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Baking recipe · from the recipe book

Chocolate Cherry-Filled Snack Cake

A moist, deep-cocoa crumb layered around a jammy sweet cherry filling, with melty chocolate chips on top.

Chocolate Cherry-Filled Snack Cake

Ingredients

  • 2¼ cups pitted350 gSweet cherrieshalved
  • 1¼ cups230 gGranulated sugar
  • 1½ tbsp12 gCornstarch
  • 1 tbsp15 gLemon juice
  • 1½ cups190 gAll-purpose flour
  • ½ cup45 gUnsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1⅛ tsp5 gBaking soda
  • ¾ tsp4 gBaking powder
  • ½ tsp3 gSalt
  • 1 cup (240 ml)240 gButtermilk, low-fatroom temperature
  • ½ cup100 gCanola oil
  • 2 large100 gEggsroom temperature
  • 2 tsp8 gVanilla extract
  • ½ cup (120 ml)120 gBrewed coffeehot
  • ½ cup85 gSemisweet chocolate chips

Steps

  1. Make the filling first: in a small pot, stir the cherries with 30 g of the sugar (about one-eighth), the cornstarch and the lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until bubbling and thick, 6–8 minutes. Spread on a plate to cool for at least 20 minutes.
  2. While the filling cools, heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease and line a 9-inch square pan with parchment.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, the unsweetened cocoa powder, the baking soda, the baking powder, the salt and the remaining 200 g of sugar until no cocoa lumps remain.
  4. In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, canola oil, eggs and vanilla until smooth.
  5. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the cocoa-flour mixture and stir just until combined, then whisk in the hot coffee until the batter is smooth and thin.
  6. Pour half of the batter into the pan. Spoon the cooled cherry filling over it in dollops, leaving a small border.
  7. Pour the remaining half of the batter over the filling and scatter the chocolate chips on top.
  8. Bake 38–45 minutes, until a toothpick in the cake part (not the filling) comes out clean.
  9. Cool in the pan on a rack for at least 1 hour so the filling sets, then cut into 12 slices.

Food safety: Don't taste raw dough or batter: raw flour and raw eggs can carry germs.

Contains: Milk, Egg, Gluten. Some brands contain soy.

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Saved in the Every Helping recipe book on October 24, 2026.

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