This recipe will then be a pleasant surprise for Dutch oven enthusiasts as it is a rich, decadent and chocolate masterpiece made in a Dutch oven. It is not at all a healthy Dutch oven option, but it will be certain to please a crowd at a family gathering, a neighborhood cookout, or a camping trip. I even recently saw this cake served at an outdoor wedding reception to the delight of all there.
There are plenty of non-Dutch oven chocolate cherry cake recipes, but this one is specifically designed for the Dutch oven.
This is one of my Dutch oven friend-expert's favorite recipes and it is easy to prepare but well worth the time and effort.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Yield: 12-16 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 boxes of chocolate cake mix
- 4 eggs
- 2 2/3 cups of applesauce
- 1 large can of cherry pie filling
- 1 large package of Jello instant vanilla pudding
- 3 cups of milk
- 1 carton of frozen whipped topping (like CoolWhip)
Preparation:
Line the Dutch oven with foil and spray the foil generously with a cooking spray
Start by spreading the cherry pie filling evenly in the bottom of the foil lined Dutch oven
Mix the cake mix with the eggs and the applesauce and then pour it over the cherries
Put the lid on the Dutch oven and place 12 briquettes under the bottom of the Dutch oven and 14 briquettes on top
Cook the dessert for 45 minutes to one hour
Every 15 minutes, rotate the Dutch oven one quarter turn clockwise and rotate the lid one quarter turn counterclockwise; this will keep the unavoidable oven hotspots from burning part of the cake while leaving other parts uncooked
After 45 minutes, check the cake by putting a toothpick in the middle and checking to see if it comes out clean, indicating that the cake is done. If it is not done, cook another 15 minutes and test it until it is done
Once the cake is cooked through, invert the oven onto the lid or onto a serving round so that when served, the cake is on the bottom and the cherries on top
Mix the pudding with the milk as indicated on the Jello package
Spoon the pudding as it thickens onto the top of the cherries
Add the whipped topping on top of the pudding
Serve warm
