Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour two round 8-inch pans, and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the almond milk, sugar, water, oil, and vanilla extract. Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa, and mix well. Add in the vinegar, and mix until thoroughly combined.

Divide evenly among the two prepared pans, and bake for 25-30 minutes until the center no longer jiggles, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with just a couple of crumbs.

Set aside and cool completely before assembly.

In a small nonstick pot, whisk together the brown sugar and cornstarch. Add in the cherries, and heat on medium-low until they start to break down and caramelize. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

In a medium bowl, beat together the Crisco and EarthBalance for the filling. Add in the powdered sugar, slowly, until a stiff frosting forms. Beat in the vanilla and salt. If you want to save a little bit of vanilla frosting to decorate the top, set some aside now.

Using a spatula, gently fold the cherries into the rest of the vanilla frosting for the filling. Place in the fridge until ready to use.

Grab the plate you will assemble the cake on, and place one of the chocolate cakes on it. Top it with the cherry filling, then place the other cake on top. Smooth the filling around the sides, and place the cake in the fridge or freezer for at least one hour.

To make the chocolate frosting, beat together the remaining EarthBalance and Crisco in a medium bowl using a hand mixer.

When smooth, add in the cocoa, vanilla, and salt, then add in the powdered sugar a bit at a time until a smooth frosting forms. This does not have to be as stiff as the vanilla frosting for the filling!

When ready to frost, remove the cake from the fridge/freezer, and frost using the chocolate frosting.

If desired, grate some chocolate on top of the cake. Decorate around the top using the vanilla frosting you saved from the filling, and top with fresh cherries. Store in fridge until ready to serve!

*Note: I prefer to use dark cocoa powder when available, but regular cocoa will work just as well!*