Cherry Love

Hello February! With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I can’t think of a better occasion then this to bake up a perfectly *pretty in pink* cake. The color is so vibrant & fun!

This frosted layer cake is perfect to serve at any Valentine’s or Galentine’s party ! Your friends & family will be asking for seconds. I wanted to create a holiday themed dessert that didn’t revolve around chocolate, like many other Valentine’s recipes. While it is inspired by the classic boxed cherry chip cake, this homemade version does not compare. It is flavorful, moist & full of cherry goodness.

To get the ultimate cherry chip flavor, the cake features both maraschino cherries (feel free to substitute an equal amount of fresh cherries) & Lorann Oil’s cherry emulsion. I used maraschino cherries as I prefer the vibrant red colour they bring to the filling. The cherry flavored bakery emulsion gives the cake a luscious taste of fresh-picked cherries. The buttercream is flavored with a splash of it too, so each layer is full of cherry goodness.

For those who are not familiar with using emulsions instead of extracts, emulsions are water based instead of alcohol based which makes it much stronger then an extract once baked. Lastly, my advice for obtaining a yellow cake with a maraschino cherry filling is to give the cherries a quick rinse before you chop them up! It removes any excess syrup that could cause a pink hue to the whole cake. I think the contrast the frosting brings to the white cake is not only prettier, but more traditional to the original cherry chip cake we all love.

Happy Valentine’s! Recipe below.

Our guest blogger is Marcella Dilonardo – author, recipe developer and photographer.  Her engaging food & lifestyle blog is called Hey Modest Marce.

Cherry Chip Cake

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon LorAnn cherry emulsion
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup half & half
1 cup maraschino cherries, rinsed & diced

For the frosting:
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
3-4 cups confectioners sugar, or to taste
1 teaspoon LorAnn pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon LorAnn cherry bakery emulsion
1/4 cup whipping cream
pink food coloring, optional
maraschino cherries, to garnish

DIRECTIONS
For the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Grease & line three 6-inch round cake pans. Set aside until ready to use.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter & sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
3. Add the vanilla extract, cherry emulsion & vegetable oil. Beat until incorporated.
4. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder & salt.
5. Alternate between adding the flour mixture & cream to the stand mixer bowl. Beat until batter is smooth, about 2 minutes.
6. Evenly divide mixture amongst the prepared cake pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top bounces back to touch.
7. Allow cakes to cool completely before flipping & frosting. If desired, trim dome off the top to produce a flat cake.

For the frosting:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment add the butter & sugar. Cream until light & fluffy, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the vanilla, cherry emulsion, whipping cream & food coloring. Beat until the whipping cream is fully incorporated.
3. Frost cake as desired & top with maraschino cherries.