For the cake:

1/2 cup cola

1/2 cup dried sour cherries

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sweet ground chocolate

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate milk

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

2 teaspoons vanilla

For the topping:

1 1/4 cups vanilla cola

1/4 cup dark rum

1/2 cup sweet ground chocolate

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

DIRECTIONS:

For the cake: Spray stoneware with nonstick spray.

In a saucepan, bring the cola and dried cherries to a boil. Remove saucepan from heat and let cherries plump for 30 minutes.

In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, ground chocolate, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, mix together chocolate milk, melted butter and vanilla. Make a well in the center of dry mixture and pour in the milk mixture. Stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients until you have a smooth, thick batter.

Stir the cherries and cola, undrained, into batter and pour all evenly into Crock-Pot.

For the topping: Place vanilla cola and rum in saucepan and heat until boiling. Remove from heat and stir in ground chocolate and sugars and whisk until smooth.

Gently pour mixture over the batter in the cooker but do not stir. Cover and cook on high until puffed and top layer is set, about 2 1/2 hours.

Turn off the cooker and let stand, covered, for 30 minutes.