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–+ servings

Maraschino Cherry Cake

You can divide the work for this cake over several days. The filling can be made up to three days in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Stir in the toasted almonds just before using. The cake layers can be made a day in advance, wrapped tightly and refrigerated. The frosting should be made when you’re ready to frost the cake. The original recipe called for “rich milk” in the almond crème filling. Remember, this recipe was published before the advent of homogenized milk. Half-and-half is a good substitute. Except in professional recipes, it is rare to see egg whites measured in volume but it is a very good idea as the white, much more than the yolk, varies with the size of the egg.
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 8 hours
Servings: 12 people
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Maraschino Cherry Cake
  • 3 cups cake flour
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 11 tablespoons butter
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup Maraschino cherry liquid (from the jar of Maraschino cherries)
  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup chopped blanched almonds or other nuts
  • 16 maraschino cherries cut in eighths (plus additional whole cherries for decorating the top of the cake)
  • 5 egg whites (2/3 cup)
Almond Crème Filling
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 4 egg yolks lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup chopped toasted blanched almonds
Maraschino Cherry Cooked Frosting
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 6 tablespoons Maraschino cherry liquid (from the jar of Maraschino cherries)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Method
 

Maraschino Cherry Cake
  1. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Reserve.
  2. Combine milk and Maraschino cherry liquid. Reserve.
  3. Cream butter.
  4. Cream in sugar until fluffy.
  5. Add dry ingredients in four additions, alternating with milk-juice mixture in three additions. Mix lightly, but well, after each addition.
  6. Stir in nuts and Maraschino cherries.
  7. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.
  8. Fold beaten egg whites into batter, using about ¼ of the egg whites first to loosen the batter.
  9. Pour into two greased and floured 9” cake pans.
  10. Bake 350°F approximately 30-35 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
  11. Cool the pans on a rack approximately 10 minutes.
  12. Remove layers from pans and cool completely.
Almond Crème Filling
  1. Combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt and half-and-half in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
  2. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
  3. Slowly pour about half of the boiling half-and-half mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, to temper the yolks.
  4. Put the saucepan with the remaining half-and-half mixture back on the heat.
  5. Pour the tempered yolks back into the saucepan, whisking constantly.
  6. Bring the mixture to a boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  7. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond and vanilla extracts.
  8. Pour the pastry cream into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, putting the wrap directly on the pastry cream to avoid a skin.
  9. Refrigerate until cold.
  10. Stir in chopped almonds just before using.
  11. Just before making the frosting, put one cake layer on a serving platter. Top with Almond Crème Filling.
  12. Top with second layer.
Maraschino Cherry Cooked Frosting
  1. Combine the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and Maraschino cherry liquid in a double boiler.
  2. Cook over boiling water, beating constantly with an electric mixer until a spreadable consistency, approximately 5-7 minutes. The top of the double boiler should not touch the boiling water in the bottom.
  4. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts.
  5. Immediately frost sides and top of cake.
  6. Decorate the top with whole Maraschino cherries

Notes

Copyright © 2018 by Villa Sentieri, LLC. All rights reserved.

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