Drunken Cherry Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• Cake Batter:
• 4 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 c. white granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1 c. warm milk
• 1 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
• 3/4 c. unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/8 t. fine sea salt
• Filling:
• 4 c. (1 lb.) freshly pitted cherries
• 1/2 c. golden rum
• 1/4 c. cold filtered water
• Frosting:
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 c. powdered sugar
• 1/4 t. fine sea salt
• 16 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature, cut into 16 pieces
• 4 T. reserved cherry/rum syrup
• Decoration:
• semi-sweet chocolate chips, to create shaved chocolate
• handful of fresh cherries for the top

Steps

1. Drunken Cherries:
2. Rinse, drain and pit cherries; roughly chop pitted cherries; place in a medium bowl with 1/2 c. rum; let sit at room temperature for 1 hour; drain cherries in a sieve over a bowl. Set aside the cherries and the syrup.
3. Chocolate Cake Layers:
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8 inch cake pans; set aside.
5. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together 4 T. soft butter, 1 1/2 c. granulated sugar, 2 eggs and 1 t. vanilla. Beat on high speed for 7 minutes until light and fluffy. Whisk in 1 c. warm milk until smooth.
6. Sift together 1 1/3 c. all-purpose flour, 3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa, 1/8 t. salt and 2 1/2 t. baking powder. Fold the sifted mixture into the batter just until combined. Transfer to prepared cake pans.
7. Bake for 30 minutes or until wooden toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven. Once cakes are cool enough to handle, transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
8. Frosting:
9. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix 2 sticks of butter with 3 c. powdered sugar and salt on low speed or until combined, about 1 minute. Don't start on high speed or it will make a cloud of powdered sugar. Increase speed to medium-high; beat until mixture is pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
10. Add cream cheese 1 piece at a time; mix until combined, waiting about 3 seconds in between each piece. Once all of the cream cheese is incorporated, continue to beat 1 more minute.
11. Add 4 T. reserved cherry liquid, 1 T. at a time; mix until combined, about 1 minute. Reserve remaining cherry syrup. Refrigerate frosting until ready to use.
12. Assembly of Cake:
13. When ready to assemble the cake, use a serrated knife to slice each cake layer in half horizontally into 2 even layers.* Don't slice layers early or they might dry out. Place one layer cut side up on a cake stand.
14. Stir 1/4 c. cold filtered water into remaining cherry rum syrup. Generously brush first cake layer with 1/3 of the cherry rum syrup. Cover top with frosting; top with 1/3 of the chopped boozy cherries. Repeat with the next 3 layers, but DO NOT put any syrup or frosting over the final layer.
15. Refrigerate unfrosted cake for 15-20 minutes to let it rest. Frost the cake top and sides. Decorate as desired.
16. Serve.
17. 12-16 servings.
18. *Tip: Score each layer all around about 1/2 inch deep and then cut again all around cutting a little deeper into the cake until it is sliced all the way through the center. Scoring the cake helps to get a more even slice for the layers.