Red, White, and Chocolate

Here is my offering for a Fourth of July dessert - an all-American chocolate cake with cherries, whipped cream, and chocolate buttercream. The cake alone would be perfect with just a dusting of powdered sugar, but dressed up for the holiday it is a perfect collaboration of moist cake, sweet chocolate, tart cherries, and fluffy whipped cream.

The cake is a recipe I found for The Famous Chocolate Cake on the blog of Let Them Eat Cake! (and Ice Cream). LuLu's version, with its uncomplicated instructions, is a beauty made with espresso, a classic in all its chocolate-y glory. In her post she offers suggestions for customization, which is what led me to my version with cherries. My adaptation of LuLu's uniquely mixed recipe includes the use of a little more flour (and I used self-rising because I was out of all-purpose), almond extract instead of espresso in the cake and in the buttercream, and layers split and filled with whipped cream and cherry pie filling. After a chill in the refrigerator, this cake offers a cool and delicious way to beat the Oklahoma heat!

Chocolate Cherry Cream Cake
Adapted from The Famous Chocolate Cake

2 cups unbleached flour
1-3/4 cups white sugar
1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup stick butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon almond extract
4 oz bittersweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
1-1/4 cups water
3 eggs

Filling:
Canned cherry pie filling
Whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl combine all ingredients except eggs and mix on medium speed two minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl, add eggs, and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Use a timer and do not skip timing.

Spray two 8" cake pans with cooking spray, cut out 2 8-inch parchment circles and place in bottom of each pan, then lightly spray parchment (this trick helps me remove layers easily). Divide batter equally between pans and thump on counter to remove air pockets.

Bake 28-35 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Start testing cakes about 5 minutes before you think they should be done and every couple of minutes after that.

Let cool in pans 15 minutes, then remove from pan to wire rack to cool completely before frosting. Layers can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight prior to frosting.

Before serving, split layers and fill with cherry pie filling and whipped cream. Frost with the following buttercream:

Chocolate Fudge Buttercream
1 stick salted butter
1/4 cup cocoa
3 - 4 cups powdered sugar
1-2 teaspoons almond extract
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup half and half

Cream butter and add remaining ingredients gradually, beating to mix thoroughly. Add more sugar or half and half to desired consistency.