CSM: I made this for a friend's birthday. He LOVES cherries. This was my first carved cake. I used 3" of 8" layers sandwiched between two 2" thick 6" layers, then carved it down. Frosted in buttercream, real cherries along the bottom, wire for the stem. It's not perfect, but I'm happy with it. And my friend was THRILLED! "Cake Mix Cherry Cake" recipe from this site, dark chocolate ganache filling. It was delicious too :)