The marriage between sweet cherries and subtle almond flavoring in this maraschino cherry bundt cake is swoon-worthy, and it all begins with a cake mix.
1cupMaraschino cherriesdrained and coarsely chopped
Almond Butter Glaze
2Tablespoonsunsalted buttermelted
1 1/2cupspowdered sugarsifted
1/2teaspoonalmond extract
2-3Tablespoonsmilk
5-7Maraschino cherriesdrained and halved
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Generously grease a bundt pan with butter and dust with flour. Coat butter with flour and tap out excess. Place bunt pan on a rimmed baking sheet.
Combine all cake ingredients except for the chopped cherries. Beat on low for 30 seconds to combine, then increase speed to medium-high and beat for 3 minutes, until well combined. Fold in the chopped cherries.TIP - to keep the cake from turning or streaking pink, fold the cherries in gently and only turn a few times, don't overwork it.
Pour batter into Bundt pan and tap gently to level it. Bake in preheated oven for 45-55 minutes, until cake is lightly golden and bounces back when touched.
Remove baking sheet from oven and transfer cake pan to a wire rack. Allow cake to cool in pan for 10-15 minutes, the cake will relax and pull away from the side. Invert cake pan and turn cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the glaze, combine melted butter, 2 tablespoons of the milk, and the sifted powdered sugar. Add in almond extract and beat until silky. Lift some glaze with a spoon and tilt it to spill some back into the bowl. The glaze should drop in thick ribbons, but not "plop" out of the spoon. If too thick, add a small amount of the remaining milk until you reach the desired consistency.
Place waxed paper on the counter beneath the wire rack. Drop large spoonfuls of glaze onto the top of the cake, working your way around until all the glaze is gone and it's dripping beautifully down the sides.
Decorate the glaze with halved cherries. Allow glaze to set before cutting. Discard waxed paper.
Notes
Before adding the cherries, drain them on paper towels, then gently press them into the glaze to keep them from "traveling".
We used a standard-size (15.25 ounce) box of white cake mix, plus the ingredients on the back of the box such as eggs and oil.
You can use sour cream in place of the Greek yogurt if needed. If you prefer to use your own homemade white cake simply add in the almond extract and maraschino cherries.
This cake is also fabulous with a cream cheese cherry frosting which you can find in our cherry cake recipe.