Valentine's Yuuuummmy Dessert Recipe!

This Valentine's weekend, I'll be serving our guests red velvet cake.  It's a popular dessert and shows up in many bakeries and restaurants.   Here's a recipe to make for your sweetie this Valentine's Day.

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Red Velvet-Cherry Cake Roll

Cake:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups cherry-flavored cola
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon red food coloring
2 teaspoons almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Filling:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups cold heavy cream
2 teaspoons almond extract
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter an 11" x 17" rimmed baking sheet and line with parchment paper; butter the parchment and dust with flour.

Bring the cola to a simmer in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 10 to 12 minutes.  Let cool.

Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.  In a separate large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, almond and vanilla extracts, and the cola syrup.  Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.  Spread the batter on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. 

Dust a clean kitchen towel, not terry cloth, with confectioners' sugar.  Invert the cake onto the towel and peel off the parchment.  Trim the cake edges.  Begin rolling the short end of the cake around the towel and let cool completely on a rack.

In a large bowl, make the filling by whisking the cream cheese, 1/2 cup heavy cream, and the almond extract until well combined.  In a stand mixer, whisk the remaining 1 cup of cream and confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form.  Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.  Chill until ready to use.

Unroll the cooled cake and spread the filling on it.  Gently reroll the cake and transfer it to a platter.  Dust with confectioners' sugar.