Holly's Black Forest Cake

Ingredients

• Servings: 1
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 3 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
• 1/3 cup butter
• 4 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 (16.5 ounce) can pitted dark sweet cherries, drained with juice reserved
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 6 teaspoons orange liqueur

Recipe

• preheat oven to 350 degrees f (175 degrees c). grease and flour 2- 8 or 9 inch round cake pans.
• in a medium sized bowl combine flour, white sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. add water, shortening, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed until combined. then beat on high speed for 2 minutes. add eggs and melted chocolate and beat 2 minutes more. pour batter into prepared pans.
• bake for 30 to 35 minutes. cool cakes on a wire rack for 10 minutes. remove cakes from pans and let cool thoroughly on a wire rack.
• to make frosting: beat butter until fluffy. gradually add 2 cups of confectioner's sugar and the cocoa. beat well than add the milk, and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. beat in the remaining confectioner's sugar and any additional milk as needed for spreadability.
• to make filling: drain cherries reserving 2/3 cup of the liquid. in a medium sauce pan combine reserved liquid and cornstarch, add fruit. cook over medium heat and stir until thickened and bubbly. cook and stir for more 2 minutes and then stir in the orange or cherry liqueur. remove from heat cover and cool without stirring.
• arrange one cake layer on a serving dish and spread the cooled cherry filling over the top (reserve some cherries for a garnish for top of cake). place second layer on top filling and frost sides and top of cake with frosting.