What is better than cake or brownies? Cake AND brownies!! Try this delicious layered cherry chocolate dessert to enjoy the best of both worlds!

Cake Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. butter
• 1 1/2 c. white sugar
• 2 Seven Sons organic eggs
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 1 tsp. cherry extract
• 1/2 c. cocoa
• 1 3/4 c. cake flour
• 1 1/4 c. tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling

Cake Instructions:

(will need to make 2 cakes for this recipe)

Heat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 13 x 9 cake pan with non-stick cooking spray that is lined over the sides with parchment paper. Cream the butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the almond extract and cherry extract and beat well. Sift in the cocoa and mix until combined. In separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in the cherry pie filling. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at above temperature for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack.

FOR ONLY ONE CAKE: apply one recipe of the fudge layer to the top of the cake. Cool in refrigerator overnight. (see fudge recipe below)

Brownie Ingredients:

• 1 c. butter, cubed
• 1 c. cocoa
• 4 Seven Sons organic eggs
• 2 c. sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. cherry juice
• 1 tsp. Local Folks cherry jam
• 1 1/3 c. flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 c. chopped maraschino cherries

Brownie Instructions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 13 x 9 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray that is lined over the sides with parchment paper. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter and then stir in the cocoa until smooth. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar and stir in the cherry juice and jam. Stir this into the chocolate mixture. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to wet ingredients. Stir in the cherries. Bake at the above temperature for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Let brownies cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Then apply 1 recipe of the fudge layer to the top of the still warm brownies while still in pan. Chill in the refrigerator overnight, covered. (see fudge recipe below)

Fudge Layer Ingredients (x2):

• 2 c. whipping cream
• 13 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 13 oz. German Chocolate baking squares, chopped
• 4 T. Local Folks cherry jam
• 1 T. maraschino cherry juice

Fudge Layer Instructions:

Bring cream to simmer in medium sauce pan. Remove from heat; whisk in the chocolates, jam and juice until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Chocolate-cherry Ganache Ingredients:

• 31 oz. whipping cream
• 28 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
• 28 oz. milk chocolate
• 2 T. Local Folks cherry jam
• 1 T. maraschino cherry juice

Chocolate-cherry Ganache Instructions:

Warm the cream in a large saucepan to simmer and add the jam and cherry juice. Whisk in all chocolate until mixture is smooth. Pour this over cakes and brownie. Make sure the top and sides of large cake are all covered with the ganache. Chill for 2 hours until ganache is set. Apply cherry frosting using a star tip in a piping bag.

Cherry Frosting Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. white shortening
• 4 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 6 T. maraschino cherry juice
• 1 T. whipping cream

Cherry Frosting Instructions:

In a large bowl, whip the shortening until is is light and fluffy. Gradually sift in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time along with 1 T. of the wet ingredients. Beat after each addition. Stop using wet ingredients when frosting has reach your desired consistency.

Assembly Instructions:

Remove the cakes and brownies from their pans and peel off the parchment paper. Place cake with fudge layer on top of wax paper. Stack the brownies (un-cut) on top of this cake. Follow this with the cake on top that does not have a fudge layer on it. Carefully apply ganache to the stacked cake and brownie layers.

Garnish with the 4 chocolate-covered cherries from Fair Oaks Farms at the corners of the top of the cake.

Submitted by: Dave Shuey
Indiana Grown Culinary Creations Contest