Cherries for George Washington's Day

Today is George Washington's Birthday. We used to celebrate that in February, and Abe Lincoln's birthday on Feb. 12, before it was all rolled together into Presidents' Day on the third Monday. (Does that make me old - that I know that??) Anyway, I always think of cherries for February foods. Even though we now know that George Washington probably didn't really chop down a cherry tree and confess truthfully to it, historians do say he liked cherry pie. So its February and we're making something cherry.
I needed a quick covered dish to take to a meeting during a busy week, so this wasn't going to be the time for that cherry pie! Instead I recalled a 4-H demonstration my daughter had done ages ago (like 20 years!). We must have been so tired of that Cherry Angel Delight dessert after many practices that I didn't save the recipe. Nothing in my recipe notebooks. So I searched the old 4-H record books, and found it! Not only did she do this for a 4-H Day demonstration, but it was also a Favorite Food Show entry. It made a good demonstration and is an easy dessert to prepare. Blue ribbon all-around. The day after I made this I happened to find a very similar recipe on Pinterest, I guess it is still popular.

Cherry Angel Delight 

(also called Heaven of Earth Cake on Pinterest)

1 large prepared angel food cake (you can be ambitious and make your own, but remember I said this was an easy prep? Use a cake mix or buy a baked cake).
1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling
1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 ½ cups cold milk
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream

Directions:
Cut or tear cake into ½-inch pieces to measure 8 cups. Place half the cake cubes in a 9-inch x 9-inch baking pan. Reserve ⅓ cup of pie filling, spread remaining filling over the cake cubes. Top with remaining cake cubes. Combine pudding mix, milk, and sour cream. Spoon over cake cubes. Cover an chill. To serve, cut into squares and top with reserved cherries.

The Heaven on Earth Cake version also included 8 oz. of whipped topping (Cool Whip). It was assembled with ½ of the cake cubes, ⅔ of cherry pie filling, ½ cake cubes, pudding mixture, whipped topping, garnish.

I prepared the dessert as a trifle in a footed clear bowl. Since this made the cake layers a little thicker and I wanted it to look pretty from the side, I layered it cake cubes + pudding mixture + cherries + cake cubes + cherries + pudding mixture, garnish with reserved cherry pie filling. Later I thought I should have also garnished with slivered almonds, next time!