Cherry Chocolate Gobs

This recipe for Chocolate-Cherry Stack Cake came from Better Homes and Gardens magazine in the February 2009 issue. I've been wanting to make this recipe & finally decided that it would be a great Valentine's Day treat. The magazine made it as a 4 layer cake or it could be made into cupcakes. With some added flour, it easily became my favorite chocolate gob recipe. The chocolate covered cherries also went over very well. I doubled the cherry juice for the icing but it still didn't taste cherry enough for me. Guess I will still have to work on that.

Chocolate-Cherry Stake Cake

3/4 cup flour use 1 1/4 cup flour if making gobs

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 6x2 inch round cake pans or springform pans. Set pans aside.

In bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, & salt; set aside.

In large bowl with electric mixer beat butter on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Beat in sour cream and flour mixture. Pour batter in pans; spread evenly.

Bake 22 to 26 minutes until top springs back when lightly touched and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on rack.

Use serrated knife to horizontally cut cakes in half to make 4 layers total. Place bottom layer on plate; spread with 2/3 cup frosting. Repeat with layers. Place top layer on cake. Heap remaining frosting, swirling in peaks. Refrigerate. To serve, top with chocolate-dipped cherries. Serves 8.

To make gobs: make batter as above. Line baking pan with parchment paper. Drop batter by rounded tablespoons onto pan and bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes until cake springs back when lightly touched. Place rounded tablespoon of frosting between 2 cakes.

Cherry Frosting

In large mixing bowl combine one 8 ounce carton sour cream, 1 cup whipping cream, 2 cups powdered sugar, and 6 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice. Beat on medium-high until fluffy. I beat the whipping cream separately on high for 2 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients.

Chocolate-Dipped Cherries

Drain 16 maraschino cherries with stems; pat dry with paper towels. In small microwave-safe bowl combine 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces and 1 teaspoon shortening. Cook on 50% power (medium) 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted, stirring once. Dip cherries in chocolate; place on waxed paper until set. Store, covered, up to 24 hours.

To make cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare recipe for above cake batter. Line sixteen 2 1/2 inch muffin cups with paper bake cups. Fill each cup with two slightly rounded tablespoons of cake batter. Bake 18 minutes or until top springs back. Cool completely on wire rack. To assemble, top each cupcake with cherry or chocolate frosting.

Chocolate Frosting

In large mixing bowl combine one 8 ounce carton sour cream, 1 cup whipping cream, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, and 1/4 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder. Beat on medium-high until fluffy.