Cherry Cola Chocolate Cake

Cherry cola and plenty of maraschino cherries give this chocolate cake fun fruity flavor!

CAKE 1 pkg. (15.25 oz.) chocolate fudge cake mix 1 1/4 cups cherry-flavored cola 3 eggs 3/4 cup drained maraschino cherries, stems removed, finely chopped (reserve juice for frosting) 1/2 cup oil 1/2 tsp. almond extract FROSTING 1 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature 3 cups confectioners’ sugar 1/4 cup cherry juice (reserved from jar of cherries) 1 Tbs. vanilla extract Additional maraschino cherries, optional

Cake: Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat 2 (8") round cake pans with cooking spray; line bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Coat paper with cooking spray. On low speed, beat cake mix with cola, eggs, cherries, oil and almond extract; on medium, beat 2 minutes. Divide between pans. Bake 28-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes. Transfer from pans to racks; cool completely. Frosting: On medium speed, beat butter until fluffy, 2 minutes. On low, gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar, then cherry juice and vanilla until blended. On medium-high, beat until fluffy, 2 minutes. Place 1 cake layer on serving plate; spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over cake top and side. If desired, garnish with cherries. Servings: 16 Calories: 457 Protein: 3 g. Fat: 27 g. (12 g. sat.) Trans fat: 1 g. Chol.: 81 mg. Carbs.: 52 g. Sodium: 373 mg. Fiber: 1 g. Sugar: 41 g. Kitchen time: 35 minutes. Total time: 3 hours.