Chocolate Cherry Rum Cake with Meringue Buttercream

A decadent and rich chocolate cake with layers of rum-soaked fresh cherries, topped off with an airy meringue buttercream! This amazing chocolate cherry cake is perfect for an elegant dinner or celebration! Top it with a drizzle of chocolate and more cherries and enjoy!

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Ingredients for this Cake

I love all the incredible flavors of this cake recipe! It starts with a rich chocolate cake made with butter, eggs, vanilla, sugar, flour and cocoa powder. For the filling, I soak fresh, pitted cherries in dark rum. The frosting is made with egg whites cooked with a hot sugar syrup, then combined with butter.

How to Make a Chocolate Cherry Cake

Here’s how to make this cake recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour two, 8-inch cake pans; set aside. Place the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla into mixer bowl and whisk until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to creamed mixture, alternating with milk, just enough to combine.
2. Divide the chocolate cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until done; check the center with a toothpick for doneness. Remove the cakes from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack. When cakes are completely cooled, use a long knife to cut layers in half.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the cherry filling. Pit the cherries and place them into a bowl. Pour the rum over the cherries and let them sit until you’re ready to assemble the cake.
4. Prepare a batch of my Italian meringue buttercream next.
5. To assemble cake, first soak the chocolate cake layers with reserved rum and cherry juice, then top with frosting and cherries. Frost the outside of cake and garnish with chocolate and/or cherries.

Easy Meringue Buttercream

You’ll love this creamy and fluffy Italian meringue buttercream! If you want an in-depth tutorial, make sure to check out my ‘Italian Meringue Frosting’ recipe!

1. To prepare frosting: Place egg whites into mixer bowl. Place sugar and water into a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until syrup reaches 240F. When syrup is almost ready, begin whisking egg whites until soft peaks form. Pour sugar syrup in a thin stream into the egg whites, whisking on high speed. Continue whisking until meringue forms stiff peaks, about 5 minutes.
2. Begin adding butter in small portions and continue whisking. Frosting will separate, continue whisking until uniform and fluffy.

More Recipes!

Enjoyed this chocolate cake recipe? Check out some of my other recipes you’re sure to enjoy!

• Chocolate Cherry Mousse Cake – fluffy chocolate mousse between layers of chocolate cake, filled with fresh cherries!
• Honey Cherry Cake – super easy and delicious honey cake dotted with cherries and served with kirsch whipped cream!
• Black Forest Cake – another fantastic cherry cake with cream cheese frosting!

Print

Chocolate Cherry Rum Cake Recipe with Meringue Buttercream

1 hr 30 mins prep + 35 mins cook

16 servings

Rich and decadent chocolate cake with cherry rum filling and meringue buttercream frosting!

Ingredients 

US Customary - Metric

For Chocolate Cake Layers:

• 1/4 cup butter, softened at room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

For Cherry Filling:

• 4 to 6 cups fresh pitted cherries
• 1 cup golden rum

For Italian Meringue Frosting:

• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 5 large egg whites
• 2 cups butter, softened at room temperature

Instructions

• Roughly chop pitted cherries and place into a large bowl. Pour rum over the cherries, cover and set aside. Let the fruit soak for 1 hour or overnight. Drain rum and cherry juice and pour into dispenser bottle
• Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour 2, 8-inch cake pans; set aside. Place butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla into mixer bowl and whisk until light and fluffy. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture, alternating with milk, just enough to combine.
• Divide batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until done; check center with a toothpick. Remove from oven and turn cakes over onto cooling racks. When cakes are completely cooled, use a long knife to cut layers in half.
• To prepare frosting: Place egg whites into mixer bowl. Place sugar and water into a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until syrup reaches 240F. When syrup is almost ready, begin whisking egg whites until soft peaks form. Pour sugar syrup in a thin stream into the egg whites, whisking on high speed. Continue whisking until meringue forms stiff peaks, about 5 minutes.
• Begin adding butter in small portions and continue whisking. Frosting will separate, continue whisking until uniform and fluffy.
• To assemble cake, first soak chocolate cake layers with reserved rum and cherry juice, then top with frosting and cherries. Frost outside of cake and garnish with chocolate and/or cherries.

Nutrition

Calories: 476kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 344mg | Potassium: 201mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 874IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 1mg