This is so delightful! Everyone loves it and it is pretty. Courtesy of Completely Delicious website.
Cake Ingredients:
1- 10 oz. jar of maraschino cherries
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 35o degrees
- Butter and flour two 8 inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper
- Drain the cherries, reserving the juice. Finely chop the cherries.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand held mixer, beta the butter and sugar at high speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and add the egg whites one at a time, mixing after each. Add extracts and mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl. combine cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a smaller bowl combine, cherry juice and buttermilk. Add flour mixture to butter and sugar mixture in 3 additions alternating with buttermilk mixture . Mix after each addition. Stir in chopped cherries.
- Divide batter evenly between the cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 30-35 minutes. Let cool in the pans 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For frosting, place butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream and extracts into a stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer. Mix on low speed until moistened then increase speed to high and beat until smooth and fluffy about 4-5 minutes.
- Place one cake layer on a plate or cake stand. Cover with 1/2 cup of frosting. Place second cake on top and cover top and sides with remaining frosting.
- Store in air tight container at room temperature for up to 4 days
