Sweetheart Cherry Cake from TidyMom

We still have a couple of weeks until Valentine’s Day, but why wait until then to begin celebrating the love? Plus, you need to give all the sweet treats you can make for the special day a test run right? So here’s a lovely Sweetheart Cherry Cake from my friend, Cheryl otherwise known as TidyMom. Cheryl always has something to tempt your taste buds, or an adorable craft to try your hand at over at her fun site, TidyMom. Be sure to head over there to check it out for yourself.

Take it away Cheryl!

Hey all!!! I’m Cheryl, aka TidyMom! When I am not baking, crafting or running around with my camera you can find me over in my little corner of the universe at TidyMom.net.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and people are planning how they’re going to express their love towards their ‘special someone’. In our house we don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day with gifts or going out for an expensive dinner, but I do enjoy baking Valentine goodies for my family. To me, Valentine’s Day is really about the simple gestures you make to show someone how much you love them .

This cake would be a big hit any time of year in a round cake pan, but the Wilton heart shaped pan makes it extra special for Valentine’s Day.

Sweetheart Cherry Cake

adapted from Lucky Leaf

(printable recipe)

Ingredients

1 (18.25 oz) dry white cake mix

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 (21 oz) can Lucky Leaf Premium Cherry Pie Filling

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease 9 x 2 1/2-inch heart-shaped cake pan* (substitute heart pan for 9×13 pan)

Mix together on medium speed, dry cake mix, eggs, baking powder, both extracts, and 1/2 can of Lucky Leaf Premium Cherry Pie Filling until moistened. Fold in the remainging 1/2 can of cherry pie filling by hand until blended (if you’d prefer cherry pieces in stead of whole cherries, then just add the whole can and mix). Batter should appear thick.

Pour batter into pan, and level with a spatula.

Bake for 65-75 minutes for heart shape pan(mine was done in 65), 40-45 for 9×13 pan, or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and allow to cool completely in pan. Invert cake onto a serving platter to decorate.

Buttercream Icing (from Lucky Leaf)

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon almond extract

4 cups (1 pound) confectioners’ sugar, sifted

2-4 tablespoons milk

food coloring (optional)

Preparation

Cream butter and both extracts. Slowly add confectioners’ sugar, beating well. Add 2 tablespoons of milk. Mix well. If needed, continue adding milk 1 tablespoon at a time until icing is smooth and spreadable. Mix in food coloring, if desired. *This would also be cute in pink or red icing. I colored a small amount brown to pipe around the edges with 1M tip.

Decorating ideas Lucky Leaf suggest: Icing all sides of the cake, then evenly spoon 1/2 can of additional cherry pie filling over top (keeping the pie filling about one inch from the edge of the cake). Pat sliced almonds or mini chocolate chips onto the side of the iced cake.

Optional ideas

• you could pipe some of the butter cream around the cherry pie filling, like I did.
• you could put chocolate chips around the edge of cherry pie filling (like a heart outline)
• tint your butter cream pink, ice whole cake then sprinkle top with chocolate chips and cherry pie filling
• add a few mini chocolate chips to the cake mix
• use a chocolate cake mix instead of white.
• use 2 cans of any flavor prepared icing instead of making buttercream icing.

Possibilities are endless!

This lusciously moist cake was delicious!! I’m a big fan of cherry and almonds … so combination made this cake ever so YUMMY and the butter cream icing is the perfect companion! I can’t wait to make it again, and add a little chocolate.

Enjoy!

I hope this makes your Valentine’s Day extra sweet!

Thanks for having me Amy!

Thanks for stopping by Cheryl! And an early Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you sweet friends! XOXOXOXO

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