Special Occasion Cherry Cake

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 3 large egg whites, beaten
• 2/3 cup milk
• 10 ounces maraschino cherries, drain, reserve the juice
• 4 ounces maraschino cherries, with the stems
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 -6 drops red food coloring

Recipe

• 1 combine flour, baking powder and salt ina small mixing bowl; set aside.
• 2 blend shortening in a large mixing bowl for 30 seconds ; mix in sugar.gradually add egg whites, blending well after each additon, set aside.
• 3 whisk milk and 1/4 cup reserved cherry juice together; add alternately with flour mixture to sugar mixture, mixing well.
• 4 fold in nuts and drained cherries, divide batter evenly and pour into 2 lightly greased and floured 8" round cake pans.
• 5 bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes.
• 6 cool in pans on a rack for 10 minutes before removing from pans.
• 7 remove from pans to cool completely.
• 8 frost bottom layer with butter frosting.
• 9 add top layer, frost.
• 10 decorate the top with a ring of stemmed cherries.
• 11 makes 8-10 servings.
• 12 blend butter till fluffy, mix in 3 cups powdered sugar.gradually blend in milk, salt and vanilla, add remaining powdered sugar, mixing well -- stir in food coloring to desired tint.