Drunken Cherry Chocolate Cake

• Produce

  • 4 cups Cherries, fresh pitted
  • 1 handful Cherries, fresh

• Refrigerated

  • 2 Eggs

• Condiments

  • 4 tbsp Reserved cherry/rum syrup

• Baking & Spices

  • 1 1/3 cups All-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 tsp Baking powder
  • 3/4 cup Dark chocolate cocoa powder, unsweetened
  • 1 1/2 cups Granulated sugar, White
  • 3 cups Powdered sugar
  • 3/8 tsp Sea salt, fine
  • 1 Semi-sweet chocolate chips to create shaved chocolate
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract

• Dairy

  • 4 tbsp Butter, unsalted
  • 2 sticks Butter, unsalted
  • 16 oz Cream cheese
  • 1 cup Milk

• Beer, Wine & Liquor

  • 1/2 cup Golden rum

• Liquids

  • 1/4 cup Water, filtered

Found on natashaskitchen.com

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temp
• 1½ cups white granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup warm milk (I used 1%)
• 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder (I used one that is a blend of natural and dutched cocoa)
• 2½ tsp baking powder
• ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
• 4 cups (1 lb) fresh pitted cherries
• ½ cup golden rum (I used Bacardi Gold $8/bottle at a liquor store)
• ¼ cup cold filtered water
• 2 sticks (1 cup or 16 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened to room temp
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt
• 16 oz (2 blocks) cream cheese, softened to room temp and cut into 16 pieces
• 4 Tbsp of the reserved cherry/rum syrup
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips to create shaved chocolate
• A handful of fresh cherries for the top

Directions

• Rinse, drain and pit your 1 lb of cherries. Roughly chop your pitted cherries and place them in a medium bowl with ½ cup golden rum. Let sit at room temp for 1 hour then drain cherries in a sieve over a bowl. Keep both the cherries and the syrup.
• Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter and flour two, 8-inch cake pans and set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together 4 Tbsp soft butter, 1½ cups granulated sugar, 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla. Beat on high speed for 7 min until light and fluffy. Whisk in 1 cup warm milk until smooth.
• Sift together 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour, ¾ cups unsweetened cocoa, ⅛ tsp salt, and 2½ tsp baking powder. Fold the sifted mixture into the batter just until combined. Transfer to your prepared cake pans and bake at 350˚F for 30 min or until toothpick comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and once the cakes are cool enough to handle, transfer to wire racks for them to cool completely.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix the 2 sticks of butter with 3 cups powdered sugar and salt on low speed or until combined (1 min) Dont start on high speed or you will be surrounded in a cloud of powdered sugar (lessons learned). Increase speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is pale and fluffy (2 min).
• Add cream cheese 1-piece at a time and mix until combined. (I waited maybe 3 seconds in between each piece; its one after another really. Once all of the cream cheese is incorporated. continue to beat 1 more minute.
• Add 4 Tbsp reserved cherry liquid, 1 Tbsp at a time and mix until combined (1 min). Reserve the remaining cherry syrup. Refrigerate frosting until ready to use.
• Once you are ready to assemble the cake, slice each of your cake layers in half horizontally into two even layers (Tip: dont slice your layers early or they may dry out). A serrated knife works best. Place one layer cut side up on a cake stand.
• Stir ¼ cup cold filtered water into the the remaining cherry rum syrup. Generously brush the first cake layer with ⅓ of the cherry rum syrup. Cover the top with frosting and top with ⅓ of the chopped boozy cherries. Repeat with the next three layers but dont put any syrup or frosting over the final layer. Refrigerate your unfrosted cake for 15-20 min to let it rest, then frost the top and sides. Decorate to your hearts delight and serve to the people you love.