Easy Black Forest Cake

                                    Makes 12 servings
Devil's food cake layers, made from a mix and embellished with chocolate and vanilla extracts and creamy milk chocolate, are sandwiched with the simplest and most luxurious stuffing of them all–ready-to-eat cheesecake filling and cherry pie filling. The cake is capped off with ready-to-spread fudge frosting and gooey chocolate-covered cherry candies. This cake puts a traditional black forest cake to shame–and it's amazingly simple to make because of all the packaged products.

1................... (18.25-oz.) package devil's food cake mix
1 ...................(3.4-oz.) package chocolate instant pudding mix
3 ...................large eggs 
1-1/4 .............cups milk 
1 ...................cup canola oil 
1 .................. tablespoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 .............teaspoons chocolate extract
1 ...................teaspoon almond extract
3 ...................(1.55-oz.) milk chocolate bars, chopped 
1 ...................(24.3-oz.) container ready-to-eat cheesecake filling, divided
1 ...................(21-oz.) can cherry pie filling, divided
2 ...................(16-oz.) cans chocolate fudge frosting
Garnish: chocolate covered cherries, halved (optional)

1.                Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, and dust with cocoa. Set aside.
2.               Beat cake mix and next 7 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute; beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Fold in chopped chocolate. Pour batter into prepared pans.
3.              Bake at 350° for 30 to 32 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely on wire rack. Wrap and chill cake layers at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
4.              Using a serrated knife, slice cake layers in half horizontally to make 4 layers. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on cake plate. Spread one-third of cheesecake filling over cake; top with one-third of cherry pie filling. Repeat procedure twice with remaining cheesecake filling and cherry filling. Place final cake layer on top of cake; cut side down. Spread chocolate fudge frosting on top and sides of cake. Cover and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. Garnish, if desired. Store in refrigerator.

Tip: I use this recipe with Philadelphia ready-to-eat cheesecake filling. You'll find it in the dairy case with cream cheese products.
Heart healthy