Maraschino Cherry Cake for Valentines Day

 

I wanted to bake a special treat for my Sweetie Pie for Valentines Day.  This Maraschino Sweet Heart Cake is a cake that I have been baking for a very long time.  What goes more with Valentines Day than a delicately tinted pink cake which is studded with maraschino cherries and toasted pecans!  

 

It can be baked as a layer cake, or as I have done today, baked in two separate tins to create a Heart Shaped Cake.   

 

I used both an 8 inch square and an 8 inch round cake tin.  I had grandiose ideas in my mind.  I thought to hang a garland between two poles with some sweetheart lovie dovie messages on the garland,  using two (paper) straws for the poles and a bit of butcher's twine to stick the messages on.

I don't think that I can ever be accused of being overly proud. I am fully capable of laughing at myself, and I do have to chuckle when I see this. A cake decorator  I am not!  But thankfully my husband always enjoys what I create, so it's all good.

 

My motivation and sentiments were pure.

 

The cake ended up being far larger than anything I had in my china cabinet to use as a cake plate,, and so I had to botch one together using a large place mat which I covered with aluminium foil.  When must needs  . . .

 

I thought about putting sprinkles all over the cake, but instead opted to put just a few decorations at the base of the poles.  A bit understated perhaps and I don't think anyone will be copying my idea, but I do hope people will be inspired to bake the cake.

 

Its a good solid, old fashioned cake recipe.  Almost an all-in-one-batter in that you measure all of the dry ingredients, fats, and wets into a bowl and beat them all together before beating in stiffly beaten egg whites.

 

Easy peasy. You are supposed to stir the cherries and nuts in at the end, but I always stir the nuts and most of the cherries into the dry ingredients so that they don't sink and then just stir a few quartered cherries into the batter at the end.

  

That way you get lots of lovely bits of cherry throughout and just a few largeish bits.

 

Overall a very pretty effect I think.  I opted to use a 7-minute Frosting this time rather than a buttercream.

 

Its kind of like marshmallow  . . .  you do it in the top of a double boiler over simmering water.  Just mix all of the ingredients together and then beat for seven minutes  . . .

 

Until you get a soft billowy, marshamallow type of frosting that is quite sticky and quite good!

 

Just look at the texture of the cake.  I call that perfect. You can leave the nuts out if you wish. 

 

Todd is really enjoying it and that is why I baked it  . . .  I wanted him to enjoy it.

 

We are not like young lovers who go all out with hearts and flowers and jewelry and stuff  . . . instead we like to keep things simple.

 

Restaurants and such get so busy on days such as these  . . .  instead we opt to get a delicious takeaway, and I make us a dessert and we celebrate at home with a good film/movie and each other's company.

  

And that's just how we like it.  What kinds of things to you do for Valentines day? 

Yield: makes 16

Author: Marie Rayner

Maraschino Cherry Cake

A delicately pink tinted cake flecked with bits of red maraschino cherry and toasted pecans.  What's not to like? I have included a recipe for a 7 minute frosting.

ingredients:

For the Cake:

• 310g of plain flour ( 2 1/2 cups)
• 190g caster sugar (1 cup)
• 1 TBS baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 60ml maraschino cherry juice from the jar (1/4 cup)
• 180ml milk (3/4 cup)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla essence
• 1/2 tsp pour almond essence
• 4 TBS unsalted butter, softened
• 55g white vegetable shortening (1/4 cup)
• 4 large free range egg whites
• 18 maraschino cherries, quartered and dried with some kitchen toweling
• 45g of chopped toasted pecans (1/2 cup)

For the frosting:

• 3 large free range egg whites
• 250g granulated sugar (1 1/3 cup)
• 60ml water (1/4 cup)
• 1 TBS golden syrup (corn syrup)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

instructions:

How to cook Maraschino Cherry Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter two 8 inch cake tins. Line the bottoms with baking parchment and butter the paper. Set aside.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Whisk together the milk, cherry juice and essences.
3. Put the flour mixture into a bowl along with the butter, shortening, and milk mixture. Beat together until smooth. Add the egg whites and beat for 3 minutes at medium speed until light and fluffy. Fold in the quartered cherries and pecans.
4. Divide the mixture equally amongst the cake tins. Smooth the tops over and give them a tap on the counter to settle out any air bubbles. Bake in the centre of the heated oven for 30 minutes until wthe tops spring back when lightly touched, and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes clean. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Peel off baking paper.
5. Once completely cooled fill and frost with your favourite icing. Delicious and pretty!
6. For the seven minute frosting:  Fill the bottom of a double boiler with water about 1/3 and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. In the top of the boiler combine the water, egg whites, sugar, syrup and vanilla.  Mix just to combine.  Place on top of the simmering water making sure that the water doesn't touch the bottom of the pan.  Beat everything together using an electric hand whisk until peaks form and the mixture is thick, white and glossy.

NOTES:

To make a sweetheart cake divide the batter between one 8-inch square baking tin and one 8-inch round baking tin.  Bake as above. Once cold, cut the round layer in half and attach to two adjacent sides to form a heart shape.

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Of course when my children were small I would bake heart shaped cookies and we would make paper Valentines and I would decorate the house a bit, but those days are long gone now  . . .

 

This is how long I have been baking this cake.  All those kiddies are in their 40's now with my youngest daughter (on the end of the table) having turned 40 on her birthday this last December.  Why do they have to grow up?  Those were busy days, and I never knew whether I was coming or going most of the time, but I sure would give anything to just feel a pair of those little arms creeping around my neck to give me a hug just one more time.

Happy Valentines Day! 

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Sugared Date Squares

 

I don't think anyone can ever call me an expert at presentation.  Sometimes I get it right and sometimes I get it wrong.  Somethings are just difficult to present attractively no matter what.

 

These delicious date squares are just such a thing. I don't think there is a really attractive way I could show them to you where I could  actually convey accurately just how very delicious they are! 

 

They are wonderful delectable little bites of Christmas happiness that I only make once a year., and when I taste how good that they are, I am glad that I only make them once a year because I could surely inhale the whole lot were I not intending to give most of them away.

  

Yes, they are that dangerously delicious!

 

Sweet and buttery and crunchy  . . .  in short very moreish.

 

There is no baking required. You simply melt a few things together in a saucepan on top of the stove  . . .

 

Chopped dates, butter, brown sugar   . . . .  vanilla  . . .

 

Once you have done that all you need to do is to stir in some crisp rice cereal and chopped toasted nuts.  I like to use walnuts, but you can use whatever nut floats your boat.  Just make sure that they are toasted and that they are chopped to a size that is compatible with the rice cereal.

 

Once you have done that you press the mixture into a square pan that you have lined with buttered foil.

 

I use foil because it is easier to lift the squares out of the pan after they have chilled and the foil peels off of them lickety split.

 

You want to chill them in the refrigerator until they are really well set.

 

Once set you take them out, cut them into 1 inch squares and then roll them in icing sugar to coat . . .

  

I don't know whether to call this a cookie or a candy . . .  they lie somewhere in between both.  They are  so easy to make.  It just wouldn't be Christmas without a few of these on the cookie trays!

Yield: 5 to 6 dozen

Author: Marie Rayner

Sugared Date Squares

Sweet little crunchy bites of deliciousness.  I only make these once a year.  They are no bake and a great last minute sweet to make and share for the holidays.

ingredients:

• 150g soft light brown sugar (3/4 cup)
• 180g salted butter (3/4 cup)
• 225g chopped dates (8 oz package)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 75g crisp rice cereal (3 cups)
• 115g chopped toasted walnuts (1 cup)
• 130g sifted icing sugar (1 cup)

instructions:

How to cook Sugared Date Squares

1. Line an 8 inch square baking tin  with some aluminium foil and butter the foil really well. Set aside.
2. Measure the butter, brown sugar and dates into a saucepan.  Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat.  When the mixture is melted, smooth and thoroughly combined, remove from the heat.  Stir in the vanilla.  Stir in the chopped nuts and cereal, combining well.  Spoon into the buttered baking tin, pressing down to compact.  Place in the refrigerator to chill completely.
3. Once it is cold and set, dump out of the pan.  Peel off the foil and cut into 1-inch squares.  Roll the squares in the icing sugar to coat.  Store in an airtight container.

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I know the time is getting short before the big day, but this amazing little bit sized treat is so quick and easy I thought I would share it with you!  If you make them, I guarantee you won't regret it!

Now all I have to make is my mom's Feather Squares and a Ginger Cake Roulade.   I love being busy.  I miss the days that I had all my chicks around me and gathered beneath my wings.  Pity we never realise how quickly the years are going to pass until they have already passed!

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Soul Cakes

 

One thing which I have always loved about the UK is all of the food traditions and superstitions they have surrounding the holidays and holy-days of the year.  Halloween is also known as All Hallows' Eve, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.

 

Soul Cakes are old English traditional cakes that are usually baked on Halloween. On this day of the year, in years gone past, Children would go 'souling', on this day, singing from house to house for some of these tasty cakes. This was in all likelihood a precursor today's custom of children going  Trick-or-Treating. 

 

In Christian countries, and in the Roman Catholic church, prayers for the souls of the departed are reflected in the 3 day celebration of the commemoration of the departed which begins on the 31st of October, or All Hallow's Eve.

 

November 1st is known as All Saint's day, a day on which the souls of those who have departed are venerated  . . . 

 

And on the 2nd of November, we have All Souls' Day when the souls of those who have departed are prayed for . . . and n particular those family members who are still in purgatory and awaiting their entry into Heaven.

 

The souls of these people were believed to be spending a period of time suffering in Purgatory to pay for sins committed during their earthly lives.

  

Prayers and vigils were thought to ease their suffering, hasten their release from Purgatory and entry into Heaven. 

 

In early times, when England was a Catholic country, poor people stood at the wayside begging for food or money as ecclesiastical processions passed by.

 

In exchange for food and alms, they prayed for the souls of the dead. Traditionally, on All Souls Day, they were given soul cakes. One cake eaten was thought to release one soul from Purgatory, opening its way to Heaven.

 

Whatever the background behind these traditions one thing remains . . .  these are very delicious cakes. 

 

So delicious that between Todd and myself, we have released a good half a dozen souls today alone  . . .

 

And who knows how many we are going to release before we are finished.  All for the greater good! 

  

Seriously these are some very tasty cakes!  I really hope you will try them!

Yield: Makes about 2 dozen

Author: Marie Rayner

Soul Cakes

A buttery biscuit/cookie/cake, lightly spiced and studded with currants.  A traditional recipe served on All Hallows 'Eve in the UK.

ingredients:

• 175g butter (3/4 cup +1 TBS)
• 175g caster sugar (1 cup less 1 1/2 TBS)
• 3 egg yolks
• 450g self raising flour (3 cups less 1 1/2 TBS)
• 2 tsp mixed spice (see my recipe)
• a few gratings nutmeg
• about 100ml milk (6 1/2 TBS)
• 100g dried currants plus  handful to decorate (2/3 cup)
• demerera sugar to decorate (turbinado)

instructions:

How to cook Soul Cakes

1. Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5.  Line several baking sheets with baking paper. Set aside.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg yolks. Sift together the flour, mixed spice and nutmeg.  Add to the creamed mixture along with the milk to give you a soft dough that you can easily roll out.
3. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin to 1/3 inch thickness.  Cut into rounds with a 3 inch biscuit cutter.  using the dull side of a knife mark  a light cross indentation into the tops of each biscuit. Push currants into the crosses.  Sprinkle with a bit of demerara sugar and place about 2 inches apart on the baking trays. 
4. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until puffed and golden brown.  Scoop off onto a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Store in an airtight container.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @marierayner5530 on instagram and hashtag it #EnglishKitchen

Created using The Recipes Generator

 

In modern times I cannot imagine allowing your children to beg at the side of the road or even door to door things such as baked goods.  You never know who you can trust or who you can't trust. Even candy wise, I think I would be a lot more circumspect in these modern times than I would have been in days gone by.  They call it progress  . . . 

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