Chocolate Cherry Whipped Cream Cake
This website uses affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you click on the link and make a purchase.
This Chocolate Cherry Whipped Cream Cake is a simple chocolate layer cake with a black cherry whipped cream and fresh cherries! This stunning summer cake is incredibly easy making it the perfect bake for any summer night!
If you're looking for more summer cakes, be sure to try some of my other favorites like my Strawberry Shortcake, Toasted Coconut Bundt Cake, or Raspberry Lemon Snack Cake.
Table of Contents
What is a whipped cream cake?
A whipped cream cake is any cake made with Whipped Cream Frosting! They are one of my favorite types of cakes, because they are incredibly light thanks to the Whipped Cream Frosting. Whipped cream frosting is different from tradition whipped cream in a few ways.
What's the difference between whipped cream and whipped cream frosting?
Traditional whipped cream is usually made up of three ingredients: heavy whipping cream, cane sugar, and vanilla extract. The sugar in whipped cream is minimal, and I truly mean that when I say it. It's only like a teaspoon per 2 cups of whipped cream, which is basically nothing! Homemade whipped cream is light and fluffy and delicious! If you've never made homemade whipped cream before, it's incredibly easy! Read my post How to Make the Best Homemade Whipped Cream for a full tutorial.
But, whipped cream frosting is also made up of three slightly different ingredients: heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Check out my favorite homemade Whipped Cream Frosting recipe. I use cane sugar in traditional whipped cream and powdered sugar in whipped cream frosting. (You can actually also use powdered sugar in whipped cream, so that's a personal preference and that part doesn't really matter.) It's the amount of sugar that matters. And that whipped cream frosting uses powdered sugar. There is more sugar in whipped cream frosting, and because I'm using powdered sugar, it gives it stability. So you can get more coverage on a cake than you would with traditional whipped cream. Using more powdered sugar in whipped cream frosting also makes it bright white and creamier in texture as opposed to airy like traditional whipped cream. It's also a little sweeter, as frosting should be!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Decorated for a Birthday: Today is Delaney's birthday! And his favorite kind of cake is any kind of whipped cream cake, haha. That means any cake as long as it has Whipped Cream Frosting. He loves my Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake and he loves cherries even more than strawberries and chocolate more than vanilla, so I came up with this black cherry cake for his birthday. Plus, I think the cherries on top really make a statement, it's a perfect birthday celebration cake!
Chocolate + Cherry: If you are a fan of chocolate and cherry dessert, then you will love this black cherry cake. This moist and fluffy organic cake is layered with black cherry whipped cream frosting in between layers of fluffy chocolate cake, and lots of fresh cherries! This Chocolate Cherry Whipped Cream Cake is over the top for someone like Delaney who loves a chocolate and cherry dessert more than anything else.
Whipped Cream Frosting: Whipped cream frosting is the lightest and sweetest frosting there is! And this one is a black cherry whipped cream frosting, making it even sweeter!
Organic Cake: When you make your own black cherry cake at home, you can choose organic ingredients. this makes it so much better than anything store bought!
Ingredients
- Butter: I use Organic Valley Salted Butter, you can use your favorite. Just be sure the butter is softened for this organic cake.
- Cane Sugar: I use organic cane sugar, which is less processed than granulated white sugar. This provides a more natural sweetness, instead of being overly sweet. It's also a better for you sugar to eat regularly!
- Eggs: Use large eggs.
- Milk: Use whole milk for the best flavor.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: I use Organic Valley, you can use your favorite. Pasteurized or unpasteurized will both work. This is the base of the whipped cream frosting.
- Sour Cream: I use organic sour cream inside the cake, this provides extra moisture to chocolate cake ensuring its not dry.
- Cake Flour: I use my homemade organic cake flour, but store bought also works.
- Dutch Cocoa Powder: I use organic Dutch cocoa powder for a rich chocolate cake.
- Baking Powder: Use baking powder, not soda. Be sure to check out my post the Difference Between Baking Soda and Baking Powder for more info on leavening agents.
- Salt: Use fine sea salt.
- Vanilla Bean: I use organic ground vanilla bean in this black cherry cake. If you don't have this you can use vanilla extract in its place.
- Powdered Sugar: You'll need organic powdered sugar for the whipped cream frosting.
- Black Cherry Extract: I use organic black cherry extract in the whipped cream frosting. This gives this organic cake a true cherry flavor
Tools Needed
- Scale: Always use a digital food scale for the best results.
- Stand Mixer: I use a stand mixer for ease, but if you prefer to use a hand mixer you can also do that too.
- 6-inch Cake Pans: You'll need three 6-inch cake pans.
- Parchment Paper: I always use nontoxic parchment paper cake rounds to ensure this black cherry cake comes out easily. Whenever making a naked cake, you want to be extra diligent to ensure your cakes remove easily as the edges are exposed.
Subscribe to Mimi's Organic Eats Channel
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for all the latest videos. Bake and cook along with John John and me on YouTube!
Subscribing is easy and just by subscribing, you are directly supporting my site!
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
Step 2
To make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter and cane sugar and mix on low until combined and there are no chunks of butter.
Add the eggs, milk, heavy whipping cream, and sour cream and mix on low until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again so there's no butter chunks.
In a separate bowl, add the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, vanilla bean, and sea salt and whisk together. Turn the mixer on low, and slowly add the flour mixture and mix on low until a smooth batter forms. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed so there's no flour bits. Measure the batter evenly into each cake pan, they should weigh about 226 grams each.
Step 3
Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans. (If you're baking at high altitude, be sure to check the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for high altitude baking instructions).
Step 4
To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and cherry extract. Mix on low and gradually increase speed, as the mixture starts to thicken, until you are full speed. Whisk until stiff peaks form.
Step 5
To assemble: Place the first cake layer on a plate or spinner. Top with a third of the frosting, andspread evenly. Repeat this process with the additional two cake layers. Top the cake with fresh cherries.
Baker's Tips
- Make sure your butter and dairy products are at room temperature. This makes your cake batter come together so easily and you won't have any lumps. It's truly worth the wait to have a perfectly smooth cake batter, as smooth cake batter is what will give you that perfect cake fluffy texture and good crumb.
- Make sure your cakes are cool before removing from the cake pans. I like to freeze them for a little bit (like 15 to 20 minutes) so they are solid. This way, they come out easily and I can handle the cakes without worry of breaking them!
- If you're looking for an organic black cherry extract, the one I use is linked here. If you don't have this, feel free to just use vanilla extract, you just won't have as strong of a cherry flavor with just the fruit.
- Makes sure to use delicious ripe cherries! You can use traditional cherries, rainier cherries, or even strawberry cherries. All of them would be delicious on top of this cake!
- Make sure to store this in the refrigerator if you don't eat it all, as whipped cream frosting needs to be stored in the fridge. It's also best to keep in an airtight container since the cake is naked (no frosting on the sides), as this will keep the cake moist.
FAQ's
Yes, feel free to use strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, mulberries, apricots, peaches… they would all be delicious on top instead of cherries. If you are going to change the fruit, I would use vanilla extract in place of the black cherry extract as well.
You can just use vanilla extract in its place if you don't have it.
Yes, you can make the cake layers ahead of time. But, I'd recommend putting the cake together the day of your party. If you want to bake the cake ahead of time, just wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap to keep them from drying out. The day of the party, just make the frosting and assemble the cake.
Because this has a whipped cream frosting, it needs to be stored in the fridge. It also needs to be stored in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out.
Craving More?
Chocolate Cherry Whipped Cream Cake
Ingredients
Batter
- 113 grams salted butter (softened)
- 170 grams cane sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- ½ cup milk (room temperature)
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream (room temperature)
- 57 grams sour cream (room temperature)
- 127 grams cake flour
- 43 grams Dutch cocoa powder (sifted)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground vanilla bean
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Frosting
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 71 grams powdered sugar (sifted)
- 1 teaspoon black cherry extract
Topping
- 170 grams cherries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
- To make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter and cane sugar and mix on low until combined and there are no chunks of butter.
- Add the eggs, milk, heavy whipping cream, and sour cream and mix on low until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again so there's no butter chunks.
- In a separate bowl, add the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, vanilla bean, and sea salt and whisk together. Turn the mixer on low, and slowly add the flour mixture and mix on low until a smooth batter forms. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed so there's no flour bits. Measure the batter evenly into each cake pan, they should weigh about 226 grams each.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans.
- To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and cherry extract. Mix on low and gradually increase speed, as the mixture starts to thicken, until you are full speed. Whisk until stiff peaks form.
- To assemble: Place the first cake layer on a plate or spinner. Top with a third of the frosting, and spread evenly.
- Repeat this process with the additional two cake layers. Top the cake with fresh cherries.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Join Our Organic Community
Leave a Comment