Maraschino Cherry Cake

A very good friend shared this “Tried-and-True” family recipe with me. It has been a favorite ever since, especially for those pink cakes for baby showers. The cake is moist with a fine crumb. Nuts are an optional addition, but I have omitted them for the majority of the orders I have had for this cake due to nut allergies becoming so common.

Ingredients

  • 2/3 Cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 Cups sugar
  • 5 egg whites, beaten until stiff peaks form
  • 2 2/3 Cups flour, unsifted
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 Cup milk
  • 1/4 Cup Maraschino cherry juice
  • 16 Maraschino cherries, cut into eighths
  • 1/2 Cup chopped nuts (optional) (I use pecans)

Instructions

    1. Grease and flour two 9-inch pans.
    2. Cream together butter and sugar
    3. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together.
    4. Mix milk and cherry juice together.
    5. Add flour mixture to creamed butter and sugar mixture, alternating with milk and cherry juice mixture, in thirds.
    6. Stir in chopped cherries and (optional) nuts.
    7. Gently fold in egg whites until well incorporated into batter.
    8. Pour into pans
    9. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.

    Serving suggestions: All three have been big hits with my clients!
    1. Fill and frost with your favorite butter cream frosting.
    2. Fill with chocolate mousse.
    3. Fill with raspberry sauce.

Comments (7)

on

So if you used a chocolate ganache buttercream frosting you would have a chocolate covered cherry cake?? Hmm sounds good. I think I'll try it and shape and decorate the cake like a chocolate covered cherry. Thank for the idea.

on

I made the cake last night but mine turned out kinda heavy. It was dry and dense I'm not sure if I did something wrong or is supposed to be dense?

on

I haven't had the problem you're describing, but I have always made it a point to let the butter and sugar cream together in my Kitchen Aid mixer for at least 2 minutes. The other thing I'm careful about is folding in the eggs gently. My daughter teases me because I am so "Type A" about being careful not to 'flatten' my eggs while I'm folding them in. We do love this cake, so I encourage you to give it another whirl.

on

I made this cake last night and it turned great. Not much maraschino cherry flavor unless you get an actual cherry.

I did make a few changes, though. I added 1/2 tsp butter extract and also I changed how I added the egg whites. Rather than whip and fold in I added then to my creamed butter/sugar mixture. I then let that beat for about 3 to 4 minutes which allowed it to get light and airy. I 'stole' the method from Colette Peter's Heavenly White Cake method.

It was light and airy and the family loved it. Because it doesn't have a lot of flavor you can't use a strong icing (as I did...chocolate fudge). You could kick it up with cherry extract or a maraschino simple syrup. I will make this again, though.

on

I made this cake for my daughter's 7th birthday. The only changes I made were doubling both the cherries and the cherry syrup. It was divine--moist and very spongy. It paired great with a mild home made chocolate frosting. Noticing that the cherry pieces all sunk to the bottom, I put the bottoms of the cakes together in the middle. Every one wanted to know how I made that cherry-chocolate filling, not realizing that the cherries were baked into the cake. I will definitely keep this recipe around.

on

I wonder if the reason the cherries sank to the bottom was due to doubling the amount of cherry syrup used? I have never had a problem with them sinking to the bottom and don't think doubling only the cherries would present a problem. I'm glad everyone likes this recipe as much as I do!

on

Yeah, I made this cake too. I loved the way it came out, It looked BEAUTIFUL!! It was kinda heavy, but It torted very well. Flavor?????? Mine did not have any flavor at all. I soaked it in simple syrup enhanced with amaretto liquor, still no flavor. I will definetely make this again but I will add either almond and/or vanila bean flavotr Thank you for the recipe