Chocolate Cherry Birthday Cake Turns 16.... errrr 10?

We're going on our 10th anniversary of the Chocolate Cherry birthday cake.  Ten years ago my little girl was turning 6.  A few weeks prior to their birthdays I ask both my kids what kind of cake they want for their birthdays.  This "what kind" usually refers to the shape.  It also helps with the theme of the party.  I love decorating cakes and have had a great time making some pretty creative cakes over the years.  One year for my daughter's 6th birthday she gave me a flavor.  She said, "I want a chocolate cake with cherries and I want to decorate it myself."

I was a bit in shock and thought to myself, "WHAT?! I don't get to decorate the cake."  Up til then I had decorated about 14 kid birthday cakes between the 2 kids.  A few of the cakes I had made were a Pokeman ball, gigantic hamburger, a panda bear , large strawberries, and a gumball machine.  Now she was grabbing the reins of my cake decorating juggernaut and I wasn't very happy about it.  After all, these gorgeous and delicious cakes were ALL ABOUT ME...ME...ME!  OK I needed to step back and remember the birthday cakes were made for the person who's birthday it was.  A cooler head prevailed and if they wanted to put MORE than their 2 cents in on it's flavor and design I need to get off my high horse.  I needed to remember the day is about them.  *hanging my head in minor shame*

So, I shook it off and went on a hunt for a Chocolate Cherry cake recipe.  I found the below recipe and boy it was sure wonderful.  We've used it every year.  The moist chocolaty cherry cake is topped with a rich fudgy frosting.  There is never any leftover birthday cake when this cake is made.

Chocolate Fudge Cherry Cake
1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix (your favorite)
1 can cherry pie filling
2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond flavoring (optional) (It's not really optional you must use it.)

Frosting:
1 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup milk
6 oz package of semisweet chocolate chips

Mix cake mix, cherry pie filling, eggs, and flavoring by hand. Pour batter into greased and floured 13x9x2-inch pan and bake at 350° about 30 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. (Bundt shaped pan works great just takes a little longer to bake.)

For frosting, place sugar, butter, and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Boil for one minute. Remove from the heat and stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Pour over warm cake.

Lynne's Note:  If using a bundt shaped cake I place it on a wire rack over a plate to catch excess frosting.  Pour frosting over cake.  Excess frosting cake be saved and used later for whatever you want.  This way you don't end up with a huge puddle of frosting on your cake plate.  Then I use 2 spatulas to move cake to a clean platter.  This is a very delicate cake.  Ask for help moving it if need be.  If it breaks don't worry you have excess frosting to cover the break.  I've never had any exclaim, "I'M NOT EATING THAT CAKE IT'S BROKEN!"

That first year my daughter decorated her cake with Skittles and Lego figures.  I tried to talk her out of Skittles back then and tried to again this year.  Suggesting M&M's might be more suiting.  She confidently stated then and now, "No, I like Skittles and I think the taste great."  After that first year the family knows they are Skittles and most flick them to the side.  The first year was hilarious watching people bite into a fruity candy thinking it was an M&M.  Then watching some politely spit them into a napkin.