Heart Shaped Chocolate & Cherries & Cream Cake

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1/2 cup butter, softened no substitutions
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 3 tablespoons baking cocoa, plus
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling, divided

Recipe

• 1 in large bowl, cream butter and sugar.
• 2 add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one.
• 3 beat in vanilla.
• 4 combine the flour, cocoa and baking soda.
• 5 add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk.
• 6 then beat in water and oil until smooth.
• 7 pour into two greased and floured 9 inch heart shaped baking pans.
• 8 you can also line the pans with parchment paper and grease and flour that as well.
• 9 bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until cake tester inserted near center of cakes comes out clean.
• 10 cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
• 11 in a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy.
• 12 beat in cream and extract.
• 13 place one cake on serving dish; spread with half of cream cheese mixture.
• 14 refrigerate for 10 minutes.
• 15 top with 1 cup pie filling and second cake; spread with remaining cream cheese mixture.
• 16 make a heart shape indentation in center of cake (can use a knife to trace a heart shape); fill with remaining pie filling.
• 17 refrigerate until serving.