Chocolate Cherry Cordial Checkerboard Cake Recipe!

Good afternoon, savvy savers! This afternoon I found my family a bit down in the dumps, this combined with my needs to prepare a menu and plan meals for the week, and as I had already completed my coupon shopping this morning, left me in need to find something to cheer my family up without leaving my home, or kitchen, for that matter! Voila! A one-bowl chocolate cake recipe! Most of you, like myself, will have most of these ingredients on hand, and the end result is amazing! I also am a fan of any cake preparations that requires one bowl, and I surely do not feel like emptying the dishwasher at present!

Why call it Chocolate Cherry Cordial Checkerboard Cake? Because it is essentially a Cupboard Clearing Cake. Topped with, you guessed it, Oreos. In a checkerboard pattern. Simple. Easy. Fun. This cake is sure to cheer up even the grumpiest gus. If you’re looking for a recipe to whip up this season, be sure to check out my recipe below:

Cupboard Clearing Cake:

Ingredients: 

2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2) Grease and flour two nine inch round pans.
3) In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed of mixer.
4) Stir in the boiling water last. The batter will be thin. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.
5) Bake 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake tests done with a toothpick.
6) Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Ingredients for Icing and Assembling Cake:
2 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup Nutella
1 can cherry pie filling
Oreo cookies, or other cookies on hand.

Directions: for Assembling
1) In a medium bowl, sift together the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa, and set aside.
2) Next, in a large glass bowl, cream butter until smooth, then gradually beat in sugar mixture alternately with evaporated milk.
3) Blend in vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy; adjust consistency with more milk or sugar if needed.
4) Fold in Nutella, and let icing rest in bowl, at room temperature for five minutes.
5) Place 1 cake round on cake stand, adding half the contents of one can of cherry pie filling on top, then top with second cake round.
6) Ice cake, then place remaining cherry pie filling centered on top of the cake, when finished crumble Oreos around the top, and reserve several to rim bottom of the cake.

Enjoy!