Smoked Upside Down Chocolate Cherry Cake

This chocolate cake recipe combines chocolate, cherry, and smoke to create a rich and complexly flavored cake. 

Cherry Layer:

• 2 cups fresh or frozen pitted cherries
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon corn starch

Chocolate Cake:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup soured heavy cream
  • Mix 1/8 Teaspoon of Citric Acid to Sour, Can Also Use Lemon Juice to Sour
• ½ cup brewed black coffee.
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
  
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• Handful of Dark Chocolate Chips (Optional)
• Splash of Bourbon (Optional)

Instructions

1. Combine the ingredients for the cherry layer and then flatten them out in the bottom of a greased 8x8 baking dish.
   
2. Add the cake ingredients into a large mixing bowl and then combine until everything is well incorporated.
3. (Optional) Add chocolate chips and a splash of bourbon to the mix if desired.
4. Add the cake mix to the dish over the cherry layer.
5. Preheat oven or smoker to 350 degrees and bake for approximately 40-50 minutes. You should be able to insert a toothpick into the center of the cake and pull it out clean.
6. Once baked, allow the cake to cool for around 20 minutes. Turn it upside down and gently tap the dish to let it fall out of the dish.
7. Cut and serve with vanilla ice cream!