Chocolate Cherry Bundt Cake (Video Recipe)

This chocolate cherry bundt cake is packed with fresh cherries and dark chocolate chips. Easy to make and so good, serve this fresh cherry bundt cake to friends and family, bring to picnics, or simply enjoy with your favourite cup of coffee.

(Looking for a simple cherry cake? This easy cherry cake recipe from scratch is easy to make and is the perfect snacking cake. And if you want to put that bundt pan to good use, try this easy lemon bundt cake after!)

Cherries are one of my favourite things about summer. We love eating them fresh and I especially enjoy baking with them. A tall, cold glass of sweet cherry vanilla milkshake is a special summer treat too.

This chocolate cherry bundt cake is a relatively new addition to my recipe collection. I finally bought myself a bundt pan (yay me) and have been making all kinds of bundt cakes, from chocolate cakes to pumpkin cakes. 

I figure since it’s summer, let’s start with this fresh cherry bundt cake recipe. Not too sweet, crunchy outside, soft and fluffy inside, the perfect combination of cherries and dark chocolates. 

Let’s get to it and take advantage of all the sweet cherries everywhere.

Ingredients you need to bake chocolate cherry bundt cake

In addition to cherries and dark chocolate chips, you’ll need the following pantry staples:

• Unsalted butter
• Granulated sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Greek yogurt
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Salt

How to make (with photos) 

I’m happy to report this is a very easy and straightforward recipe as well. Watch the video to see how easy it is to make!

1. PREP YOUR BUNDT PAN. First thing you want to do is preheat your oven to 350F. You also want to prep your bundt pan. There is really no right or wrong way to coat or grease a bundt pan. Every baker has a favourite way and if that way has always worked for you, stick to that (I share how I do mine below).

2. COMBINE DRY INGREDIENTS. In large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Sometimes I make a simple drizzle to make the cake prettier but frankly, it really doesn’t need it.  It’s great as it is! 

But if you want to (drizzles are fun and pretty after all), just mix confectioner’s sugar with milk or cream until the sugar dissolves and you achieve a runny, pourable consistency.

Baking tools you’ll need

I like using my stand mixer when making this recipe but you can certainly make this with a handheld electric mixer. Other tools you’ll need include:

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Standard-size bundt pan (holds about 10-12 cups)
• Cooling rack

A cherry pitter would also come in handy.

Expert baking tips

The best way to pit cherries

If you love fresh cherries as much as we do, chances are you also borderline worship the person who invented the cherry pitter. 

Before we invested in one (and they are not expensive), we tried all kinds of hacks — from using a straw to using a paper clip. All of the hacks we tried were difficult and resulted in very sore, very red hands.

I strongly recommend you save yourself the trouble and buy a cherry pitter. Your hands and fingers will thank you!

How to prep a bundt pan

Every baker has his or her own 100% guaranteed, no-fail way to grease a bundt pan. Some use butter with flour, some use just oil, others use ready-made cake release sprays.

I use shortening + granulated sugar. 

I melt about 2 tablespoons of shortening and coat my pan with it. Every nook and cranny. Especially the middle/tube, which a lot of bakers forget.

Then I sprinkle enough granulated sugar to coat that. 

I add about a heaping tablespoon of sugar in there, cover the top of the pan with cling wrap or aluminum foil and shake. Over the sink so I don’t make a huge mess. 

If I see bald patches, I add more sugar and shake some more. I make sure the whole inside of the pan is coated.

Using sugar instead of flour gives my bundt cakes a nice crunch on the outside. It adds to the sweetness too but not by much.

What to do if cake is stuck in pan

Sometimes, and it happens to the best of the best, cakes just get stuck to the pan. There are a several things we can do to help it along like steaming or freezing. 

Alternative pans to use if I don’t have a bundt pan

No bundt pan? No problem. You can still make this chocolate and cherry cake recipe using a 9×13 rectangular pan or 2 9-inch round pans.

Just remember that the cake will bake faster in these traditional pans so watch your cakes and check for doneness at the halfway point.

Don’t let not owning a bundt pan stop you from enjoying this delicious recipe. Hope you’re enjoying your summer!

Other cherry recipes

Love cherries? Try these other cherry recipes.

Another chocolate and cherry combo, you will definitely scream for this delicious roasted cherry choco chip ice cream. And it’s so easy to make, you don’t even need an ice cream machine.

These puff pastry cherry hand pies are so easy to make and so delicious you’d want to have a stash all the time. Perfect for picnics, afternoon snacking and breakfast-on-the-go.

Happy baking!

Did you make chocolate cherry bundt cake? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.