a Bundt pan and dust it with unsweetened cocoa, then set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 package of yellow cake mix, 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and 1 package of pudding mix. Stir till well incorporated.
  3. In a bowl of an electric mixer, combine 4 large eggs, 3/4 cup of vegetable oil, 1/2 cup of water, 1 tbsp of vanilla extract and 8 oz. of sour cream, and beat at a medium speed till all are well blended.
  4. Add the dry ingredients gradually to the egg mixture and beat in for 2 minutes till well incorporated.
  5. Add the 3 coarsely chopped chocolate bars, and 1/2 cup of dried cherries to the batter and gently fold in.
  6. Pour batter in the Bundt pan you prepared earlier, and bake for one hour or till a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
  7. When cake is done, let cool in the pan over a wire rack for 15 minutes, then gently remove from pan and let cool completely over the wire rack.
  8. To prepare the chocolate glaze: in a small bowl,  combine 1 dark chocolate bar, coarsely chopped with 1 tbsp of butter. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring 1/3 cup of heavy whipping cream to a simmer over a medium heat. Remove it from heat, and pour over the chocolate and butter, and whisk till smooth. Let the glaze cool for few minutes or till it becomes slightly thick, then drizzle over cake.
  9. Garnish cake with the remaining chopped chocolate bar. Serve with coffee or tea.