Mrs. Stickinthemud's Box

In which Great Grandmother's recipes endure modernization, alteration & other misdeeds

Surprise Cherry Cake

Surprise Cherry Cake A Surprise Cherry Cake B

This cake turned out delicious!  The topping is a pretty basic cherry pie filling, made with canned sour cherries.  The cake itself, though, is tender orange scrumptiousness!  It took much self-control not to add vanilla to the cake.  However, Ottie loved vanilla and used it generously when she wanted to… Therefore, I was brave and allowed the lone orange rind to shine.  Part of the “surprise”, for me, was that I could indeed do without the vanilla.  The delicate orange played with the butter and bran, and didn’t bicker one bit.

I would use the cake base again, in other recipes as well. I imagine it would make a fabulous cranberry muffin!  If you can’t find canned sour cherries, then go ahead and use some other canned fruit. Just be sure there is enough liquid, and if it’s already sweetened, then omit the sugar (or at least use less of it). I would also try using fresh berries (mmm… strawberries or blackberries!) and cook them with the 3/4 cup water, sugar, and corn starch.

Surprise Cherry Cake

Created by on January 27, 2016

Ingredients

  • 1 can of Pitted Sour Cherries (14.5 ounces), drained, with the juice saved aside (adjusted with water to make 3/4 cup).
  • 2/3 cup Sugar (for the juice)
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons Cornstarch
  • 1/3 cup Soft Butter
  • 1/2 cup Sugar (for the cake)
  • 1 teaspoon Orange Zest
  • 1 Egg, beaten
  • 1 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/2 cup Bran
  • 1/2 cup Evaporated Milk
  • 1/4 cup Water (or 3/4 cup plain milk instead of evaporated + water)

Method

  • Drain well and save the juice of canned sour cherries. Set the cherries aside. The juice should measure close to 3/4 cup. If it does not, then add water until the liquid measures 3/4 cup. If your fortunate and have home-canned cherries, then use 2 cups of the cherries and 3/4 cup of juice.
  • In a medium-low saucepan, combine the cherry juice with 2/3 cup sugar and cornstarch. Cook slowly, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick and bubbly. Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the cherries, and set the mixture aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease either an 8x8 square baking pan, or a 9 inch round pan.
  • Spread the cherries evenly in the bottom of the pan. Set the pan aside.
  • In a mixing bowl, cream butter with 1/2 cup of sugar and orange zest (I use a microplane, and didn't bother measuring the rind. I simply used the rind of one whole orange).
  • Beat one egg well, then add to the sugar mixture.
  • In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Then add bran.
  • In a liquid measuring cup, combine 1/2 cup of evaporated milk with 1/4 cup of water.
  • Now you'll add the milk mixture and the flour, alternating between the two, and ending with the flour. I added a third of each at a time. (example: pour a little milk, sprinkle in some flour mixture, pour more milk, sprinkle more flour, then the last of the milk, and finally the last of the flour).
  • This mixture is thick! Glob and spread the batter evenly (or as evenly as possible) over the cherry mixture.
  • Bake for about 45 minutes. Let the cake cool for about 5 or 10 minutes, then turn the cake out (upside-down) onto a serving plate. My cherries oozed all over the plate, so I'd wait longer than 5 minutes next time. Great Grandmother said to serve this warm, though a friend was quick to point out that we now have microwave ovens for that...
Source: by Ottie Strickland, Mrs. Stickinthemud's Box