Method

1. Preheat oven 350 F. Grease and flour two 9 inch, round, cake pans; cover bottoms with waxed paper
2. Combine flour, 2 cups sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil, and 1 tablespoon vanilla; beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pans
3. Bake for 35 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean
4. Drain cherries, reserving ½ cup juice
5. Combine reserved juice, cherries, 1 cup sugar and cornstarch in a 2 quart saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool before using
6. Combine whipping cream and confectioner’s sugar in a chilled bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form
7. With a long-serrated knife, split each cake layer horizontally in half. Tear one split layer into crumbs; set aside
8. Reserve 1 ½ cups Frosting for decorating cake; set aside.
9. Gently brush loose crumbs off top and side of each cake layer with pastry brush or hands
10. To assemble, place one cake layer on cake plate. Spread with 1 cup frosting; top with ¾ cup cherry topping
11. Top with second layer; repeat layers of frosting and cherry topping. Top with third cake layer. Frost side of cake
12. Pat reserved crumbs onto frosting on side of cake
13. Spoon reserved frosting into pastry bag fitted with star decorator tip. Pipe around top and bottom edges of cake. Spook remaining cherry topping onto top of cake