This chocolate volcano cake is quick and easy to put together, filled with moist chocolate and vanilla cake, globs of gooey cherry filling, and an easy, tangy, creamy whipped sour cream frosting. Everything gets all piled into a volcano shaped mound and smothered in a rich and decadent chocolate ganache. This cake has a rich, balanced flavor with rich chocolate, creamy vanilla, and tart homemade cherry filling. It's ultra creamy, moist, and and the perfect not too heavy cake after a heavy dinner. You don't need any cake layering or decorating skills, and when you cut it open, it looks like a kaleidoscope!
This volcano cake is based on a classic Eastern European cake sometimes known as volcano cake or curly boy cake. It's very similar in flavor to a black and white "smetanik" (sour cream cake), just a different construction, resulting in a different textural experience. This sour cream frosting is the same as my honey cake "medovik". Easter European volcano cake is popularly flavored with tart cherries (like my version here), or crushed pineapple. Toasted walnuts are a fun crunchy addition that's also popularly added.
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🌋 Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- Light and airy: Whilst being creamy, this volcano cake isn't heavy and overly rich. It is the perfect light cake to finish off a heavy dinner.
- Chocolate and vanilla cake: Cubes of chocolate and vanilla sponge cake are perfectly light and moist.
- Easy sour cream frosting: A super easy whipped cream and sour cream form the perfect velvety and slightly tangy frosting that soaks into the cake cubes and sets in the fridge to the perfect thick and creamy texture.
- Homemade cherry filling: You could use store bought in a pinch but homemade is just that much more flavorful and tangy! It's worth the extra time and is quicker and easier than you may think.
- Easy: Easy spongecake cut into cubes and stacked into a tower. You don't need any cake decorating skills for this one! The messier the better. It all gets covered in chocolate ganache anyways.
📝 Key ingredients
Read through for all the tips you will need for success!
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.
- Cocoa powder: Dutch processed cocoa powder gives the sponge cake a rich, chocolate flavor.
- Tart cherries: Frozen, pitted tart cherries make the best cherry filling that is sweet and tangy and filled with that signature cherry flavor.
- Almond extract: a touch of almond extract brings out the cherry flavor.
- Cornstarch: Cherries have a high water content and cornstarch helps the filling thicken up. You could also use arrowroot starch if you prefer.
- Eggs: Whole eggs are whipped up to a thick ribbon stage to make an easier chiffon-like cake sponge than separating the eggs and whipping yolks and whites separately.
- All purpose flour: I use unbleached, all purpose wheat flour. It's best to weigh the flour for best results! If you don't have a scale, gently scoop the flour into a dry measuring cup and scrape the excess flour off the top without packing it in. Use the flat edge of a spoon handle or even a knife.
- Heavy whipping cream: 35% cream. Keep it chilled right out of the fridge to make sure that it whips up to stiff peaks.
- Sour cream: Find the highest fat content sour cream that you could find. I used 14% but 20% would work even better. I also added some sour cream into the sponge batter for a more moist and tender crumb.
👩🍳 How to make chocolate volcano cake
Easy spongecake step by step
Prep: Make the cherry filling according to the full recipe in the recipe card at the bottom of this page. Alternatively, use store-bought cherry filling or canned tart cherries. Line the bottoms of two 8" pans with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C).
Step 1: In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine whole eggs and sugar. Beat with a wire whisk attachment until light and creamy. You should be able to lift up the whisk and draw a figure 8 with the batter streaming off of it.
Step 2: Add salt, vanilla, and sour cream, and mix gently to combine.
Step 3: Sift flour and baking powder right into the beaten eggs. Fold with a wire whisk to combine. Stop folding as soon as you get a mostly smooth batter.
Step 4: Transfer half of the batter into a lined baking pan. Smooth the top.
Step 5: Sift the cocoa powder into the rest of the batter in the bowl. Fold the batter with a wire whisk to combine. Transfer the batter into the second parchment lined pan.
Step 6: Bake both pans in the center of the oven (you could have one above the other, just stagger them in the oven a bit). Bake for 16-17 min, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs attached.
Step 3: Once cooled, run a spatula around the outside of the cakes and flip them over onto a cutting board. Cut the sponge cakes into 1” by 1” cubes.
Sour cream frosting step by step
Step 1: In a large bowl or stand mixer, whip the cream and powdered sugar with a whisk attachment to medium stiff peaks.
Step 2: Add the sour cream, vanilla, salt, and beat to combine. You want to stop mixing when the frosting is stiff and glossy.
Assembling the volcano cake step by step
Step 1: Scoop some sour cream frosting onto a cake stand or large plate. Add a layer of alternating cubes of chocolate and vanilla cake cubes. Spoon scoops of cherry filling in between the cubes of cake. Cover with a generous layer of frosting, pushing and spreading the frosting in between the cake pieces.
Continue layering with cubes of cake, spoonfuls of cherry filling, and generous layers of frosting.
Step 2: Cover the cake generously with more frosting and smooth it down. Use a large piece of plastic wrap and wrap it around the outside, starting at the base. This will help prevent the cake from spreading more as it sets in the fridge.
Refrigerate the cake overnight, or for at least 8 hours to set. The longer the cake sits, the more the sponge cake saturates and the creamier it gets!
Chocolate ganache coating step by step
Step 1: Bring the cream to a simmer. Pour it over the chocolate chips in a heat safe bowl. Cover with a plate and let sit for a few minutes to warm up. Whisk with a wire whisk until the ganache is smooth.
Step 2: Let the ganache cool for 10 minutes before pouring over the cake. Pour the ganache over the cake, using a spoon to spoon ganache over any bare bits of cake.
Step 3: Place the ganache covered cake into the fridge briefly for the ganache to set. Top with a cherry, slice, and enjoy!
✔️ Expert chocolate volcano cake tips
- Don't grease or line the sides of the baking pans: You want the sponge to stick to the sides because that will help it get tall and not fall after baking! Just run a spatula along the edge of the sponge to release it.
- Whip the cream to medium stiff peaks: You want it to hold its shape but still be smooth and creamy before adding the sour cream. This will help ensure that you can stack your cake nice and tall.
- Refrigerate the cake overnight: This ensures that the spongecake becomes soft and moist and sets the frosting to be thick and creamy. Similar to an ice box cake, this is an important step!
🥄 Make ahead and storage
This chocolate volcano cake is great to make ahead because it needs to set in the fridge overnight. Assemble it, wrap it up, then refrigerate it overnight. The next day you could unwrap it and smother it in ganache. Afterwards, just store it uncovered in the fridge until you're ready to enjoy. The ganache acts as a protective coating so it won't dry out in the fridge if kept uncovered.
Store any leftover pieces of cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you have any left for that long!
📖 Recipe FAQs
Wrapping the assembled volcano cake in plastic wrap helps hold it together until it has a chance to set. This also prevents the cake from drying out in the fridge before it gets covered in ganache.
You could, but I wouldn't recommend it. Sour cream has a distinct flavor, texture, and richness that you just can't get by replacing it with Greek yogurt.
Substitute the flour with 1:1 gluten free flour mix for a gluten free version of this cake.
Let the first layer of ganache set in the fridge first, then pour another layer of ganache over it! Nothing wrong with glazing the cake twice.
🎂 More related recipes
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Volcano Cake
Equipment
- 2 eight inch round pans
Ingredients
Cherry Filling
- 2 cups pitted tart cherries I used frozen
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Sponge Cake
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup all purpose flour 120g
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
Sour Cream Frosting
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream cold
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 cups sour cream cold
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Ganache
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream 35%
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
- 1 cherry for topping
Instructions
Cherry Filling
- Combine cherries, sugar, almond extract, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the cherries release their juice and it comes to a simmer. Simmer for a few minutes.2 cups pitted tart cherries, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and add it into the boiling cherry filling. Stir to distribute the cornstarch and let it simmer and thicken.2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water
- Transfer the cherry filling into a heatsafe bowl, cover, and refrigerate until chilled.
Sponge Cake
- Line the bottoms of two 8" pans with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C).
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine whole eggs and sugar. Beat with a wire whisk attachment until light and creamy. You should be able to lift up the whisk and draw a figure 8 with the batter streaming off of it.4 large eggs, 1 cup granulated sugar
- Add salt, vanilla, and sour cream, and mix gently to combine.¼ teaspoon sea salt, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, ½ cup sour cream
- Sift flour and baking powder right into the beaten eggs. Fold with a wire whisk to combine. Stop folding as soon as you get a mostly smooth batter.1 cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Transfer half of the batter into a lined baking pan. Smooth the top.
- Sift the cocoa powder into the rest of the batter in the bowl. Fold the batter with a wire whisk to combine. Transfer the batter into the second parchment lined pan.¼ cup cocoa powder
- Bake both pans in the center of the oven (you could have one above the other, just stagger them in the oven a bit). Bake for 16-17 min, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs attached.
- Once cooled, run a spatula around the outside of the cakes and flip them over onto a cutting board. Cut the sponge cakes into 1” by 1” cubes.
Sour Cream Frosting
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, whip the cream and powdered sugar with a whisk attachment to medium stiff peaks.2 cups heavy whipping cream, 1 cup powdered sugar
- Add the sour cream, vanilla, salt, and beat to combine. You want to stop mixing when the frosting is stiff and glossy.3 cups sour cream, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Assembling volcano cake
- Scoop some sour cream frosting onto a cake stand or large plate. Add a layer of alternating cubes of chocolate and vanilla cake cubes. Spoon scoops of cherry filling in between the cubes of cake. Cover with a generous layer of frosting, pushing and spreading the frosting in between the cake pieces.
- Continue layering with cubes of cake, spoonfuls of cherry filling, and generous layers of frosting.
- Cover the cake generously with more frosting and smooth it down. Use a large piece of plastic wrap and wrap it around the outside, starting at the base. This will help prevent the cake from spreading more as it sets in the fridge.
- Refrigerate the cake overnight, or for at least 8 hours to set. The longer the cake sits, the more the sponge cake saturates and the creamier it gets!
- Before covering with ganache, make sure to remove the plastic wrap and smooth down the frosting again if needed.
Ganache
- Make the ganache right before pouring over the cake:
- Bring the cream to a simmer. Pour it over the chocolate chips in a heat safe bowl. Cover with a plate and let sit for a few minutes to warm up. Whisk with a wire whisk until the ganache is smooth.1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- Let the ganache cool for 10 minutes before pouring over the cake. Pour the ganache over the cake, using a spoon to spoon ganache over any bare bits of cake.
- Place the ganache covered cake into the fridge for the ganache to set. Top with a cherry, slice, and enjoy!1 cherry for topping
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