Author Recipe: Chocolate Cherry Cake

Written by: Delaney Diamond

Chocolate Cherry Cake

Ingredients:

1 box of chocolate cake mix (any brand you like)

1 21-oz. can of cherry pie filling

1 container of chocolate icing

Prepare the cake according to the instructions, but omit the oil and use the pie filling instead. Mix it to blend well. Pour the mixture into two pans, and bake per instructions on the box. Remove the cakes and once they've cooled, add icing and stack to make a two-layer cake.

Why I like this dish

I love to cook, but my strength is not in baking. Whenever I find a simple baking recipe, I'm ecstatic. I’ve been making this cake for a long time. I found the recipe in a recipe book I bought back in high school which had a slew of simple recipes in it. I no longer have the book, but thankfully, I remembered how to make this cake. It’s been a hit every time I have.

Years ago, I took it to work and jokingly told my co-workers that this cake will get me a proposal one day. One of my male co-workers, after having a slice, ended up proposing to me that afternoon. Lol.

I like the recipe for two reasons: 1) It’s easy. 2) It’s delicious! It comes out moist and tasty every single time. Give it a try. Who knows, you might get a proposal out of it!

Buy links: Astraea Press, All Romance Ebooks, Amazon, B&N, Smashwords

Blurb:

Julia Newman doesn’t have time for love. Been there, done that, and she’s got the scars to prove it. Instead, she’s focused on her career. For the past few years, she has been living the life she wants. She drives a silver Mercedes, just purchased a four bedroom house in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, and she’s on her way to becoming the youngest female partner in the history of the venture capitalist firm where she works. Life couldn’t be better. Or so she thought.

Frederico “Freddie” Mendoza is the owner of Mendoza Construction. He hasn’t given up on love, but he is fed up with women who are fascinated by the fantasy of being with a blue collar man and then relegate him to a certain part of their lives. His newest customer, Julia Newman, is the kind of woman he’s decided he’ll avoid from now on. He needs to work on expanding his business. Besides, she’s not his type. Or so he thought.

Excerpt:

His long, lean fingers held a single red rose, which he extended to her.

“Buenas noches,” he said softly, smiling a sexy smile that must have broken down the inhibitions of legions of women since the day he hit puberty. The lapse into Spanish was a pleasant surprise, creating more tingling from the top of her head to the toes of high-heeled sandaled feet.

“Buenas noches,” Julia repeated, lifting the flower from his hand. She felt like she had nineteen years ago when she went on her first date at sixteen: shy, nervous, anxious, and ready for anything.

When Julia locked the front door, Freddie extended the crook of his arm. Any reason to touch her, because she looked so touchable tonight. When she hooked her arm through his and allowed her soft fingers to reach up and brush his biceps, his chest muscles contracted. He didn’t know what possessed him to invite her out dancing when he should have been distancing himself from her, but he was glad he did.

She looked stunning tonight. Without the air of aloofness and the cool confidence she usually exhibited, she appeared softer, more feminine, and more approachable. The neckline of her pretty, feminine top dipped low enough to tease him with a hint of cleavage. The A-line skirt swirled around her knees and permitted him a good view of slender, toned calves in sandals.

Her dark hair was styled so it fell across her brow at a teasing angle—inviting him to reach up and brush the strands back from her face so they wouldn’t block her vision. The auburn highlights he’d noticed the first night were more noticeable now and made him want to delve his fingers into the shiny depths of her hair.

As he helped her into the newly cleaned truck, Freddie couldn’t resist leaning down while she was turned away and getting a whiff of her feminine scent. He got a double whammy. The perfume stirred his senses, and the smell of her hair made his gut contract with the desire to drag her close and bury his face in the fresh, vanilla-scented tresses.

She smiled at him as he closed the passenger side door. The wine-colored lipstick made her full lips look even fuller and inviting. More than anything he wanted to keep her smiling. He wanted to keep her safe and protect her against any further emotional harm. No woman of his—whoa.

Where had that come from?