Take the Easy Way Out?
If you don’t want to bake the cake from scratch use a white cake to the directions add the cherries to the batter before baking and substitute the juice for part of the water
Again you can easily bake a round cake and a square cake then make a heart-shaped cake from those two pans.
This maraschino cherry cake is a vintage recipe from my mom’s collection and is super delicious and moist, we hope you try it!
INGREDIENTS
2 – 1/2 cups sifted cake flour (see homemade cake flour photo in the post)
1 – 1/2 cups sugar
3 – 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (like Crisco in a can)
3/4 cup whole milk ( I prefer to use evaporated or buttermilk)
1/4 cup maraschino cherry juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons almond extract
4 egg whites (unbeaten)
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries around 15 to 18 blotted dry with paper towels
Optional:1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Butter Cream Frosting:
4 cups of powdered sugar
4 tablespoons of butter
1 teaspoon almond extract
8 tablespoons of cherry juice to make a free-flowing frosting or use milk
Optional: red food coloring for a deeper red around 1 or 2 drops
7-minute cooked frosting alternative:
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 egg whites
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
optional: 2 drops of red food coloring
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour 2- 9 inch heart-shaped pans ( or choose another in the notes section.
In a large bowl add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. and whisk together. Add the shortening to that bowl and set it aside.
In another bowl add the milk, cherry juice, and extracts.
Pour that into the bowl with shortening and flour mixture and using an electric mixer beat for 2 minutes all together until blended evenly.
Add the egg white then beat for 2 more minutes.
Fold in the cherries.
Pour into two 9-inch greased and floured heart-shaped pans ( or use round pans) and bake for 25 to 30 minutes ( use the toothpick method to check if it comes out clean..
Note: If you want to do a sheet cake it will take around 45 minutes.
Bundt pan for 55 to 60 minutes.
Butter Cream Frosting Instructions:
In a deep bowl add the butter with powdered sugar slowly beating together with the milk, and cherry juice until light and fluffy using a hand mixer. Stir in the extract or choice (vanilla or almond) at the end, and add more drops of milk if necessary to make a smooth easy-to-spread frosting.
7-Minute Frosting Instructions:
Place the 1 cup sugar,1/4 teaspoon salt,1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar,2 egg whites, and 3 tablespoons water ingredients all in a heavy-duty stainless 3-quart sized pot, not the vanilla.
Turn the stove on to low heat and beat using an electric mix constantly for 7 minutes or until the frostings form fluffy and stiff peaks.
Remove from heat stir in the food coloring if using and vanilla.
Decorate with cherries.
NOTES
Pans to Use:
Sheet cake: 13 x 9 around 45 minutes
Bundt pan: 9 -inch around 55 to 60 minutes
Round pans: 9-inch around 25 to 20 minutes
Note: use the toothpick method (place in the cake when it comes out clean the cake is cooked)
Fruit substitutions:
red raspberries
chopped strawberries
blackberries
peaches chopped fresh or canned drained
Tips and Suggestions:
always flour and grease the pan you’re using for best results
do not overbeat this batter
fold in the fruit last (make sure it’s blotted dry)
add any kind of nuts
the cake tastes great with just whipped cream
instead of frosting dust with powdered sugar
make muffins instead of a cake
make two cakes and freeze one for later up to 6 months wrapped
try and different fruit
tint with food coloring if desired for deeper color
decorate frosted cakes with some fruit
no heart pan no problem! First bake two cakes, one round, and one square. Then cut the round baked cake in half. Then turning the square cake so it looks like a diamond shape with the point at the top. Place the two cut halves on each side of the point.
underbaked cakes sink so make sure it is cooked and you use the toothpick method
very important to make sure the cherries are blotted dry
if the cake is overbaked and dry no worries try a simple syrup: 1 cup (250 g) water 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar boil for two minutes cool and brush onto the cake
