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This indulgent Cherry Dr Pepper Cake blends rich chocolate fudge flavor with the surprising zip of cherry soda to create a showstopping dessert. Juicy maraschino cherries dot the cake with sweet pockets while the bright pink frosting turns it into a treat that looks as good as it tastes.
I whipped this cake up for the first time when my daughter wanted something "chocolatey but different" for her birthday. It's become our family's must-have celebration dessert. The look on everyone's face after their first bite makes me want to bake it again and again.
Ingredients
- Box of super moist chocolate fudge cake mix: gives you a perfect foundation without extra work
- Dr Pepper Cherry soda: takes the place of regular liquids for amazing moisture and taste
- Maraschino cherries: add pops of color and sweet cherry flavor throughout
- Salted butter: makes a richer frosting with better flavor than the unsalted kind
- Powdered sugar: delivers the right sweetness and texture to your frosting
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prepare the Oven and Pan:
- Heat your oven to 350°F. Spray your 9x13 baking pan thoroughly with cooking spray, making sure you cover the edges and corners completely. This will help your cake come out clean later.
- Mix the Batter:
- Put the dry cake mix in a big bowl and pour in room temperature Cherry Dr Pepper. The soda needs to be warm for best results stir everything together until smooth with no dry spots left. The bubbles in the soda help make your cake super soft.
- Add the Cherries:
- Pick out 24 nice plump cherries from the jar, take off all stems, and cut each cherry into quarters. Fold these cherry pieces into your batter gently until they're spread out evenly. Don't mix too much after adding cherries or they'll bleed color everywhere.
- Bake to Perfection:
- Dump the batter into your greased pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Put the pan on the middle rack and bake for 30 minutes. Stick a toothpick in the middle to check if it's done it should come out mostly clean.
- Make the Frosting:
- While your cake bakes, whip your butter in a mixer for 3 minutes until it gets lighter and fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing completely before adding more.
- Flavor the Frosting:
- Pour in 6 tablespoons of the bright red cherry juice from the jar into your butter mixture. Beat for another 2-3 minutes until the frosting gets airy and turns a pretty pink shade. The juice gives both color and cherry flavor.
- Finish and Garnish:
- After your cake cools completely, spread the pink buttercream all over the top in thick swirls. Place your leftover whole cherries across the top of the cake to make it look extra special.
My favorite thing about serving this cake is watching folks try to figure out what's in it. The Cherry Dr Pepper creates such a special taste that seems familiar but nobody can quite place unless you tell them. Even my husband, who usually turns down fancy desserts, asks for this cake specifically every birthday.
Make-Ahead Instructions
This cake actually tastes better the next day, which makes it perfect for planning ahead. The flavors mix together nicely overnight, and the cherry taste gets stronger. You can bake it up to two days early and keep it covered on your counter. Just wait to add the frosting until a day before you'll serve it. After frosting, keep it in the fridge but let it warm up before serving so it's not too firm.
Flavor Variations
While Cherry Dr Pepper makes this cake special, you can try other sodas too. Regular Dr Pepper works great for a milder cherry taste. If you love chocolate, use Coca-Cola Cherry and throw in ½ cup mini chocolate chips. You could also make a Black Forest style version with chocolate cherry cake mix as your base and mix in 1 cup of chopped dark chocolate pieces.
Serving Suggestions
This rich cake tastes amazing with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or some fresh whipped cream on top. For fancy occasions, warm each slice for 10 seconds in the microwave and drizzle chocolate sauce over it before serving. When I'm hosting parties, I cut the cake into bite-sized squares and arrange them on a tiered plate with extra cherries around it so guests can grab them easily.
Common Questions About This Recipe
- → What type of cake mix should I use?
Go for a super moist chocolate fudge cake mix to get that deep, rich flavor base. This type works best with the cherry soda combo.
- → Can I use regular Dr Pepper instead of Dr Pepper Cherry?
Sure thing, regular Dr Pepper works fine, but the Cherry version kicks up the fruity flavor in your cake.
- → How do I ensure the cherries are evenly distributed in the batter?
Cut those cherries into tiny bits and stir them gently into your batter. This stops them from sinking to the bottom while baking.
- → Can I use unsalted butter for the frosting?
Absolutely, unsalted butter is fine. Just throw in a tiny bit of salt to balance out all that sweetness in your frosting.
- → How do I test if the cake is baked through?
Stick a toothpick right in the middle. When it comes out mostly clean with maybe a crumb or two, your cake's done and ready.