Happy April everyone! I have been wanting to try this variation of Maraschino Cherry Buttercream Frosting. I tried a version of cherry frosting a few months ago, but it just didn’t get me the flavor I wanted. Instead I tried a newer version and am very happy with the results. My Mom, husband and daughter loved them to. Yesterday I had 12 cupcakes and now there are only two left.

Cherry is the perfect flavor to welcome the spring weather. These are light and delicious. They are great for a Mother’s Day Cake, Fourth of July dessert, or just something to make on the weekend for a BBQ.

These are the not-so-secret ingredients:

For the Cake

With this recipe, I made 12 cupcakes, and a single layer round cake. I had a box of Valentine’s Funfetti by Pillsbury left over, so that’s what I used. Otherwise I would get a vanilla cake, and add red sprinkles for the cake base. For the cake batter I substituted the water (1 cup) for Cherry 7-Up. I then added the eggs and oil per usual. Finally, fold in some fresh chopped up Maraschino Cherries(about 1/2 cup). Note* Dry the Cherries in paper towel to remove some of the juice. This will help the cherries from sinking to the bottom when your cake/cupcakes bake.

Follow the instructions on the box and bake per usual.

For the Frosting:

1 Lb of Powdered Sugar (4 Cups)
1/2 Cup Maraschino Cherry Juice + 2 Tablespoons for Later
2 Sticks of Salted Butter (room temp)
1 Cup of Crisco or Shortening (room temp)
1 Tablespoon of Vanilla Extract
1 Tablespoon of Almond Extract

Add four cups of powdered sugar to your mixer and attach your paddle.

Bring 1/2 Cup of Maraschino Cherry Juice to a boil. Once it starts boiling, remove from heat and in a steady stream mix it on low into the powdered sugar. Mix for a few minutes until everything is fully incorporated and smooth.

Next Add Almond & Vanilla Extract.

After they are well blended in, add in 2 sticks of butter, and 1 cup of shortening. Beat on low until well incorporated for a couple minutes, then increase speed to medium for about 8-12 minutes until the frosting is fluffy, and even consistency. During this process add the final two tablespoons of Marciano Cherry juice. Use a spatula to incorporate any frosting off of the side of the bowl into the mixture.

Once the mixture is done, I place it into a gallon size plastic bag, and cut off one of the bottom corners of the bag to pipe it on the cake and cupcakes.