Step 1

Rinse, drain and pit your 1 lb of cherries. Roughly chop your pitted cherries and place them in a medium bowl with 1/2 cup golden rum. Let sit at room temp for 1 hour then drain cherries in a sieve over a bowl. Keep both the cherries and the syrup.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter and flour two, 8-inch cake pans and set aside.

Step 3

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together 4 Tbsp soft butter, 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla. Beat on high speed for 7 min until light and fluffy. Whisk in 1 cup warm milk until smooth.

Step 4

Sift together 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa, 1/8 tsp salt, and 2 1/2 tsp baking powder. Fold the sifted mixture into the batter just until combined. Transfer to your prepared cake pans and bake at 350˚F for 30 min or until toothpick comes out clean.

Step 5

Remove from the oven and once the cakes are cool enough to handle, transfer to wire racks for them to cool completely.

Step 6

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix the 2 sticks of butter with 3 cups powdered sugar and salt on low speed or until combined (1 min) Don't start on high speed or you will be surrounded in a cloud of powdered sugar (lessons learned). Increase speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is pale and fluffy (2 min).

Step 7

Add cream cheese 1-piece at a time and mix until combined. (I waited maybe 3 seconds in between each piece; it's one after another really. Once all of the cream cheese is incorporated. continue to beat 1 more minute.

Step 8

Add 4 Tbsp reserved cherry liquid, 1 Tbsp at a time and mix until combined (1 min). Reserve the remaining cherry syrup. Refrigerate frosting until ready to use.

Step 9

Once you are ready to assemble the cake, slice each of your cake layers in half horizontally into two even layers (Tip: don't slice your layers early or they may dry out). A serrated knife works best. Place one layer cut side up on a cake stand.

Step 10

Stir 1/4 cup cold filtered water into the the remaining cherry rum syrup. Generously brush the first cake layer with 1/3 of the cherry rum syrup. Cover the top with frosting and top with 1/3 of the chopped boozy cherries. Repeat with the next three layers but don't put any syrup or frosting over the final layer. Refrigerate your unfrosted cake for 15-20 min to let it rest, then frost the top and sides. Decorate to your heart's delight and serve to the people you love.