Dark Chocolate Chunk Cherry Cake

This cake makes for a lovely presentation, but is also simple & absolutely delicious! We like making this as a dessert for Christmas dinner, but it would also be great for Valentine’s Day, or any day! This recipe is from the book Christmas with Southern Living 2006.

Prep: 20 min. Cook: 1 hr., 4 min. Other: 18 min.

Unsweetened cocoa
(18.25-ounce) package yellow cake mix with pudding
1/2 cup sugar
1 (3.8-ounce) package devils food instant pudding mix
4 large eggs
 3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  5 (3-ounce) dark chocolate bars, divided (we tested with Ghirardelli)
  1/2  cup coarsely chopped dried cherries
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan, and dust with cocoa; set aside.

Combine cake mix, sugar, and pudding mix in a large mixing bowl.

Beat eggs and next 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Gradually add oil mixture to dry ingredients; beat 2 minutes. Coarsely chop 3 chocolate bars; fold cherries and chopped chocolate into batter. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack. Coarsely chop 1 chocolate bar. Place chopped chocolate and butter in a small bowl; set aside.

Bring whipping cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat, and immediately pour over chocolate and butter. Whisk gently until smooth. Cool glaze 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Drizzle glaze over cake. Coarsely chop remaining chocolate bar; sprinkle chopped chocolate over cake.

Yield: 12 servings.