Cherry Cheesecake Cake Recipe

Cherry cheesecake cake topped with cream cheese frosting and cherry pie filling.

Course: Cake, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 35

Total Time: 45

Servings: slices

Calories: 482kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

Combine cake mix, cheesecake pudding mix, cream cheese, and cherry pie filling to create a moist, dense, flavorful cake that looks (and tastes) impressive!

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Equipment

(2) 8-inch Round Cake Pan(s)
Hand Mixer

Ingredients

For the Cake:

8 ounces cream cheese full-fat; softened to room temperature*
½ cup milk room temperature**
½ cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs room temperature
15.25 ounces white cake mix 1 box
⅓ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons Jell-O Instant Cheesecake Pudding Mix dry mix only

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese full-fat; softened to room temperature*
2 cups powdered sugar
1¼ cup heavy cream cold
2 tablespoons Jell-O Instant Cheesecake Pudding Mix dry mix only
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
21 ounces cherry pie filling 1 can***

Instructions

Bake the Cakes:

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line the bottom of two 8” cake pans with parchment paper, and spray the inside of both cake pans well with non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese with an electric mixer on high speed until smooth.
8 ounces cream cheese
Add milk and vegetable oil to the cream cheese, and beat on medium speed until fully combined.
½ cup milk, ½ cup vegetable oil
Beat eggs into the wet mixture on low speed just until combined.
4 large eggs

It’s important not to over-mix the ingredients once the eggs are added or it could lead to a rubbery cake texture.

On low speed, beat the cake mix, sugar and Jell-O pudding mix into the wet ingredients just until combined. Again, do not overmix the batter or the cake will not rise properly.
15.25 ounces white cake mix, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons Jell-O Instant Cheesecake Pudding Mix
Using a spatula, split the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. This is about 580 grams per cake pan.
Place the cakes in the oven to bake for 32 to 35 minutes; or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool completely before removing from the pans and frosting.

Make the Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth.
8 ounces cream cheese
Add the powdered sugar, heavy cream, Jell-O pudding mix and vanilla extract to the cream cheese, and beat on low speed until fully combined. Once combined, turn the speed up to high and beat for 5 minutes until soft peaks form.
2 cups powdered sugar, 1¼ cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons Jell-O Instant Cheesecake Pudding Mix, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Assemble the Cake:

Spread frosting in a thin layer over each cake, then top each with ½ of the cherry pie filling.
21 ounces cherry pie filling

I used a Wilton 1M tip for the frosting swirls around the top edges.

Notes

Yield: This recipe yields 2 separate round cakes, with about 8 standard slices each. You can stack and layer this cake if you prefer.

*Be sure to use the block of cream cheese and not the spreadable type you’d use on a bagel.

**I used 2% milk, but whole milk will work too. I don't recommend using skim or non-fat milk.

***A standard can of cherry pie filling is 21 ounces. Since we are using this simply as a topping to finish the cake, you can use slightly more or less to your preference.

Becky's Top Tips:

For a super smooth batter and frosting, use room temperature cream cheese, eggs, and milk.
I recommend beating the cream cheese by itself until it's completely smooth before adding any other ingredients.
To get a fluffy whipped frosting, use cold heavy cream. I recommend chilling your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 30 minutes beforehand.
Use only the dry ingredients from the cake and Jell-O mixes. Follow this recipe's ingredient list, not the one on the box.
This is a dense, moist cake. If yours is dry, it might be overbaked. Check that you used the correct size cake mix (around 15.25 oz or 430g).
To prevent the cake from sinking, use the toothpick test. If it comes out with wet batter, it needs more time in the oven.
To create a layered cake: simply add some of the cream cheese frosting to the top of one cake layer, add the second cake on top, then finish with the rest of the frosting and the cherry pie filling.

Storage: Store cake in a sealed food safe container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

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