Ingredients
Scale
- 1 box (15.25 oz) Devil’s Food or Chocolate Cake Mix
- 2 cans (21 oz each) Cherry Pie Filling (provides the “red” holiday look and moisture)
- 1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup Crushed Candy Canes (for topping/garnishing)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or a little butter. This ensures that the edges of the cake do not stick and makes clean-up much easier later on.
- Open both cans of cherry pie filling and pour them directly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Use a spatula to spread the fruit evenly across the surface. The cherries provide a tart contrast to the sweet chocolate and keep the cake incredibly moist during the baking process.
- Sprinkle the dry chocolate cake mix evenly over the top of the cherry filling. Do not stir the mixture! It is important to keep the layers separate. Use a fork to gently level out the dry mix so there are no large mounds or bare spots.
- Place the thin slices of butter in a single layer over the top of the dry cake mix. Try to cover as much of the dry mix as possible. As the butter melts in the oven, it combines with the cake mix to create a cobbler-like crust. If you prefer, you can melt the butter and pour it over the top, but sliced butter often results in a better texture.
- Place the dish in the center rack of the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. The top should be bubbly and set. Remove the cake from the oven and immediately sprinkle the crushed candy canes over the top. The residual heat will soften the peppermint bits slightly so they stick to the crust. Let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.
- Cook Time: 50 minutes