Cheerwine Cake

Your basic vanilla cake is taken up a notch with homemade cherry filling topped with Cheerwine icing.

Ingredients

Vanilla Cake:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 1/4 tsp baking powder

• 3/4 tsp salt

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature

• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 3 large eggs room temperature

• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

• 1 cup buttermilk or whole milk, room temperature

Cheerwine Icing:

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 2-3 cups of powdered confectioner sugar

• 3 tbsp Cheerwine Syrup

Instructions

Vanilla Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour two 8" cake rounds and line with parchment.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.

3. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on med-high until pale and fluffy (about 3mins). Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.

4. Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.

5. Bake for 30-35mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.

6. Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack.

Cheerwine Icing:

1. Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*

2. Place bowl over a pot with 1-2" of simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch or reads 160F on a candy thermometer (approx. 3mins)

3. Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).

4. Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.**

5. Add vanilla and whip until smooth.