CHERRY COCONUT CAKE

By cecelia26_

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• dash of salt
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup maraschino cherry juice
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 small jar maraschino cherries, chopped (reserve 1 cherry for top)
• 4 large egg whites, stiffly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
• Icing:
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup white syrup
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 stiffly beaten egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• flake coconut

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream shortening, sugar, and vanilla. Add cherry juice and milk and beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Add flour, baking powder, and salt; beat on medium high speed for 2 minutes. Fold in egg whites and cherries. Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 9" round pans. Bake for 35 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Boil together sugar, white syrup, and water until it spins a thread. While beating with an electric mixer, slowly pour over stiffly beaten egg whites. Beat until mixture is well blended and thick. Add vanilla. Frost cake. Sprinkle with coconut. Place reserved cherry in center of cake.