Shelly's Recipe

CHERRY ANGEL FOOD CAKE WITH CHERRY FLUFF FROSTING

Category: Cakes from Cake Mixes

Cake
1 pkg (16 oz) angel food cake mix
1 jar (10 oz) maraschino cherries
Water to add to cherry juice to make 1 1/4 cups
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Frosting
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp reserved cherry juice
1 large egg white
3/4 cup marshmallow creme (half a 7-oz jar)
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries, if desired

Preheat the oven to 325. Set aside an ungreased 10-inch tube pan.

Place the cake mix in a large mixing bowl. Drain the juice from the cherries, reserving 1 tbsp for the frosting. Add enough water to the remaining juice to make 1 1/4 cups. Pour this 1 1/4 cups in the mixing bowl, along with the almond and vanilla extracts. Beat low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase to medium speed and beat for 1 minute more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the rubber spatula. Place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until it is deeply browned and springs back when lightly pressed with your finger, 38 to 42 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately turn it upside down over the neck of a glass bottle to cool for 1 hour. Remove the pan from the bottle. Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack, then invert it again onto a serving platter so that it is right side up.

Prepare the Cherry Fluff Frosting. Place the sugar, cherry juice, and egg white in a medium-size heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, beating continuously with an electric hand mixer on high speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. If your hand mixer has a cord, make sure to keep it away from the burner. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the marshmallow creme and beat the mixture with the mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, 2 minutes more. Fold in the chopped maraschino cherries, if desired.

Spread the frosting over the top and halfway down the sides of the cake. Serve at once.