Chocolate Cherry Upside Down Cake. A super quick and easy dessert that makes a wonderful weekday treat. This delicious cake will help you make it through Hump Day!

Chocolate Cherry Upside Down Cake
This quick and easy to prepare, smaller sized cake is an example of what I call a weeknight dessert. That’s a low effort dessert for a time restricted workday.

Chocolate Cherry Upside Down Cake
It really is very fast to put together and takes little more than a half hour in the oven. So you can even slide it in next to those baked chicken breasts you’re having for dinner.

Frozen cherries can make this recipe an economical, year round treat.
I almost always use frozen cherries for this recipe, even when they are in season, if it is more economical. I don’t skimp on the quality of the cocoa either.
The best chocolate cake needs the best cocoa you can afford.

Use the best quality cocoa powder you can find for this recipe.
The combination of chocolate and cherries is one of my very favourites. I cannot resist, chocolate covered cherries or chocolate cherry ice cream.
And, of course, I absolutely love the combination in my own recipe for Double Chocolate Black Forest Cake. It’s just the best!
Chocolate Cherry Upside Down Cake, low effort, high reward.
The reward is much greater than the effort in this case and it is a sure fire way to beat the mid-week blues.
Start a “Hump Day” dessert night and see how much easier it will be to get through the week.
Can’t get enough amazing chocolate desserts? We’ve got a whole collection of many of our favourite recipes HERE.
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Chocolate Cherry Upside Down Cake
Chocolate Cherry Upside Down Cake. A super quick and easy dessert that makes a wonderful weekday treat. This delicious cake will help you make it through Hump Day!
Ingredients
For the cherry layer
- 2 cups fresh or frozen pitted cherries
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tsp corn starch
For the chocolate cake batter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp cocoa
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup soured milk
- ½ cup brewed black coffee.
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
To prepare the cherry layer
- Grease and flour a 9 inch round pan that's at least 2 inches deep and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper. You can also use an 8x8 square baking dish for this cake.
- Blend together the sugar and corn starch, then toss the mixture well with the pitted cherries. If using frozen cherries allow them to thaw for 20 minutes or so before using them.
- Spread the cherries evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan.
To prepare the chocolate cake batter
- Combine all ingredients in the batter recipe in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes.
- Pour slowly and evenly over the cherries in the prepared cake pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in pans for 5 minutes before turning out onto a heat proof serving plate.
- Serve warm or cold with ice cream or a dollop of freshly whipped cream.
Notes
- To sour the milk, just add a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to it and stir.
- To add a chocolate ganache drizzle over the top, heat 1/3 cup of whipping cream to almost boiling and pour it over 2.3 cups chocolate chips. Let stand 5 minutes and stir until smooth.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 300Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 48mgSodium 239mgCarbohydrates 53gFiber 1gSugar 38gProtein 4g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
Barbara Brant
Sunday 7th of March 2021
The batter is thin, as I expected it would be since the recipe is similar to the Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Cake. However it disrupts the cherries on the bottom because it’s that thin. And I just took it out of the oven after 60 minutes. And my oven tests fine with an oven thermometer.
Tricia
Saturday 27th of February 2021
We love the taste of this cake, but I have made it 3 times — twice in an 8” x 8” and once in a 9” round pan...and it is always raw in the center even after 45 to 50 minutes. Maybe the oven temperature should be a little higher? Thank you!
Cherry Upside Down Cake Recipe - Cherry Upside-Down Cake Recipe, Cherry Cake Recipe
Monday 18th of January 2021
[…] 7. Chocolate Cherry Upside Down Cake – Rock Recipes […]
Elizma
Tuesday 5th of January 2021
The cake looks yum I'm making it tonight
Pat
Sunday 29th of November 2020
Wonder if I could use my canned cherries (drained of course!) to make this cake? Looks so good!