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White Chocolate Cherry Cake That’s Ultra Moist & Festive Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.2 from 35 reviews
  • Author: Elina
  • Prep Time: 35 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: One 3-layer 8-inch cake, serves 12 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

This Ultra Moist White Chocolate Cherry Cake is a festive layered dessert featuring a tender cake infused with melted white chocolate and chopped maraschino cherries. Each layer is brushed with cherry juice and frosted with a luscious white chocolate buttercream, making it perfect for celebrations or any special occasion.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Cake

  • 4 ounces white baking chocolate (113.5g), chopped
  • 2 ½ cups cake flour (285g)
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder (10g)
  • ½ teaspoon salt (3g)
  • 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened (170g)
  • 1 ½ cups white sugar (300g)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (8g)
  • 1 ⅓ cups milk (314g)
  • 1 (16 oz) jar Maraschino cherries (for batter, filling, and decoration)

White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  • 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened (339g)
  • 8 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped (227g)
  • 5 cups powdered sugar (575g)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (4g)
  • 4 tablespoons milk or cream (42g), plus extra if needed
  • ½ teaspoon salt (3g), optional

Decoration

  • Additional white chocolate bar for chocolate curls
  • 3 maraschino cherries for top decoration

Instructions

  1. Prepare and Preheat: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease and flour three 8 x 2 inch cake pans, then line the bottoms with wax or parchment paper circles to prevent sticking.
  2. Prepare Cherries: Remove 22 maraschino cherries from the jar, chop them finely for folding into the batter, and lightly blot with a paper towel. Reserve the remaining cherries and cherry juice for layering and decoration.
  3. Melt White Chocolate in Milk: Warm the milk gently in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot but not boiling. Add the chopped white chocolate pieces, let sit for a couple of minutes to soften, then stir until completely melted and smooth. Allow this mixture to cool before use.
  4. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt for 30 seconds to blend evenly. Set aside.
  5. Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a mixer, beat the softened butter until smooth. Gradually add the sugar, mixing on medium speed for 4-5 minutes until the mixture lightens in color and becomes fluffy.
  6. Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add eggs one at a time to the butter mixture, mixing well after each addition until fully incorporated. Then mix in the vanilla extract.
  7. Combine Batter: Alternately add the flour mixture and the cooled milk-white chocolate mixture to the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the flour mixture (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk mixture). Mix on medium speed just until combined; avoid overmixing.
  8. Fold in Chopped Cherries: Gently fold the finely chopped cherries into the batter to distribute evenly.
  9. Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.
  10. Prepare White Chocolate Buttercream: Chop the white chocolate finely and place in a microwave-safe bowl with 4 tablespoons milk or cream. Microwave for 15 seconds, let it sit for 1-2 minutes, stir, then microwave again for 15 seconds, letting it sit another 1-2 minutes until melted and smooth. Allow to cool.
  11. Beat Frosting: Beat softened butter until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing well after each. Add the cooled white chocolate mixture and vanilla extract. Optionally add salt to cut sweetness. Add an additional tablespoon of milk if needed. Beat on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until smooth, creamy, and spreadable.
  12. Assemble Cake: Place the first cake layer on a cake board or pedestal. Using a pastry brush, apply a layer of cherry juice to the cake surface. Spread a generous layer of white chocolate buttercream on top, then add sliced maraschino cherries as desired. Repeat this process with the second cake layer and then the third.
  13. Crumb Coat and Chill: Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting over the entire cake. Chill in the freezer for about 15 minutes to firm the frosting.
  14. Final Frosting and Decoration: Apply the final layer of frosting smoothly using a cake comb for textured sides if desired. Create white chocolate curls by running a vegetable peeler along the edge of a white chocolate bar, chilling the curls in the freezer for 5 minutes before handling, and attach them to the cake with toothpicks. Top the cake with 3 whole maraschino cherries for decoration.

Notes

  • If you do not have cake flour, substitute 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour minus 5 tablespoons, replacing those with 5 tablespoons cornstarch, and sift together well.
  • Room temperature eggs help create a smoother batter and better rise; warming eggs for 5 minutes in hot (not boiling) water can speed this up.
  • Be careful not to overheat the white chocolate when melting; it can seize if overheated.
  • The recipe yields about 6 cups of batter, which can also be used for cupcakes.
  • The frosting quantity is sufficient to frost a 2 or 3 layer 8-inch cake, but additional frosting may be needed for detailed decorative piping.
  • Using wax or parchment paper circles in cake pans prevents sticking and helps with easy cake removal.
  • Chilling frosting during assembly improves smoothness and makes decorating easier.

Find it online: https://recipes.mbeams.com/white-chocolate-cherry-cake-thats-ultra-moist-and-festive-recipe/