This is a box cake version. I have a “scratch’ recipe too.
12 inch Dutch Oven and Bundt Cake pan that fits inside. A deep Dutch Oven helps.
Hot Coals for 350°F
Ingredients
1 Chocolate Cake Mix (Devils Food that calls for 1/3 cup oil & 3 eggs)
1 – 2 Tbsp Zest of 1 orange
Juice of 1 orange Combine juice and water to equal box liquid
Water called for on cake mix (Or substitute all liquid with 100% Orange juice)
1/3 Cup Oil (amount of oil called for on cake mix box
3 eggs (called for on cake mix box)
½ Can Cherry Pie filling chopped coarsely
1 Can of your favorite icing ( or prepare your own homemade) (I use Cream cheese Vanilla)
½ Can Cherry Pie Filling – leave cherries whole
Prepare cake mix (The type that on the box it indicates 1 Cup water, 1/3 Cup Oil, and 3 eggs. Do not use the total water indicated. Fresh squeezed Orange Juice is used in place of some of the water.
Dump the cake mix in a mixing bowl. Zest the orange peel into the mix. Squeeze the juice from the orange you just grated the peel. Squeeze the juice into a measuring cup. Add enough water to the juice to equal 1 cup total liquid (or whatever the total liquid is on the cake mix. Pour this into the mixing bowl with the cake mix and zest. Add the oil and 3 eggs.
Chop ½ the can of cherry pie filling until the cherries are in course pieces. Use high end Cherry Pie Filling for this, not an economy brand. Try to reserve as much of the glaze as possible. (I strain the glaze from the cherries to reserve). Add the chopped cherries to the mix and using a mixer beat the cake batter per the instructions on the cake mix.
Reserve the other ½ of can of Cherries and glaze filling for topping, after the cake is baked.
Spray oil the bundt cake pan, then pour in the beaten batter.
Pre-heat the Dutch Oven and lid with coals for 350°
Once the Dutch Oven is hot place the bundt pan in, cover and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Gently raise the lid and test for done-ness with a knife or tooth pick. Mine normally take 35 minutes. Bake a minimum for 30 minutes before ever cracking the lid, even a little. Then lid just high enough and quickly enough to test every 5 minutes beyond the minimum baking time, until a tooth pick comes out clean.
Cool completely. Ice the top and about ¼ the way down. Spoon the remaining Cherry pie filling on top of the icing allowing it to ooze down the sides. Serve
