Hi, friends!

Chocolate cake is amazing. Chocolate cake with toppings is even more amazing. Let’s face it anything with toppings is amazing- ice cream, donuts, this cake!

This week I went to the dentist and to celebrate no cavities I decided, well, let’s make a cake. You know because sugar is the best way to celebrate no cavities. I didn’t want to make just any cake; I wanted to make an extravagant cake. A cake with cherries, chocolate, and homemade whipped cream. 🙂

This cake did not disappoint.

YIELD: 12 servings PREP TIME: 30 minutes

BAKE TIME: 34 minutes TOTAL TIME: 64 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 (20 ounce) cans pitted tart cherries
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 + 2 tablespoons cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup powedered sugar
• 2 milk chocolate bars, shavings

DIRECTIONS:

1. First preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease & cover bottom of 2 9 inch pans with wax paper.
2. In a bowl mix together flour, 2 cups sugar, cocoa, baking powder & soda, salt, eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla.
3. Transfer cake batter into cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes.
4. Once done baking, make cherry mixture. Open cherry cans and reserve 1/2 cup of juice. In a sauce pan, combine juice, cherries, sugar, and cornstarch.
5. Cook over low heat until thickened; then add vanilla (1 teaspoon).
6. While cherry mixture cools, level chocolate cake with cake leveler or serrated knife.
7. Next whip together heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks form (add sugar until desired sweetness).
8. Cake layer time (remove wax paper): on first cake spread whipped frosting, layer cherry mixture on top, put second cake over, place cherry mixture in the center of cake, frost remaining parts of the cake to your satisfaction. Decorate sides of cake with chocolate shavings.
9. Allow to sit in the fridge to firm up; serve and enjoy!

NOTES:

• I used a dairy milk chocolate bar and shaved it with a potato peeler.
• I had leftover cherry mixture, so I froze it and will use it later as a pie filling. (Turnovers, anyone?)
• I didn’t make an overly sweet frosting, but if you like a sweeter cream, add more sugar.

Adapted From
Celebrate the small things in a big way! (I sound like I’m trying to sell you something, haha) Make this cake now, or you will regret it. 😉

❤ ,

Hira