Mom's Chocolate Cherry Upside-Down Cake

March 18, 2019
Are you a lover of chocolate and cherries together?  Give Mom's Chocolate Cherry Upside-Down Cake a try!  With it's tasty rich flavor and how easy it is to make, I sure still love it today just as much as I did as a kid.
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Chocolate Cherry Upside Down Cake Image

Growing up, my Mom used to make this Chocolate Cherry Upside-Down Cake all the time.  And I had literally forgotten about it for years upon years, until I was thumbing through our family cookbook last week.

When I came to the page in the cookbook with this cake recipe, I immediately thought back to how much I loved it as a kid.  And how I just loved the way the rich chocolate scratch-made cake combined with juicy cherries in every bite.

I of course had an immediate craving to make this blast-from-the-past delicious cake.

Now, the funny thing is I actually had to call my Mom with a question about the recipe in the middle of making the cake.  That's how long it had been since I'd made it ... I forgot the recipe!

The chocolate part of the cake bakes up really rich and fudgy.  It's then complimented beautifully by the sweetness of cherry pie filling that comes along with every bite.

I had the batter for my Chocolate Cherry Upside-Down Cake all mixed up and was about to pour it in my baking pan when I thought, "Hey, I didn't put any eggs in the batter."  So I scanned back through my copy of the recipe ... and, there were no eggs listed.

I was confused.

I thought to myself, "I don't recall this being an egg-free cake!"  Certainly, I must have copied the recipe down wrong.  So I hopped on the phone to Mom real quick and asked her about the recipe.  Sure enough ... Mom's Chocolate Cherry Upside-Down Cake is a cake without eggs.

And let me just tell you, it's sure a very tasty cake without eggs indeed! 

Bite of Chocolate Cherry Upside Down Cake Image

The chocolate part of the cake bakes up really rich and fudgy.  It's then complimented beautifully by the sweetness of cherry pie filling that comes along with every bite.

When served up with a dollop of whipped cream, it's kind of like getting an easy version of a Black Forest cake.  Total yum.

Be sure to move the cherries around to get them evenly distributed in the bottom of the pan.  That way, every piece of the cut cake will end up with some cherries.

And  while the chocolate cake part of Mom's Chocolate Cherry Upside-Down Cake is scratch-made, it's still a super easy recipe to make.

Start by spreading a can of cherry pie filling evenly in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan.

Be sure to move the cherries around to get them evenly distributed in the bottom of the pan.  That way, every piece of the cut cake will end up with some cherries.

Cherry Pie Filling in Baking Dish Image

Then start mixing up a simple chocolate cake batter.

Stir together flour, sugar, baking cocoa, baking soda, and a touch of salt in a bowl ...

Chocolate Cherry Upside Down Cake Dry Ingredients Image

In a separate bowl, stir together water, oil, vinegar, and some vanilla extract.

Then add the liquid ingredients all at once to the prepared dry ingredients.

Stir everything together until the mixture is moistened and just combined ~ don't over mix.  The batter will be quite thick and kind of lumpy looking.

Mixing Batter for Chocolate Cherry Upside Down Cake Image

Carefully pour and spread the batter in an even layer over the cherries, covering the cherry pie filling completely ...

How to Make Chocolate Cherry Upside Down Cake Image

Then pop the cake in the oven and bake it up.  The cake is done when a wooden pick inserted in the middle comes out clean with no batter or crumbs on it.

Since there are no eggs in the cake, the cake gets its rise mostly from the interaction of the baking soda and vinegar in the batter.  You may be skeptical about the no-eggs, but the cake really does bake up nicely even without them.

Now mind you, since it's an upside-down cake, when this Chocolate Cherry Upside-Down Cake comes out of the oven, it's not much to look at.

Now mind you, since it's an upside-down cake, when Mom's Chocolate Cherry Upside-Down Cake comes out of the oven, it's not much to look at.  Nope, it's certainly not going to win any cake beauty contests.

Basically, it looks like it's just an unfrosted chocolate sheet cake.

But when you cut a piece and flip it over onto a serving plate?

Now that's a completely different story!

Once this cake is cut and served up, the juicy bright red cherries glistening on top of each slice are a thing of pure cake beauty.

Serving a Piece of Chocolate Cherry Upside Down Cake Image

Serve each piece up just as it is or with a dollop of whipped cream for a very tasty little treat.

So if you're a lover of chocolate and cherries together like me, definitely give Mom's Chocolate Cherry Upside-Down Cake a try.  I sure do still love it today just as much as I did as a kid.

And believe me, I'm not going to forget about this cake recipe for years upon years again!

Chocolate Cake Topped with Cherry Pie Filling Image
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chocolate cake, cherry cake, chocolate upside down cake, dessert recipe
Cakes
Yield: 12-16 servings

Mom's Chocolate Cherry Upside-Down Cake

Are you a lover of chocolate and cherries together? Give Mom's Chocolate Cherry Upside-Down Cake a try! With it's tasty rich flavor and how easy it is to make, I sure still love it today just as much as I did as a kid.
prep time: 15 Mcook time: 35 Mtotal time: 50 M

ingredients:

  • 1 (21 oz.) can cherry pie filling
  • 2 ¼ c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ c. granulated sugar
  • 3/4 c. baking cocoa
  • 1 ½ tsp. baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 ½ c. water
  • 1/2 c. canola or vegetable oil
  • ¼ c. white vinegar
  • 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

instructions:

How to cook Mom's Chocolate Cherry Upside-Down Cake

  1. Grease a 9x13” baking pan. Spread the cherry pie filling evenly over the bottom of the pan. Move the cherries around as needed to get them evenly distributed in the bottom of the pan.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, place the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Stir until well combined.
  3. In another bowl, combine the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well mixed.
  4. Add the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture all at once. Stir until the mixture is moistened and just combined (do not over mix).
  5. Carefully pour and spread the batter evenly over the cherries in the baking pan.
  6. Bake at 350℉ for 35-40 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the middle comes out clean with no batter or crumbs on it.
TRACEY'S NOTES
  1. There are indeed no eggs in this recipe ... that is not a typo. It's an egg-free chocolate cake.
Created using The Recipes Generator

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12 comments

  1. Oh excellent! How nice to find this recipe reminiscent of a dump cake my dear aunt made but without the box mix. I love a good cake that doesn't need frosting. Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. You are welcome, when you make it let us know how it turns out.

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  2. Tracey, now you done it....a recipe that is so delish. I make one similar to this and there is something about the mixing of the chocolate and cherries that is irresistible. Thanks for reminding me of it when you linked up to our Celebrate Your Story Link Party.
    Kari @ Me and My Captain

    ReplyDelete
  3. Chocolate and cherry are such great partners! What a deliciously easy vintage recipe, Tracey. Thank you so much for sharing with the Hearth and Soul Link Party. I’m featuring this post at the party this week. Hope to ‘see’ you there! Have a wonderful week ahead!

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  4. Wow......easy as well as delicious! My family loved this cake. You have so many great sounding recipes, so many I want to try!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your comments! I am so glad to hear your family enjoyed the cake. Please let us know what you family thinks about the other recipes.

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  5. You don't mention how you get it out of a9 × 13 pan ?

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    Replies
    1. We hope this helps: we cut one piece at a time and turn it over rather than taking the entire cake out of the pan at once.

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  6. I'm skeptical that a 21 oz can of cherry pie filling will cover the bottom of a 9x13" pan.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As long as it is not too thick it will cover the pan. We hope you enjoy it.

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  7. The cake was phenomenal I’m literally speechless over this cake my son loved it
    The cake was a winner thank you for sharing your wonderful recipe with us
    Definitely 5 stars

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. wonderful, we love to hear that our readers enjoy the recipes.

      Delete

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