Chocolate-Cherry Poke Cake
 
 
Makes 1 (12-inch) cake
Ingredients
  • 1 (15.25-ounce) box devil’s food cake mix*
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup tart cherry juice*
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • ¾ cup chopped drained maraschino cherries
  • 1 (3-ounce) box cherry gelatin
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
  • ½ cup maraschino cherry juice
  • ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
  • Garnish: shaved chocolate, maraschino cherries
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325°. Lightly spray a 12-inch cast-iron skillet with baking spray with flour.
  2. In a large bowl, beat cake mix, eggs, tart cherry juice, and oil with a mixer at medium speed until thick and smooth, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Fold in chopped cherries. Spread batter into prepared pan.
  3. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Using a fork, poke holes in warm cake at 1-inch intervals.
  4. In a medium bowl, stir together gelatin and 1 cup boiling water until gelatin is dissolved. Slowly pour all over cake. Let cake stand for 30 minutes, and then cover and refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours or up to 3 days. 5. Just before serving, in a large bowl, beat cream, maraschino cherry juice, and confectioners’ sugar with a mixer at high speed just until stiff peaks form. Spread onto cake. Garnish with chocolate and cherries, if desired.
Notes
Use a vegetable peeler to shave a bar of chocolate for garnish.

*We used Duncan Hines Devil’s Food Cake Mix and R.W. Knudsen Just Tart Cherry Juice.
Recipe by Southern Cast Iron at https://southerncastiron.com/chocolate-cherry-poke-cake/