Cherry Chip Cake
Inspired by the retro box mix flavor, this Cherry Chip Cake features layers of tasty cherry flavored cake that's naturally pink and flecked with maraschino cherries, paired with cherry-almond buttercream to make it extra delicious.
Servings 15 slices
Ingredients
Cherry Chip Cake
- 3/4 Cup maraschino cherries (about 32 cherries)*, finely chopped
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) maraschino cherry juice
- 3/4 Cup (180ml) buttermilk*, room temperature DIY recipe in notes
- 2 1/2 Cups (265g) sifted cake flour* DIY recipe in notes
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 Cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 Cups (300g) granulated white sugar
- 4 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp flour for coating the chopped cherries
Cherry-Almond Buttercream
- 2 Cups (452g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 7 Cups (840g) powdered sugar
- 1/4 Cup (60ml) maraschino cherry juice
- 3 Tbsp (45ml) heavy whipping cream, room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
- 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
Instructions
Make the Cherry Chip Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/177ºC. Prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and fitting a parchment paper circle to the bottom of the pan.
- Finely chop the maraschino cherries and place them into a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl. This will help drain some of the excess juices while you continue on in the recipe.
- In a liquid measuring cup or jar, mix together the buttermilk and maraschino cherry juice. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, add the sifted cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and cream it together with the butter at medium-high speed for another 2 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and add the egg whites one at a time, mixing until they are just combined and scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the vegetable oil and vanilla, increase the mixer speed to high and beat for 1 minute.
- Turn the mixer off and add the flour mixture all at once. Mix the ingredients on low speed until just combined, then slowly pour in the buttermilk-cherry juice mixture. Continue mixing at low speed for about 30 seconds, until the batter is uniform and combined.
- Add 2 teaspoons of flour onto the chopped maraschino cherries and toss them to coat. Gently fold them into the batter using a rubber spatula. Then, divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. They’re done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs on it. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 5 minutes, then remove them from the pans and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack
Make the Cherry-Almond Buttercream
- With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light, about 5 minutes.
- With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down after each addition and making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next one.
- Add the maraschino cherry juice, heavy whipping cream, almond extract, and salt and mix on low for another minute until fully incorporated.
Assembly
- Once the Cherry Chip Cakes are cooled completely, level them to your desired height before filling and stacking with the Cherry-Almond Buttercream. Crumb coat the cake with Cherry-Almond Buttercream, refrigerate it for at least 20 minutes to let the frosting firm up, then frost the cake smooth with more Cherry-Almond Buttercream.
- To create the vintage piping (lambeth) style pictured, refrigerate the smooth frosted cake for another 30 minutes while you prepare the remaining buttercream for piping and create a template as described in the blog post above. Thicken the Cherry-Almond Buttercream by mixing in a few Tablespoons of powdered sugar until the desired consistency is reached. Prepare two piping bags by fitting one with Wilton Tip 104 and one with Wilton Tip 4B. Add 2/3 of the remaining buttercream into the bag fitted with Tip 4B and the rest into the bag fitted with Tip 104.
- Use the template and a round cookie cutter or glass to create markings on your cake to guide your piping. Pipe a shell border with Wilton Tip 4B around the bottom of the cake, then pipe the same shell border along the top edge of the cake. Pipe swirls with Wilton Tip 4B inside the shell border on the top of the cake. Pipe a ruffle garland with Wilton Tip 104 onto each semi circle indent you created with the round cookie cutter or glass, then pipe a second layer of ruffles directly above each ruffle garland. Finish the look by pressing maraschino cherries (be sure to thoroughly dry them first) into the buttercream where each ruffle garland meets.
Notes
*DIY Cake Flour Recipe: To make your own cake flour, spoon and level one cup of all-purpose flour and remove 2 Tbsp. Add 2 Tbsp of cornstarch. Repeat per the amount of cake flour you need, then sift the flour and cornstarch mixture 4 times (don’t skip that step!). After sifting, spoon and level to re-measure the amount of cake flour you need.
**DIY buttermilk recipe: add 1 Tbsp of white vinegar to a jar and top it with 1 Cup of whole milk. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes before using in the recipe.
***A 16 oz. jar of maraschino cherries will be the perfect amount for the cake batter, buttercream, and adding decorations.
Make Ahead Tips: the Cherry Chip Cake layers can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered tightly in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing to room temperature. The Cherry-Almond buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you're ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-mix with your stand mixer on low speed until uniform and smooth.