National Emergency and Mom’s Maraschino Cherry Cake

One can totally freak out nowadays.

Shopping has become almost hazardous to your health!

Taking hours to purchase items in markets

Where the workers are obviously sleep deprived and overworked!

Everyone seems understandably on- edge

That is what the fear of the unknown does to you.

Time to figure out how to feel better

and soothe oneself in the here-and-now.

Helps us to be able to soothe others important to us as well!

How to self- soothe?

I BAKE!

WHAT TO BAKE NOW? 

The SELECTION PROCESS leads my mind to remember comforting memories of my Mom and

The Maraschino Cherry Cake that she made when I was a kid!

Since mom worked as full-time bookkeeper and partner in the family business,

the fact that she made time to prepare this was comforting and loving.

I remember this cake’s pale pink color, cherry bits, and the walnuts and

Her handing me a piece.

Presently, I take acute interest in refrigerator inventory.

I noticed that I have an opened jar of

Stem-on maraschino cherries!

Ok! Time to bake a sweet self-soothing memory!

Where did this recipe originate?

Its factual origin is a mystery.

My guess is mom’s Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

Could also have been a recipe from the Softasilk cake flour box inserts that

Were offered in those days.

Found a recipe that must be really close in my first Better Homes and Gardens called

“Maraschino Quick Cake.” 

Contains clues from memory-cherry bits, walnuts, and the

Cherry juice that will likely color the batter!

Seems amazingly close!

Next step!

SOME SIMPLE MATH LOGIC, PLEASE!

Step I: LIST THE INGREDIENTS AS THEY ARE WRITTEN IN THE RECIPE.

My students know that volume measures of old (and in some current cookbooks)

Are not accurate for the serious baker as, for example,

Person A’s cup of flour would not necessarily equal Person B’s cup of flour.

 

Step2:  CONVERT THE VOLUMES (cups, fractions (teaspoons, etc.) INTO WEIGHTS USING MY DRY WEIGHT CHART.

 

Step 3: ADD ALL THE INGREDIENT WEIGHTS TOGETHER TO CALCULATE THE BATTER WEIGHT of the Maraschino Quick Cake as it is written in my cookbook.

 

Step 4: DECIDE THE WEIGHT OF THE BATTER THAT I NEED FOR MY CAKES THAT I WANT TO MAKE USING MY CHART.

 

Step 5:  DECIDE TO CALCULATE EITHER:

1. Baker’s Percentages or
2. Factor

 

Step 6: DECIDE TO USE A FACTOR:

1. Need enough batter for three six- inch round cake pans
2. Need 18 ounces batter per pan x 3 pans=54 ounces cake batter
3. Divide 54 ounces needed batter by the current batter weight
4. 54 ounces (Needed batter weight)  =  1.4595=   1.5 is the factor
   

37 ounces (original recipe yield)

INGREDIENTS		OUNCES
Shortening		4.17
Cake Flour		9.0
Sugar		9.33
Baking Powder		.5
Salt		.1
Maraschino Cherry Juice		2.0
Maraschino Cherries		2.0
Milk		4.0
Unbeaten Egg White		4.0
Chopped Walnuts		2.0
TOTAL		37.0575/37.00 ounces
	OUNCES	FACTOR	NEW YIELD (OZ.)	ROUNDED/ FINAL OUNCES
Shortening	4.1275	1.5	6.1913	6.25
Cake Flour	9.0	1.5	13.5	13.5
Sugar	9.33	1.5	13.9960	14.0
Baking Powder	.5	1.5	.75	.75
Salt	.1	1.5	.15	.15 (¾ t.)
Maraschino Cherry Juice	2.0	1.5	3.0	3.00
Maraschino Cherries	2.0	1.5	3.0	3.00
Milk	4.0	1.5	6.0	6.00
Unbeaten Egg White	4.0	1.5	6.0	6.00
Chopped Walnuts	2.0	1.5	3.0	3.00
TOTAL	37.05/37.00			55.65

 

Now that the actual recipe is calculated,

Some actual baking decisions are made:

1. Use Crisco shortening
2. Cut the cherries into 12 pieces each
   
3. Toast walnuts, cool, chop finely
4. All ingredients need to be 70 degrees F.
5. Will use paddle attachment to mix batter
6. Use modified two-stage method to mix
7. Calibrated oven set to 350 degrees F (allow one hour)
8. Use baking tile
9. Lower baking temperature to 340 degrees last seven minutes of baking
10. Use simple syrup to moisten torted layers before chilling cake

 

Here is how the Modified-Two Stage Cake Mixing Method goes:

REFER TO THE CHART ABOVE FOR THE EXACT INGREDIENT QUANTITIES!!!

1. Sift dry ingredients together three time
2. Place shortening in bottom of 5-6-quart mixer bowl
3. Add sifted dry ingredients on top of shortening
4. Add cherry juice, cherries (chopped as in (2) above, milk and combine until moist
5. Beat 2 minutes speed 4
6. Add egg whites and beat at speed 4 for 2 minutes
7. Use scale and place batter in each pan @ 18 ounces each pan
8. Bake using tile for 37 minutes; lower temperature to 340 degrees F and
9. Bake 5-7 minutes longer; internal temperature is about 205 degrees F.

Once Maraschino Cherry Cakes are baked and out of the oven:

1. 1. Cool 15 minutes and level cakes in pan using serrated knife
   2. Loosen cakes and turn out onto parchment
   3. Cool cakes to room temperature
   4. Torte cakes and separate layer
   5. Place 2 ounces simple syrup onto each 1/2 layer.

6. Wrap cakes and freeze.

 

And below are some suggestions for the filling and icing that I used

My mom used vanilla American Buttercream not the

Chocolate Italian Meringue Buttercream that I used to ice the cake.

Influenced here by husband who is a chocolate lover and

Also made Chocolate Cherry Cordials for decorations.

The chocolate Italian Meringue Buttercream is powerful.

If you make this cake, you might opt for Vanilla Italian Meringue Buttercream!

The results here were comforting to me and to my husband.

 

(Would have shared with more but we are in social distancing mode!)

Used the cake for his birthday!

Loved it!

Be safe and look for ways to comfort self and others!

Warm regards,

Chef Susan

 

Other recipes used for the Maraschino Cherry Cake

SIMPLE SYRUP

8 ounces sugar

8 ounces water

Heat just before boiling making sure that sugar dissolves.

Cool to room temperature before using.

 

CHOCOLATE ITALIAN MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

1-pound + 2 ounces Chef Susan’s Italian Meringue Buttercream

8 ounces melted 72 % Belgian Chocolate

 

CHOCOLATE CHERRY CHIP AMERICAN BUTTERCREAM FILLING

3.5 ounces chopped Maraschino Cherries and Amarena Cherries

1 ounce chopped Belgian chocolate

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoon cherry juice (Amarena)

No taste red gel paste (Wilton)

1 pound + 8 ounces American Buttercream

Prepare American buttercream and then add above ingredients.

Depending on how thick you wish the filling to be, you may have some left over.