Kootek Cherry Pie Cake

December 24, 2025

Kootek Cherry Pie Cake

@whiskworthtasting

6 inch 3 layer cake, feeds 15

Bake time: 35 minutes

Total time: 3 hours

The decoration is intricate and beautiful, with red cherry blobs, a brown lattice, rope border, swags, and scallop borders, making it a stunning centerpiece for any celebration.

Ingredients

    CHOCOLATE CHERRY CAKE

    • 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour
    • 3/4 cup (62g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
    • 1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
    • 2 teaspoons baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 2 teaspoons espresso powder
    • 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
    • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
    • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
    • 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
    • 1 cup (240ml) freshly brewed strong hot coffee
    • Cherry pie filling of your choice

    Vanilla Buttercream:

    • 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
    • 1,000g confectioners' sugar
    • 1/2 cup heavy whipping ream, room temp
    • 4 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • salt, to taste (I use 1 full tsp)

    Directions

      CHOCOLATE CHERRY CAKE:

      1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Spray 3 6 inch pans with non-stick baking spray.

      2. Whisk all the dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk. Stir dry ingredients into the wet, then mix in hot coffee until well-combined. Divide among pans and bake for approximately 35-38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before proceeding with recipe.

      Vanilla Buttercream:

      1. Beat butter in stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment on med-high until light in color & fluffy, about 7 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Mix on low until incorporated then scrape and increase speed to med-high for 2 mins. Taste and add more salt or vanilla if needed. Stir on lowest speed for 5-10 minutes to remove air bubbles.

      ASSEMBLE & DECORATE:

      1. Once cake layers have chilled and cooled, stack with a thin layer of buttercream and fill with cherry pie filling. Crumb coat and chill for 20 minutest in the fridge.

      2. Dye about 3 cups of buttercream light brown. Apply a smooth final coat to the cake and let chill again. Meanwhile, prep the buttercream piping bags.

      3. Dye some of the buttercream red, and leave a little bit white. Fill with the tips

      4. K41: red (cherries)

      5. K52: brown (lattice)

      6. T07: brown (rope border)

      7. K01: red (checker pattern)

      8. K16: white borders

      9. K47: brown shell border

      10. K10: brown swag ruffles

      11. K45: red scallop border

      12. Start decorating! Begin by piping red blobs to be cherries on top, then cover with lattice. Pipe a rope border around the top of the cake. Mark your swags using a circle cutter and add a red checker pattern. Add a brown scallop border around the swags and then a white scallop border around the outside top portion. Next make the middle swags, bottom ruffles and borders. Finish the cake with pretty satin ribbon bows!