Maraschino Cherry Cake

A favorite cake at our local trivia night.  Cherry Cake with Cherry Vanilla Frosting...YUM

Cake:
2 1/2 Cups Cake Flour
1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
3 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Softened Butter
1/2 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Maraschino Cherry Juice
16 Maraschino Cherries, finely chopped.
4 Large Egg Whites

Frosting:
2 Cups Softened Butter
8 Cups Powdered Sugar
1/4 Cup Maraschino Cherry Juice
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Tsp Vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees, Grease and flour two 9x3 or three 9x2 cake pans.  Set aside.

Sift together dry ingredients into the mixing bowl.  Add the butter, milk and cherry juice.  Beat at medium for 2 minutes.  Fold in the cherries.  Add the egg whites and beat for an additional two minutes.  Divide the batter between the cake pans.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cake springs back when you touch the center of it.  Put the pans on a rack and cool for 5 minutes then remove from pans and cool completely.

While cooling, in a mixing bowl, whip the butter for 2 - 3 minutes until it is almost white in color.  Add the powdered sugar, cherry juice, heavy cream and vanilla.  Beat on low until well combined.

Once the cakes are cool, place on a cake plate.  Put a layer of frosting on top of the cake.  Place the next cake, frost.  If you used 2 inch pans, place the last layer.  Once all layers are stacked, frost the top and sides.  Top with additional cherries for decoration, if desired.

Cherry Vanilla Angel Food Cake

The last angel food cake in the series was this one - the last one made with a boxed mix.  Baked in a tube pan and glazed, it has a wonderful cherry flavor.  HINT:  Wait to glaze until just before slicing.

Cake

1 Box Angel Food Cake Mix

3/4 Cup Water

3/4 Cup Maraschino Cherry Juice

1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla

1/2 Cup Chopped Maraschino Cherries

Glaze

2 Tbl Salted Butter

2 Cups Powdered Sugar

2 1/2 Tbl Maraschino Cherry Juice.

Heat oven to 350 and move racks to the bottom of the oven.  In an extra large bowl, beat all cake ingredients except chopped cherries until just mixed.  Fold in cherries.  Pour into a 10 inch angel food cake pan.

Bake about 45 minutes - top should be dark golden brown, cracked and feel very dry.  Do Not Undertake.

Remove from oven and immediately turn pan upside down onto cans of equal height.  Cool completely.  Run knife around the edge of the cake and remove from pan.

In medium bowl, mix glaze ingredients and spread the glaze over the top and allow it to drizzle down the sides.

Pineapple Upside Down Cakes - for 1

I enjoy the American Profile magazine insert that is in the weekly paper.  Sadly, there was a notice this week that American profile is going a different direction and will not be available to our paper any more.  In this last episode, the include a recipe for Pineapple Upside Down Cakeletts.  That was the basis for the following.

12 Maraschino Cherries
8 Ounce Crushed Pineapple
1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
8.5 Ounce Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
1 Large Egg
1/3 Cup Sour Cream
1/3 Cup Greek Yogurt

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray muffin tins with oil.  Place a maraschino cherry in each.

Mix together pineapple and brown sugar, divide over cherries. Mix together muffin mix, egg, sour cream and yogurt.  Spoon over the pineapple.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until cakes are set.  Flip onto a serving dish.

Coconut Cherry Cookie Bar

I received a pouched cookie mix in a silent auction item.  I had canned cherries.  Why not mix them?
Topped with a coconut mixture and baked...yum!

8.5 Ounce Pouch Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
21 Ounces Lucky Leaf Premium Cherry Pie Filling
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Tbl Butter
1/4 Cup Mik
1 Cup Coconut

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Spray an 8 inch square pan with baking spray with flour, set aside.

Mix Chocolate Chip Cookies to package directions.  Press into the bottom of the prepared pan, bake for 12 minutes.

Carefully spoon cherries over cookies and spread to cover.  Keep in mind, the cookies are very soft at this point.  If you just dump in the middle and spread, you may move the cookies.

Bake for 10 minutes.  While baking, combine remaining ingredients.  Spoon over cherries and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until coconut is browned.

Cherry Peach Cobbler

Summer fruits are here - peaches may or may not be freestone,  cherries have pits to remove. Both combine to make a wonderful cobbler.  Dark cherries give the cake a blue/green color.  It is wonderfully different.  You can use all Milk or all Almond Milk.  I do not recommend Cake Flour for this recipe - then it would DEFINITELY overflow the pan.  You will note that almonds are not in the oven with the butter.  I decided they would be better toasted.

4 Cups Peeled and Sliced Peaches

2 Cups Pitted and Halved Cherries

1/2 Cup Water

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Stick Butter

3/4 Cup Sliced Almonds

1 Cup Sugar

2 Cups AP Flour

1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

1 Tsp Baking Soda

3/4 Cup Milk

3/4 Cup Almond Milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine Peaches, Cherries, Brown Sugar and Water in a saucepan over medium heat.  Mix well and bring to a boil - cook for 10 minutes.

While fruit cooks, put butter and almonds in a pan.  Put in oven to melt butter.  When melted, remove pan and swirl butter/almonds to coat bottom.

Sift together sugar, flour, baking soda and baking powder.  Wait for fruit to cook.

When fruit is cooked, remove 1/2 cup liquid.  Whisk milks and reserved liquid into dry ingredients.  Pour mixture over melted butter and almonds, DO NOT STIR.

With a slotted spoon, put fruit evenly on top of pan.

GENTLY pour liquid over all.  

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until cake has risen to the top and is golden.

Pomegranate Chicken with Pom/Cherry/Lime Glaze

Chicken marinaded in Pomegranate Cherry Juice mixed with Greek Yogurt, Garlic Powder, Salt and Pepper.  Grilled to Perfection.  Topped with a glaze.  Don't knock it til  you try it - and I'll admit, I didn't tell hubby what it was until he tried the chicken.  Now, it is his favorite barbecue chicken and he asked for it three days later.  SCORE.

1 c  Greek Yogurt
2 c  Pomegranate Cherry Juice
1 t  Salt
1 t  Garlic Powder
1 t  Black Pepper
4    Chicken Thighs, Bone In, Skin On
6 T  Sugar
1/4 c  Lime Juice
4 t  Honey
2 T  Horseradish Mustard

Combine yogurt, 1/2 cup pomegranate juice, salt, garlic powder and pepper.  

Mix well.  Put into marinading dish or a zip top bag.  Add chicken.  

Marinade at least 8 hours.  Heat grill to about 375 degrees.

While grill is heating, combined remaining juice with all remaining ingredients.  

Simmer until thickened.  Remove from heat.

When grill is to temperature, add chicken skin side up.  DO NOT RINSE.  

Cover grill and cook about 30 minutes until 165 degrees.  Flip, cook about 3 minutes until skin is crisp.

Remove cooked thighs, enjoy by dipping bites in the glaze.