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
- for an extra moist cake, drizzle the layers after baking with maraschino cherry juice or sugar water boiled together for a simple syrup
- 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