This cherry Dr Pepper cake is a two layer chocolate cake made with Cherry Dr Pepper and hot coffee in the batter, filled with a homemade cherry filling and covered in chocolate buttercream flavored with a Dr Pepper reduction. A glossy ganache drip and fresh cherries go on top. The soda does not make the cake taste like a soft drink. It adds a faint cherry and spice note and keeps the crumb very moist.
It serves 12, bakes at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, and takes about 2 hours 40 minutes from start to finish, most of it cooling time. This is a birthday cake kind of project, and it can be made a day ahead.
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Cake: 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 large eggs, 1 cup buttermilk, ½ cup vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 cup Cherry Dr Pepper and 1 cup hot coffee.
Cherry filling: 2 cups pitted cherries, fresh or frozen, ⅓ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water. Buttercream: 1 cup softened unsalted butter, 3½ cups powdered sugar, ¾ cup cocoa powder, ¼ cup Dr Pepper reduction, 2 teaspoons vanilla and 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream. Ganache: ½ cup heavy cream and ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Buy two cans or a bottle. You need 2 cups of Cherry Dr Pepper in total: 1 cup for the batter and 1 cup that simmers down to ¼ cup for the frosting. Regular Dr Pepper works if you cannot find the cherry one.
Making the Chocolate Layers
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8 inch round pans and line the bottoms with parchment. Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
In a second bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, oil, vanilla and 1 cup Cherry Dr Pepper. Pour the wet into the dry and mix until no dry streaks remain. Then slowly stir in the hot coffee. The batter turns very thin, almost like chocolate milk. That is right. Thin batter is why this cake stays so moist. The coffee deepens the chocolate, and you will not taste coffee in the finished cake.
Divide the batter between the pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool the layers in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto wire racks and cool completely. Warm layers melt buttercream.
Cherry Filling and Dr Pepper Reduction
Cook the cherries, sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the cherries soften and release their juice. Stir the cornstarch and water into a smooth slurry, add it, and cook about 2 minutes more until thick and glossy. Cool it completely. Frozen cherries work fine; thaw and drain them first.
For the reduction, simmer 1 cup Cherry Dr Pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat until only about ¼ cup is left and it looks syrupy. Let it cool fully before it goes into the frosting, or it will melt the butter.
Buttercream, Assembly and the Ganache Drip
Beat the butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and cocoa gradually, then the cooled reduction and vanilla. Add cream 1 tablespoon at a time until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.
Set one layer on a plate and spread a thin layer of buttercream on it. Pipe a ring of frosting around the edge as a dam, spoon the cherry filling inside it, and top with the second layer. Cover the cake with a thin crumb coat and chill it for 20 minutes, then finish frosting the top and sides.
For the ganache, heat the cream until steaming, pour it over the chocolate chips, wait 2 minutes, then stir until glossy. Let it cool until thick but still pourable. Test one drip on the side first. If it runs to the plate, wait 5 more minutes. Spoon drips around the edge, spread the rest over the top, and finish with fresh cherries and chocolate shavings if you like.
Make Ahead, Storing and Slicing
The whole cake can be made a day ahead and kept covered in the fridge. Because of the cherry filling and cream, store leftovers chilled, too. For clean slices, chill the cake for 30 minutes before serving and wipe the knife between cuts.
If you want a quicker cherry chocolate dessert, our chocolate cake with cherry pie filling is a one pan version. Prefer a darker frosting? Swap in our dark chocolate buttercream. Our Boston cream pie poke cake uses a similar ganache, and cherry almond cookies are an easy bake with leftover cherries.
Save this cherry Dr Pepper cake on Pinterest for the next birthday on your list. If you make it, tell me in the comments if you used fresh or frozen cherries.
Cherry Dr. Pepper Cake
This cherry Dr Pepper cake is a moist two layer chocolate cake made with Cherry Dr Pepper, buttermilk and hot coffee in the batter, filled with a homemade cherry filling and frosted with chocolate buttercream flavored with a Dr Pepper reduction. A glossy ganache drip and fresh cherries finish the top. The 8 inch layers bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, and the cake serves 12. You need 2 cups of Cherry Dr Pepper in total: 1 cup for the batter and 1 cup simmered down to ¼ cup for the frosting. The coffee deepens the chocolate without any coffee taste. Regular Dr Pepper works too. Fresh or frozen cherries both work. Make it a day ahead and chill 30 minutes before slicing.
Ingredients
- FOR THE CHOCOLATE DR. PEPPER CAKE
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup Cherry Dr. Pepper
- 1 cup hot coffee
- FOR THE CHERRY FILLING
- 2 cups pitted cherries, fresh or frozen
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- FOR THE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3½ cups powdered sugar
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup Cherry Dr. Pepper reduction
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
- FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE DRIP
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- FOR DECORATION
- Fresh cherries
- Chocolate shavings, optional
Instructions
PREPARE THE CAKE PANS: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure easy cake removal after baking.
MAKE THE CAKE BATTER: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and Cherry Dr. Pepper. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until no dry streaks remain. Slowly pour in the hot coffee while stirring until a smooth batter forms. The batter will be thin, which helps create a moist cake texture.
BAKE THE CAKES: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to wire racks. Allow the layers to cool completely before assembling.
PREPARE THE CHERRY FILLING: Combine the cherries, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cherries soften and release some of their juices. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until smooth. Stir the slurry into the cherry mixture and continue cooking for about 2 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
MAKE THE DR. PEPPER REDUCTION: Pour the second 1 cup of Cherry Dr. Pepper (not the cup used in the batter) into a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cook until the liquid reduces to approximately ¼ cup and develops a syrup-like consistency. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool completely before adding it to the frosting.
PREPARE THE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM: Beat the softened butter in a large mixing bowl until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, mixing well after each addition. Add the cooled Dr. Pepper reduction and vanilla extract. Mix until fully incorporated. Add heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the frosting reaches a smooth and spreadable consistency.
ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Spread a thin layer of chocolate buttercream over the surface. Pipe a border of frosting around the edge to hold the filling in place. Spoon the cooled cherry filling into the center and spread evenly. Top with the second cake layer. Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting over the entire cake and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Finish frosting the cake with the remaining buttercream, smoothing the sides and top.
PREPARE THE GANACHE DRIP: Place the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Heat the heavy cream until steaming but not boiling, then pour it over the chocolate chips. Let the mixture sit for 2 minutes before stirring until smooth and glossy. Allow the ganache to cool slightly until thickened but still pourable. Carefully spoon the ganache around the edge of the cake to create drips, then spread the remaining ganache over the top.
DECORATE THE CAKE: Arrange fresh cherries around the top edge of the cake. Add chocolate shavings if desired for additional texture and decoration. Refrigerate the cake for 15 minutes before slicing to help the layers set neatly.
Notes
You need 2 cups Cherry Dr Pepper in total: 1 cup for the cake batter and 1 cup reduced to ¼ cup for the buttercream. Regular Dr Pepper works if you cannot find the cherry flavor.
Frozen cherries can be used for the filling; thaw and drain excess liquid before cooking.
The coffee enhances the chocolate flavor and does not create a coffee taste in the finished cake.
Cool the cake layers, cherry filling and reduction completely before assembling, or the buttercream will melt.
Test one ganache drip on the side first. If it runs to the plate, let the ganache cool 5 minutes longer.
The cake can be prepared one day in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator.
For clean slices, chill the cake for 30 minutes before serving and wipe the knife between cuts.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 1236Total Fat 41gSaturated Fat 17gUnsaturated Fat 24gCholesterol 88mgSodium 560mgCarbohydrates 208gFiber 16gSugar 135gProtein 17g
