3/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
1 recipe Cherry or Chocolate Frosting (see recipe below)
1 recipe Chocolate-Dipped Cherries (see recipe below) (optional)
Cherry Frosting
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 8 ounce carton sour cream
1 cup whipping cream (do not use ultra-pasteurized whipping cream)
2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
Chocolate-Dipped Cherries
16 maraschino cherries with stems
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
1 teaspoon shortening
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 6x2-inch round cake pans or springform pans. Mix 1 teaspoon each flour and cocoa powder; dust pans. Set pans aside.
2. In bowl combine 3/4 cup flour, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
3. In large bowl with electric mixer beat butter on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Beat in sour cream and flour mixture. Pour batter in pans; spread evenly.
4. Bake 22 to 26 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on rack.
5. Use serrated knife to horizontally cut cakes in half to make 4 layers total. Place bottom layer on plate; spread with 2/3 cup frosting. Repeat with layers. Place top layer on cake. Heap remaining frosting, swirling in peaks. Refrigerate. To serve, top with Chocolate-Dipped Cherries. Serves 8.
Cherry Frosting
1. In a chilled large mixing bowl combine powdered sugar, sour cream, whipping cream, and cherry juice. Beat with the chilled beaters of an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 3 to 5 minutes or until fluffy.
Chocolate-Dipped Cherries
1. Drain cherries; pat dry with paper towels. In small microwave-safe bowl combine semisweet chocolate pieces and shortening. Cook on 50 percent power (medium) 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted, stirring once. Dip cherries in chocolate; place on waxed paper until set. Store, covered, up to 24 hours.
Variation
Alphabet Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare Chocolate-Cherry Stack Cake batter. Line sixteen 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups. Fill each cup with two slightly rounded tablespoons of cake batter. Bake 18 minutes or until top springs back. Cool completely on wire rack. To assemble, top each cupcake with Cherry or Chocolate Frosting, above, (you will have some frosting left over). Top with Alphabet Cookies (see below).
Variation
Alphabet Cookies: On a lightly floured surface knead 1/3 cup all-purpose flour into 1/2 of a 16.5-ounce package of refrigerated sugar cookie dough. Roll dough 1/4-inch thick. Brush lightly with water; sprinkle with coarse red sugar. Cut 16 small cookies for cupcakes and cut remainder into desired shapes. Bake small cookies in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for 6 minutes; bake larger cookies 7 to 8 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Use to decorate cupcakes.
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