For the cake:
1 package (18.25 oz.) dark chocolate (only use dark chocolate) cake mix with pudding
3 large eggs
1 – 1/2 t. almond extract
1 can (21 oz.) Comstock cherry pie filling (not lite)
For the ice cream:
1/2 gallon Breyers cherry vanilla ice cream
For the frosting – whipped chocolate ganache:
3 1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 c. heavy cream
2 T. kirsch (a cherry liquor)
11 T. unsalted butter, softened
To prepare the cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mist two 9″ pans with Pam and dust with flour.
Place cake mix, eggs, and extract in large mixing bowl and beat with hand mixer on medium speed until ingredients are incorporated, about one minute.
Scrape down side of bowl with rubber spatula.
Add cherry pie filling and beat on medium speed until just blended, 20-30 seconds (you don’t want to beat up the cherries too much).
Batter will be thick.
Pour batter into prepared cake pans, smoothing the top.
Bake 25-35 minutes until the cake just starts to pull away from sides of pan and top springs back when lightly pressed.
Let cake cool in pans 15 minutes, then turn out to cooling racks to cool completely.
Take the nicer cake layer and slice in half horizontally with serrated bread knife or long knife.
Take the other cake layer and slice off the dome to produce a flat top, then slice off the bottom crust, discarding top and bottom.
Wrap the 3 cake layers individually with plastic wrap and freeze on a flat surface until entirely frozen (and for up to a week).
To assemble the cake:
(You can assemble the cake part, freeze, and frost another day if you wish).
Place ice cream on counter to warm up until workable, but not too soft.
Line a 9 inch springform pan with plastic wrap.
Place bottom cake layer in springform pan. (it may not fill up entire pan, and that’s ok).
Spread with half of the ice cream, working it to within 1/2 ” of cake edge.
Top with the layer that had the dome and bottom removed.
Spread with remaining half of ice cream.
Top with domed cake layer.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in freezer at least an hour, or until ready to frost.
To prepare the whipped ganache:
Place the finely chopped chocolate and cocoa in a medium bowl.
Bring cream to almost a boil in small saucepan over medium heat.
Immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate.
Gently whisk until chocolate is completely melted and very smooth.
Let cool to room temperature.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat butter at high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Beat in chocolate mixture and kirsch, and beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl.
Remove cake from freezer. Open springform pan and remove ring, leaving cake on bottom piece.
Quickly frost and return to freezer.
Once the ganache has frozen entirely, you can cover the cake lightly with plastic wrap.
To serve, remove cake from freezer and let sit at room temperature 5 minutes before slicing with long, serrated knife.
Cake recipe adapted from The Cake Doctor
Ganache recipe adapted from Francois Payard
