This isn't just a chocolate cake with cherries in it, parading around as a chocolate cordial cake - this cake really tastes like the ooey gooey cherry and candy combination!

This cake is good on the first day - but is excellent a day or two later, after the cherry-goodness has had a chance to soak into everything!

Step 1: Ingredients

Cake:

2 c. sugar

1 3/4 c. flour

3/4 c. cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/4 c. milk

3/4 c. juice from maraschino cherries (the cherries come into play for the filling)

1/2 c. vegetable oil (or your preferred baking oil)

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 c. hot water

Frosting:

3/4 c. butter, softened

1 1/2 c. cocoa powder

5-6 c. confectioners sugar

1/3 c. cherry juice (if you don't have any left, you can substitute for more cream/milk!)

1 tsp vanilla

*up to 1/2 c. heavy cream (or milk) - just enough to adjust frosting consistency

Filling:

a little more than half of your frosting

2 boxes Cherry Cordial candy, chopped

3/4 c. maraschino cherries, chopped

Step 2: Cake

Preheat your oven to 350°F

Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the oil and sugar, until the sugar is well coated.

Add in the eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each one. Add in vanilla and milk.

Mix in part of your combined dry ingredients, followed by some of the cherry juice, then more dry, more juice, until all ingredients (EXCEPT the hot water!) have been added. Mix well, until batter is smooth.

Now carefully add the hot water, mixing well and adding slowly so that the batter temperature is raised evenly.

Pour cake batter into 2 prepared 9" cake pans.

Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Allow to cool 10-15 minutes, remove from cake pans, and then finish cooling completely.

Step 3: Frosting/Filling

For your frosting, cream together your butter and cocoa powder. Slowly add in 2 cups (or so) of confectioners sugar, followed by the vanilla and cherry juice. Continue adding in the rest of the sugar.

Towards the end, if the frosting starts becoming too thick to mix, add in cream or milk as needed.

Mix well until smooth and creamy.

For the filling, take a little more than half of your frosting (set the smaller amount aside)

Into the filling portion, mix in the chopped maraschino cherries (no juice!), and chopped cherry cordial candies. This will make the filling thinner, but not so much that you're unable to work with it. *

- If you want to mix the cherries and cordial candy into all of your frosting, you definitely can! I just wanted the outside of my cake to be smooth =)

*If your frosting does get too runny, you can try chilling it. If it's still too runny, add in more confectioners sugar until it's thickened again.

Step 4: Layers and Frosting

Cut each of your cakes in half, to create 4 layers.

Layer your cake and your filling together - I like to stick the cake in the fridge for a few minutes between layers to help the filling set some and prevent the cake from sliding or squishing the filling out.

After all of your layers are completed, wrap well with plastic and let chill until it's safe to work with (if you live in a cooler area, you might be able to skip this step - but my cake was still too soft to attempt to frost.)

Finally, finish off with your smooth frosting!

Again, this cake is good on day 1. BUT is even more intensely cherry after a day of resting!