Rich chocolate cake with a fresh cherry buttercream make this Chocolate Cherry Cake Roll a decadent dessert you don’t want to miss out on!
Chocolate and cherry is a classic flavor combination, and what better way to bring the two together than in a cake roll?? I’ve grown very fond of the cake roll over the last year or so, and I have always loved chocolate and cherry together. Especially dark chocolate and cherries. Well, dark chocolate and just about anything, but you get my point.
The chocolate cake is soft and rich, and pairs perfectly with the creamy cherry buttercream. Topped off with a sprinkling of powdered sugar, chocolate shavings, and gorgeous fresh cherries, this Chocolate Cherry Cake Roll is a show-stopper dessert that you need at your next summer gathering. Or just because it’s Friday. You know, any excuse for a delicious dessert.
What do you need to make a Chocolate Cherry Cake Roll?
For the Chocolate Cake:
All-purpose flour
Unsweetened dutch-processed cocoa powder (you can use regular, but I love the added depth of flavor the dark cocoa powder gives this!)
Baking powder
Salt
Eggs
Granulated sugar
Melted butter
Vanilla extract
For the Cherry Buttercream:
Fresh red cherries
Granulated sugar
Lemon juice
Unsalted butter
Salt
Powdered sugar
Almond extract
How do you make a Chocolate Cherry Cake Roll?
Full Printable Recipe Below!
1.) Heat oven to 350°F. Line a 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper, leaving an extra 1-inch of parchment sticking up on both 15-inch sides of the pan so that you can easily lift the cake out and roll it up after baking.
2.) In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
3.) In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk eggs and granulated sugar for 1 minute until thick. Add the melted butter and vanilla extract, and whisk until just combined. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
4.) Spread the batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 11 minutes, or until top of cake springs back when touched. Carefully lift the parchment paper and cake out onto a flat (and heat-safe) surface. Carefully and slowly (the cake will be very hot), use your hands to roll the cake starting at the short end, until it is completely rolled up. Transfer the cake roll to a wire rack, and cool until it reaches room temperature.
5.) While the cake is cooling, make the cherry buttercream filling.
6.) To make the Buttercream: Add the cherries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to boil and juices start to release. Continue cooking and stirring, smashing the cherries with a firm spoon as they soften ,until all the cherry juices have released, about 8-10 minutes.
7.) Use a fine mesh strainer over a bowl to strain the cherries, using the back of a spoon to press as much cherry juice out as possible. You should get about 1/3 cup. Refrigerate cherry juice until completely cooled.
8.) In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and salt together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
9.) Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, and mix on low until all powdered sugar has been added, then mix on high until creamy and combined. Add the cooled cherry juice and almond extract and mix on high until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
10.) Once the cake has reached room temperature, transfer the cake roll to a flat surface, and carefully unroll it until it is flat again (the ends may stayed curled a bit – that’s ok!) Spread a layer of cherry buttercream about 1/2″ thick over the cake, leaving about a 1/2-inch border on all sides. Then carefully re-roll the cake, gently peeling away the parchment paper as you roll until you can completely remove and discard it. Tightly wrap the chocolate roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour.
11.) Remove and unwrap the chocolate roll and transfer it to your serving dish. Lightly dust with powdered sugar, top with additional cherry buttercream and fresh cherries, if desired. Slice and serve!
12.) If you have leftovers, just re-wrap the chocolate roll in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Love a good cake roll? Try my Lemon Cake Roll and Pumpkin Cake Roll with Maple Buttercream!
One bite is all you need for this Chocolate Cherry Cake Roll to become your new favorite dessert, but you won’t be able to stop at one. There’s plenty to share, or you can tuck it away in the fridge and keep it all to yourself. But come on now…in the season of quarantine, those little rascals you share a house with will sniff it out in no time. Better to put it out on display and be the summer dessert hero. They’ll be talking – and asking about it – for months to come!
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Make sure you check out the other amazing #SummerDessertWeek recipes below!
Chocolate Cherry Cake Roll
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cake:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Cherry Buttercream:
- 8 oz fresh red cherries, stemmed and pitted
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- Pinch of salt
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp almond extract
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Line a 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper, leaving an extra 1-inch of parchment sticking up on both 15-inch sides of the pan so that you can easily lift the cake out and roll it up after baking.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk eggs and granulated sugar for 1 minute until thick. Add the melted butter and vanilla extract, and whisk until just combined. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
- Spread the batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 11 minutes, or until top of cake springs back when touched. Carefully lift the parchment paper and cake out onto a flat (and heat-safe) surface. Carefully and slowly (the cake will be very hot), use your hands to roll the cake starting at the short end, until it is completely rolled up. Transfer the cake roll to a wire rack, and cool until it reaches room temperature.
- While the cake is cooling, make the cherry buttercream filling.
- To make the Buttercream: Add the cherries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to boil and juices start to release. Continue cooking and stirring, smashing the cherries with a firm spoon as they soften ,until all the cherry juices have released, about 8-10 minutes.
- Use a fine mesh strainer over a bowl to strain the cherries, using the back of a spoon to press as much cherry juice out as possible. You should get about 1/3 cup. Refrigerate cherry juice until completely cooled.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and salt together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, and mix on low until all powdered sugar has been added, then mix on high until creamy and combined. Add the cooled cherry juice and almond extract and mix on high until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Once the cake has reached room temperature, transfer the cake roll to a flat surface, and carefully unroll it until it is flat again (the ends may stayed curled a bit – that's ok!) Spread a layer of cherry buttercream about 1/2" thick over the cake, leaving about a 1/2-inch border on all sides. Then carefully re-roll the cake, gently peeling away the parchment paper as you roll until you can completely remove and discard it. Tightly wrap the chocolate roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour.
- Remove and unwrap the chocolate roll and transfer it to your serving dish. Lightly dust with powdered sugar, top with additional cherry buttercream and fresh cherries, if desired*. Slice and serve!
- If you have leftovers, just re-wrap the chocolate roll in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Welcome to the 4th Annual #SummerDessertWeek event hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife. We’re celebrating all things summer with a week-long event that is absolutely filled with some of the best summer dessert recipes! Follow the hashtag #SummerDessertWeek on social media to find recipes and make sure to check out the bottom of this post for even more summer desserts!
Check out the amazing #SummerDessertWeek recipes from our bloggers today!
Ice Cream & Chilled Desserts:
Berry Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches from Our Sutton Place
Sweet Summertime Cakes and Cupcakes:
Easy Funfetti Cake Batter Cookie Bars from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
7 Up Pound Cake from Savory Experiments
Brownie Cake from Back To My Southern Roots
Chocolate Cherry Cake Roll from Sweet Beginnings
Pina Colada Cake from It’s Shanaka
Easy Summer Beach Themed Cupcakes from Blogghetti
No Bake Treats:
Strawberry Shortcake Fudge from Sweet ReciPEAs
No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Pie from The Spiffy Cookie
Baked Desserts:
Mixed Berry Mini Cobblers from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Tart Cherry Galette from Cheese Curd In Paradise
Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes from Big Bear’s Wife
Blueberry Hand Pies from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
this looks amazing, but it’s not cherry season – what would you recommend instead of fresh cherries? could I use a cherry jam? or other preserved cherries?
Hi Sheril! I think you could use cherry pie filling or a cherry jam or preserves. Just skip the step cooking the cherries in sugar and water, and add a little of your cherry-substitute-of-choice at a time until you get the color/flavor you like! Please do let me know how it turns out!
Will do and thank you for your fast reply. I think I’ll use bon mammon cherry preserves!
Would frozen cherries work?
You could probably use frozen cherries! I haven’t tried it, but I think it would work.
Can you use cake flour?
Hi Sandy,
I haven’t done that, but you should be able to. Just use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of cake flour for every cup of all purpose flour in the recipe.