Cherry Chip Cake

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This Homemade Cherry Chip Cake has a soft pink crumb, pops of maraschino cherries, and that unmistakable almond-cherry flavor. The cake is fluffy and buttery with the sweet maraschino flavor throughout it. It's slathered with a beautiful pink cherry frosting made from maraschino juice and topped with stemmed cherries.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Cool Time30

Total Time1 20

Servings: slices

Author: Miranda Couse

Ingredients

Cherry Cake

2 1/2 cups plus one tablespoon all-purpose flour divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups butter room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large egg whites room temperature
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon almond extract
1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
3/4 cup maraschino cherries drained and finely chopped

Cherry Frosting

2 ½ cups butter room temperature
9 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup maraschino cherry juice
2 teaspoons almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons buttermilk
Maraschino cherries with stems for decorating

Instructions

Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium mixing bowl, add 2 and 1/2 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside for now. Whisk until well combined.
In a large bowl, add the 1 ½ cups butter and 2 cups granulated sugar. Beat with a hand mixer on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Add the 4 large egg whites, ¼ cup vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon almond extract, and 1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice and continue beating until combined, about 2 minutes.
Alternate adding in the dry ingredients and 1 ¼ cups buttermilk, starting with one-third of the flour mixture and ending with flour. Once the flour is just combined, add half of the buttermilk. Beat again until the buttermilk is combined. Continue adding another third of flour, then the remaining buttermilk, and finally the remaining third of flour.
In a small mixing bowl, sprinkle one tablespoon of flour over the chopped 3/4 cup maraschino cherriesand stir until the cherries are coated.
Add the floured cherries to the batter and fold them in.
Divide the batter evenly between the 2 prepared pans.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until done. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes back clean or with moist crumbs, it’s done. The cake should also bounce back when gently pushed on top.
Cool the cakes in the pan for 5 minutes before turning them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Once the cakes are cool, work on the frosting.

Cherry Frosting

In a large mixing bowl, add the 2 ½ cups butter and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until smooth.
Add the 9 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup maraschino cherry juice, 2 teaspoons almond extract, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Continue beating on high until smooth.
Add the buttermilk, one tablespoon at a time, until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.

Assemble the Cherry Chip Cake

If you need to, trim the tops of the cakes so they are flat using a cake knife or a cake leveler.
Place one of the cakes, cut side down, on the cake plate. Use about 1 to 2 tablespoons of frosting to place it on the cake plate.
Add a layer of frosting to the top of the cake and smooth it out so it is even and about a quarter of an inch thick.
Top with the second cake, cut side down, and press lightly so that it’ll stick.
Add a large scoop of frosting on top of the cake and begin smoothing it out on the top and down the sides with a large, angled spatula. Add and remove as much as you need of the frosting until it’s smooth and to your liking.
Place the remaining frosting in a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M tip. Pipe tall swirls along the edge ot the top of the cake. If using maraschino cherries on top, be sure to dry them off completely with a paper towel before placing them on top of each swirl.

Notes

Storage: Place in an airtight cake container for up to 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.

Freezing Whole Frosted Cake: Place it on a baking sheet in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours until firm. Wrap the cake tightly in 2 layers of plastic wrap and then a single layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, unwrap the cake, place in the cake container, and thaw on the counter overnight.

Freezing Unfrosted Cake Layers: Wrap the cooled unfrosted cakes in two layers of plastic wrap and a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place in a freezer bag or freezer container for up to 2 months. You can frost the layers frozen and let them slowly thaw while you do it.

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