Rich Black Forrest Cake

Yesterday last Friday was my moms birthday. Which meant cake. Classic gain-five-pounds-from-one-slice cake. My mother does not half-ass cake. Which means that I (on this occasion) do not half ass cake either.

My mom loves anything chocolate, and so of course she loves chocolate covered cherries. when I found out there was a cake version of chocolate covered cherries, I knew it was made for my Mom.

Rich Black Forrest Cake:
   serves anywhere from 10-20 depending on slice size


Lazy Lady Cake:
2 c of sugar (feel free to sub splenda)        2 T vinegar
3 c flour                                                  2 t vanilla
1/3 c cocoa                                             1/2 c oil
2 t baking soda                                        2 c water
2 t salt                                                    1/4 c cherry brandy


mix the dry into the wet. bake in two 8" cake pans at 350 for 20 minutes.

This cake has been in my family for as long as I can remember, and it is the moistest yummiest chocolate cake ever. and its vegan; score!

Filling:
1/2 t almond extract
1 can cherry pie filling

leave some of the liquid in the can. Then mix the cherries and flavoring together.

Frosting:
16 oz heavy/whipping cream
1/2 t almond extract
1/2 c powdered sugar

whip the cream until very soft peaks form, then ad almond extract and powdered sugar, and whip until stiff peaks form.

full fat whipped cream isn't exactly vegan but I really just couldn't think of a substitute


Assembly!

1.  put the first layer of cake on a plate!
2.  then pipe some frosting around the top edge (to hold the filling in)
3.  pour some filling on that moist mamma!
4.  put the second layer of cake on that sugary sandwich!
5.  get yo frosting, put yo frosting on you sugar-witch, and spread it alllll over

Because I'm fancy, and its a birthday, I took shaved chocolate (use a potato peeler and a normal bar of chocolate) and made a ring on the top of the cake. Then took chocolate covered cherries and placed them around the ring.

Calories: (for 15 slices) 470 or 340 if you substitute splenda for sugar and omit the             chocolate covered cherry on top.
Fat: 20g
Carbs: 62g (30g if subbing splenda)
     sugar: 30g (4g)
Protein: 4g

So this obviously isn't the healthiest recipe in the world. But its not the worst either, and like I said this is a classic old fashioned cake.

Here are my health-ifications: you could use a light whipped cream instead of the fatty one I used (cuts 30 calories per serving and also some fat), you could use applesauce instead of  oil in the cake (cuts 70 calories per serving and also fat), and lite pie filling(cuts 25 calories and also fat)

Question Of The Day:
What's your favorite kind of cake?