Celebrating Life with a Cherry on Top

Is today National Spumoni Day? Yep, we’ve already established that. Spumoni is a blend of flavors in a gelato or ice cream. Traditionally those flavors are a fruit, a nut and a pedestrian flavor such as vanilla or chocolate. Yet there is nothing ordinary about Spumoni. It inspires such deliciousness.

One of my favorite flavors is cherry. Cherry cola, cherry ice cream, something special with a cherry on top. It’s the promise of sweetness. The first time Kiddo ate a cherry, it was right off the tree as we walked through the orchard of the family farm. One of my favorite candies is a chocolate covered cherry. That’s sweet on sweet.

Another great flavor is pistachio. And who doesn’t like chocolate? Chocolate in everything – swirls of deep dark goodness. Now imagine all those flavors together in a moist cake, with a creamy frosting and that crowning glory – a cherry on top.

Summer is coming to an end. All across the country, children are returning to school and families are settling into a routine. Still, family time needs to be special – a celebration of love and life and goodness. What better way to celebrate the everyday blessings of everyday life than with cake – a Spumoni Cake. Oh yeah, I’m excited!

Spumoni Swirled Cake
Cake Batter Base
1 (16.25 oz.) box Vanilla or White Cake Mix
1 (3.4 oz.) box Vanilla Instant Pudding mix
4 large Eggs
3/4 cup Water
3/4 cup Canola Oil
1 cup Sour Cream

For Pistachio Flavor
3 Tablespoons Pistachio, chopped
2 tablespoons Pistachio Pudding Mix
6 drops Green food coloring

For Cherry Flavor
1/4 cup chopped Maraschino Cherries, drained
1 teaspoon juice from Maraschino Cherry Jar
7-8 drops Tasteless Red Food Coloring

For Chocolate Flavor
3 tablespoons unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 teaspoon vanilla

To Make the Cake:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine dry cake mix, dry pudding mix, eggs, water, oil and sour cream. Mix together until smooth and creamy. Divide cake batter evenly between three bowls.

To the first blow, add the chopped Pistachio, Pistachio Pudding Mix and the green food. Stir until well blended and set aside.

To the second bowl, add the chopped cherries, 1 teaspoon of juice from the jar and the red food coloring. Stir until well combined and set aside.

To the third bowl, stir in the cocoa powder and vanilla. Stir until fully incorporated and set aside.

Lightly grease and flour a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan. Drop spoonfuls of the cake patter, rotating flavors until the entire pan if full. DO NOT swirl the batter, this is a cake with three distinct flavors like spumoni ice cream. Tap cake pan on the counter a few times to flatten out the batter.

Bake in the heated oven 30 minutes or until top spring back when lightly touched the a cake tester comes out clean. It is a good idea to check after 25 to 28 minutes. Set pan on a rack and cool completely before frosting.

Buttercream Frosting
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) Butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 cups Powdered Sugar
Milk, as needed 1 tablespoon at a time
3 drops Green Food Coloring
Maraschino Cherries with the stems, for garnish at serving

To Make the Buttercream:
In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together the butter, almond extract and vanilla extract until smooth and light.

While the butter is creaming, sift the powdered sugar into a bowl. Once the butter is creamed and the powdered sugar sifted, add sugar to the butter 1 cup at a time and mix well between each addition.

Once all the powdered sugar has been added, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.

Add green food coloring, blend completely.

Spread buttercream frosting over cooled cake. When serving, garnish each slice with a maraschino cherry if desired.

Original Recipe: Eat Cake for Dinner