Cherry Vanilla Cake

look at those maraschino cherries!!

There are times, not many mind you, when I want to take the quickest and easiest route in making a cake for my family. This cake was one of those times. The girls wanted a cherry vanilla cake and I just did not feel like going to the store and picking up the ingredients to make an old-fashioned CV cake from scratch. But, I did have in the pantry, a box of BC Cherry Chip cake mix. I know, I know, everyone frowns at using boxed cake mixes but don't knock 'em. They are convenient, always on sale and a fast fix for a sweet tooth. All the ingredients below were already in my pantry or in the fridge. Sweet!  And besides, when these cake mixes hit the market, back in the day, they changed a housewife's life for the better.  I doctored up this cake mix by adding some of my own ingredients and the cake came out moist, delicious and tasted home made! And we had fun making it and in the end, that's what its all about.

Cherry Vanilla Layer Cake
Yield: 8-10 slices

Ingredients:
1 box BC Cherry Chip Supermoist cake mix
3 Eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 jar maraschino cherries in juice

For Frosting:
2 sticks butter, slightly softened
4-6 tbsps maraschino cherry juice (to your taste)
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsps vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease, flour and line with parchment paper two 8 inch round cake pans. Set pans aside.

Remove maraschino cherries from jar, reserving juice for later. Roughly chop and set aside. Prepare cake mix as directed on box, adding vanilla extract. Mix as directed. Fold cherries in the batter before pouring into pans and baking. Bake as instructed on the box, removing from oven once center of cakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cakes cool in pans for about 5 minutes, then remove to wire rack. Let cakes cool for an additional 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes have passed, wrapped each individual cake layer in saran wrap and freeze for 15 minutes.

Prepare your frosting: place softened butter, cherry juice, and vanilla extract in bowl of a mixer. Beat on medium low until combined. Slowly add powdered sugar, beating on low until just combined. Increase speed to high and beat for about a minute and a half.

Place one cake layer on a cake plate, top side down. Spread frosting evenly over surface of cake and top with the other 8 inch cake, top side down and frost. Sprinkle with conversation hearts and have a conversation while enjoying a delicious cake. Do not forget the milk.


 Source: Betty Crocker