Chocolate Cherry Cake

1 1/2 cups flour 3/4 cup cocoa 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup Chukar® Dried Cherries, any variety 2 tablespoons cherry flavored liqueur 8 tablespoons sweet butter 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 cup buttermilk 1/2 teaspoon almond extract Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cover dried cherries with hot water in bowl and let stand 10 minutes or until softened. Drain well. Butter and flour a 9-inch tube pan. Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking soda and set aside. Place dried cherries in a dish, stir in the cherry liqueur and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until smooth. Stir in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, mixing only enough to combine the ingredients. Add almond extract to cherry mixture, and then fold this mixture into the batter. Spread the batter into the pan and bake for 45 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes on the rack then remove from the pan and continue to cool on a rack.

from Chukar Cherries - www.chukar.com