The original recipe is from a 2004 edition of Southern Living, and while it’s not low-calorie by any means, if you limit yourself to a small slice, you won’t burst your waist buttons. And they make such a lovely small gift that anyone would be happy to receive one. I bought these disposable tins at the grocery store and they were perfect for individual cakes.
I frosted them right in the pans, which came with a clear, plastic lid that didn’t smush the frosting, and made it easy to deliver them to neighbors.
But for a large crowd, bake the cake in a tube pan.
I froze mine, frosting and all, and will remove it from the freezer hours ahead of serving it. I already tested freezing and thawing a mini cake, and that worked well, so I am confident that when we sit down to slice into this beauty on Christmas eve, it will taste as fresh as when I baked it. The holly leaves and berries (made from purchased marzipan and a squirt or two of food coloring) aren’t necessary, but they do say “Merry Christmas” in a most festive way, don’t you think? I hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful Christmas and that the Covid menace doesn’t find its way to your house.
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- 1 10-ounce jar maraschino cherries (or use a 16 ounce jar for more cherries)
- 3/4 cup butter
- 3/4 cup shortening
- 3 cups sugar
- FOR THE CAKE:
- 6 large eggs
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- FOR THE CHERRY GLAZE:
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 ( 3-ounce ) package cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup cherries
- FOR THE DECORATION:
- 1 tube marzipan
- food coloring
- Drain jar of cherries, discarding juice.
- Chop cherries, and set aside.
- Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
- Gradually add sugar, beating 1 minute.
- Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears.
- Combine flour and salt; gradually add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
- Beat at low speed just until blended.
- Stir in flavorings and 1/2 cup chopped cherries.
- Spoon batter into 7 greased and floured 5 3/4” x 3″ mini loaf pans. (I used PAM and it worked just fine.)
- If using one large tube pan, grease and flour that.
- Bake at 300 degrees for 55 minutes (both the minis and the large cake need this time) or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean.
- Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.
- Remove cakes from pans, and place on wire racks set over wax paper.
- To make the glaze:
- Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy.
- Gradually add powdered sugar and milk; beat until smooth.
- Stir in vanilla and cherries.
- Drizzle Cherry Glaze over slightly warm cakes.
- Decorate with marzipan leaves and berries, if desired
- Refrigerate cakes to let glaze harden before wrapping.
- TO MAKE MARZIPAN LEAVES:
- Place a few tablespoons of marzipan in a small bowl and mix in some food coloring.
- Blend with a spoon until the color is uniform.
- Shape into leaves by hand, or with a small cookie cutter.
- Make berries by rolling little balls in your hand.
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