Description

This Moist Cherry Chip Cake is a delightful and easy-to-make dessert featuring a white cake base infused with maraschino cherry juice and almond extract, studded with chopped maraschino cherries. Topped with a luscious cherry-flavored buttercream frosting and garnished with whole maraschino cherries, this cake offers a perfect balance of sweet and fruity flavors with a moist, tender crumb.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Cake

15 oz box white cake mix
3 large eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup water
½ cup maraschino cherry juice (from maraschino cherry jar)
½ teaspoon almond extract
⅓ cup maraschino cherries, chopped

For the Frosting

1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup maraschino cherry juice (from jar)
Optional: Additional maraschino cherries for decorating

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Instructions

Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish lightly to prevent the cake from sticking.
Mix Cake Batter: In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry white cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, water, maraschino cherry juice, and almond extract. Stir gently until just combined; the batter may be slightly lumpy, which is okay for a moist texture.
Add Cherries: Fold in the chopped maraschino cherries evenly into the batter to distribute the cherry flavor and texture throughout the cake.
Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, checking for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center—if it comes out clean, the cake is ready.
Cool the Cake: Allow the cake to cool completely in the baking dish to prepare for frosting application.
Make the Frosting: Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the softened butter, powdered sugar, and maraschino cherry juice together until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
Frost the Cake: Spread the cherry-flavored buttercream frosting evenly over the cooled cake using a spatula.
Decorate: Garnish the frosted cake with additional whole maraschino cherries for a festive look.
Serve: Slice the cake into 16 pieces and enjoy this moist and flavorful cherry chip cake!

Notes

Ensure the cake is completely cooled before frosting to avoid melting the buttercream.
For best flavor, use fresh maraschino cherry juice from the jar.
This cake can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Allow refrigerated cake to come to room temperature before serving for best texture.
Almond extract intensifies the cherry flavor but can be omitted if an almond allergy is a concern.