Maraschino Cherry Cake by Elaine Ryan !

 

 

1 1/4 cup sugar
2 & 1/2 Cups Flour
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup maraschino cherry juice
2 teas almond extract
18 maraschino  cherries well drained & chopped fine
3 1/2 teas baking powder
1 tea salt
1/2 cup shortening
1TSP vanilla
4 egg whites beaten
1/2 cup chopped nuts ( I used blanched slivered almonds)

I also added 1/2 Cup Mini Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

Sift dry ingredients into bowl. Beat in shortening until you have fine crumbs.
Combine milk & cherry juice & extracts together.
Beat  200 strokes or 2 min by mixer on slow
Add egg whites beat 2 more minutes
Add cherries & nuts . Spray & flour your pans. I used my 9 inch heart shaped pans but use your choice, rounds, 9x13 inch oblong or even a bundt pan if you wish.
Bake 350 for 20-25 min
Frost with favorite frosting I like chocolate: 

3 Cups Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
2 Cups Marshmallow Fluff
1 TSP Vanilla + 2 TSP Almond Flavoring.
Dash of Salt 1/2 & 1/2 Cream just enough to get spreading consistency
2 Cups Powdered Sugar ( more or less to get spreadable) 
Melt Chocolate Chips in microwave at 50%power for 2 minutes stirring 1/2 through & then again once done to make smooth. Add fluff & flavoring & some of the 1/2 & 1/2 beating well. Beat in powdered sugar & beat well. add more or less cream & or sugar until you have a nice fudgy frosting. spread on cooled cake !