Chocolate Cherry Texas Sheet Cake is a tasty, moist chocolate cake from scratch with a cherry surprise inside! Quick and easy cake recipe to feed a crowd!
This fruity Cherry version of classic Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake is perfect for potlucks, cookouts, and parties! For more crowd pleasing desserts check out all of our easy Cake Recipes.
CHOCOLATE CHERRY TEXAS SHEET CAKE
Much like our Cherry Chocolate Dump Cake, this Chocolate Cherry Texas Sheet Cake uses canned cherry pie filling. But instead of a store bought box mix, this cake has a tasty and unbelievably easy homemade chocolate cake batter, just like Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake. It comes together in less than 10 minutes, so quick that you might still be waiting on your oven to preheat!
This is one of the absolute best budget friendly desserts to feed a crowd you will ever find. Most of these ingredients costs less than a couple dollars and are pantry items you can use to make many recipes. The most “costly” ingredient is the cocoa powder. A good quality container of unsweetened cocoa powder only costs about $4 and can easily make several more desserts.
Canned cherry pie filling is one of those pantry items that is inexpensive and can be used in so many quick dessert recipes. It is perfect for cake recipes because it adds so much moisture! When you make this Cherry Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake, grab an extra can or two of cherry pie filling to use on top of Mini Cheesecakes or inside flaky Cherry Turnovers.
MORE DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPES:
Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake
Easy Chocolate Cake
Cherry Chocolate Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
Cherry Chocolate Dump Cake
This Chocolate Cherry Texas Sheet Cake is great to make ahead, which is a huge lifesaver in party planning! You can keep your cake at room temperature for about 3-4 days, so feel free to make the cake a day or two in advance. Make sure to frost your cake while it’s warm. Either frost the same day you bake it or reheat in the oven for 5-10 minutes before frosting the day you serve it.
Cherry Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake tastes so decadent and delicious all on it’s own, but you know chocolate and cherry are begging for a scoop of cool Vanilla Ice Cream! You could also dust your cake with powdered sugar (try stencils for a pretty pattern) or serve your cake with Cool Whip. If you want less chocolate, you can always swap out the chocolate frosting with Buttercream Frosting.
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VARIATIONS ON CHOCOLATE CHERRY TEXAS SHEET CAKE
- Cherry Almond: Make a White Texas Sheet Cake by adding 1 teaspoon almond extract and leaving out the cocoa powder. The cake will be a pretty pink color from cherry pie filling. Garnish with toasted almonds and cherries on top of a Cream Cheese Frosting flavored with a bit of almond or cherry extract.
- Black Forest Texas Sheet Cake: To make this a Black Forest Sheet Cake, substitute almond extract for the vanilla extract and add extra chocolate and brown sugar. Increase to 3/4 cup cocoa powder and replace 1/2 cup sugar with light brown sugar. After frosting hardens, spread a thin layer of Whipped Cream over cake and garnish with cherries.
- Cake Mix Hack: You can substitute 1 box of Devil’s Food (or other dark chocolate) cake mix instead of the dry ingredients. Leave out the butter and water and increase to 3 eggs.
- Chocolate Chips: Add in a 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, like dark chocolate chips, mint chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips. You can use other baking chips like butterscotch chips or caramel chips too!
- Nuts: Cherries and nuts are great always a winner. Stir in a 1/2 cup chopped walnut, pecan, or almond pieces to your cake batter, or garnish the top of the cake with your favorite chopped nuts.
Mini Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes
Bake this cake mix in two 24 cup mini muffin pans for easy bite sized treats for a crowd. There should be enough cake batter for about 42-48 mini cupcakes. Line your muffin pans with cupcake lines and fill 2/3 full of cake batter (made as usual). Bake at 350 degrees for 14-16 minutes. Spoon frosting over cupcakes for less mess.
MORE EASY SUMMER DESSERTS
Easy Fruit Salad
Easy Peach Cobbler
Mixed Berry Trifle
Easy Strawberry Shortcake
HOW TO STORE CHOCOLATE CHERRY TEXAS SHEET CAKE
- Serve: Chocolate Cherry Texas Sheet Cake can be at room temperature for up 4 days. Keep sheet pan covered with plastic wrap or foil in a cool, dry place or transfer to an airtight container.
- Store: You can keep your cake in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, but you should bring it to room temperature before serving.
- Freeze: Freeze directly on the sheet pan, covered tightly covered in plastic and then aluminum foil, for up to 4 months. You can also transfer to a sealed container with parchment separating layers. Thaw on counter, uncovered, before serving.
Chocolate Cherry Texas Sheet Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake Batter
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup water
- 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 can cherry pie filling , 20 ounce
Chocolate Frosting
- 6 tablespoons milk
- 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 20 maraschino cherries , for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10x15 inch sheet pan or jelly roll pan.
- Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Beat in the sour cream and eggs. Set aside.
Stir cocoa mixture into the egg mixture, mixing until blended.
Fold in the pie filling.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Frosting:
In a large saucepan, combine the milk, 5 tablespoons cocoa and 1/2 cup butter. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
Stir in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla, mixing until blended.
Spread chocolate frosting over warm cake, and put cherries in a grid over the cake, 1 for each slice, (optional).
Where is the canned cherry pie filling?
Kind of important right, haha! Sorry about that. The recipe card has been edited to include it now. Thanks for letting me know it was missing.
This came out great! the frosting is so delicious on top of the cake!
So glad you enjoyed it, Ashley.
OHHH sheet cake is my favorite! Great recipe
Thanks, Melissa.
Looks delicious. Can’t wait to try it with my family!
Enjoy!
Hi! This looks and sounds delicious! My question is, can I use cherry pie filling ( canned or fresh ) in place of the marachino cherries? I’m not a fan of the artificial flavour & colouring.
Thank you!
I’ve edited the recipe card to actually include the cherry pie filling now. Thanks for letting me know.
Looks great but where are instructions on how to make the frosting?
Sorry about that! I just edited to include the directions for that too. Thanks for letting me know it was missing. Enjoy!
Did I miss something or read it wrong I thought you had indicated that it had a surprise inside and that was Cherry Pie Filling? I don’t see that in the ingredient list or in the general preparing instructions.
Oh my goodness, thanks for catching that! I originally tested it using the juice and cherries but ultimately decided on using the canned pie filling instead. Looks like the recipe card never got adjusted. I’ve fixed it now and it should read correctly now.