Who loved Twin Peaks? Who can tie a knot in a cherry stem with their tongue? Audrey could.

Well that, my friends, is not one of my many talents. I can do a cartwheel. I can successfully perform the Heimlich Maneuver. I can bake. Just not all at once.

Chocolate Cherry Cake

Ingredients:

2/3 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup milk
8 oz sour cream
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
10 oz jar maraschino cherries with stems, well drained
1/2 cup chocolate sprinkles (jimmies)

Directions:

1. Grease and flour two 8-inch round baking pans.

2. Stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

3. Preheat oven to 350℉.

4. In a large bowl beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar; beat until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

5. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating until just combined. Spread batter evenly into prepared pans.

6. Bake for 35 minutes or until a tester comes clean. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely.

7. In another bowl, beat together sour cream, whipping cream and confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until mixture thickens and holds soft peaks.

8. Set aside 8 cherries. Remove stems from remaining cherries and chop cherries. Combine 1/2 cup icing with chopped cherries.

9. Place one cake layer on seving platter; top with cherry icing. Add remaining layer. Reserve 1/2 cup icing. Evenly frost the top and sides of cake with remaining icing. Press chocolate sprinkles into sides of cake.

10. Use a large star tip to pipe eight (I piped too large and got 6) swirls of reserved icing on cake top. Place cherries with stems onto the swirls.

11. Chill until serving time. I heard that putting the cake next to diet soda draws out the calories and makes it the equivalent of eating celery.

Serves 16

Adapted from Better Homes And Gardens Magazine

I cannot even believe that we have a winter storm warning that goes into effect tonight through tomorrow night. More snow. Ice, too. Now, I love a real winter. None of this spring thaw stuff in January. Just solid cold and enough snow to ski. However, when the calendar says April, I’m ready to retire the fleece.

Maybe the winter storm warning tomorrow is a meteorological April Fools. A bunch of weathermen trying to psych us all out when it really is going to be warm and sunny.

Nah, I don’t think so either. Let the storm begin.
Ringo Starr-Stormy Weather

Tilly & The Wall-The Ice Storm, Big Gust And You

Cheers!