Drunken Cherry Chocolate Cake – Eat More Chocolate Eat More Chocolate

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temp
• 1½ cups white granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup warm milk (I used 1%)
• 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder (I used one that is a blend of natural and dutched cocoa)
• 2½ tsp baking powder
• ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
• 4 cups (1 lb) fresh pitted cherries
• ½ cup golden rum (I used Bacardi Gold $8/bottle at a liquor store)
• ¼ cup cold filtered water
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened to room temp
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt
• 16 oz (2 blocks) cream cheese, softened to room temp and cut into 16 pieces
• 4 Tbsp of the reserved cherry/rum syrup