Tuesday, April 24, 2018

CHERRY TEA CAKE

If this recipe were ever entered into a bake-off contest, it would surely win the Grand Prize!  The recipe from Stan and Lori Stalter was in my new Hochstedler Family Cookbook (A Collection of Edible Treasures from the family of Emanuel and Mattie Hochstedler). I saw it and seeing it was made in a 9 x 13 - inch pan, I knew I would have to make it to take to share with the other volunteers at Hillcrest Thrift Shop.

I took it to the community room and then started on my morning walk inside the shop. (This is working out so well. I can easily get in a 30 to 45 minute walk before the shop opens since it doesn't open until 10. Jim, the manager, told me I could come as early as 8 o'clock since he gets there that early. That is so much better on the days I don't volunteer.) Anyway, last Tuesday when I took it, Volunteer Bob from the Sporting Goods department, saw me (walking) and told me the dessert I brought was the best thing he had ever eaten. 

I brought five pieces in another container for some of the volunteers who were already at work sorting and might miss out on the dessert because other volunteers would get it first in the Community Room. When I saw two of them at lunch when my shift was over and I had gone to get my pan, I asked them if they had given the extra two pieces to someone else in the back. Betty and Vali immediately laughed and said no that they (along with Karen who works in Vintage with them) had eaten all five pieces because it was too good to share. I couldn't believe it and joked along with them giving them a really hard time.

As soon as I got home before I even ate any lunch, I ate my piece that I had left at home before going to the shop. The next day when I was taking my walk and saw Betty, I stopped and told her I was sorry I had given them a hard time. After eating my piece, I totally understood. We had a good laugh together.

I only had one question about the recipe as I was getting ready to make it. The recipe called for "1 can red sour cherry pie filling". I called Friend Janice asking what she thought it meant and we agreed that I should use a cherry pie filling even though it isn't "red sour". Neither of us have ever seen this and since it said "pie filling", we thought I should use my pie filling and not a can of tart cherries. If you have seen "red sour cherry pie filling", please leave a comment and let me know. Thanks.

As usual I made this the day before and covered it and stored it in the refrigerator. It was very moist the next morning when I cut it and took it to the thrift shop.

A new blogging friend made a gluten - free version of this recipe and shared it on her blog, The Spirited Life of Grammy She made my recipe for her family and they loved it. She unfortunately couldn't enjoy it because it wasn't gluten - free. I suggested to her to redo the recipe and make it gluten - free and that's what she did. I hope you will go over to her blog, The Spirited Life of Grammy and check it out. She is really into menu planning and can give you some great menu ideas.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE A PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE, CLICK HERE.



CHERRY TEA CAKE

3/4      cup oil
1-1/2   cups sugar
1         teaspoon vanilla
1/3      cup orange juice
3         eggs
3         cups flour
3         teaspoon baking powder
1         can cherry pie filling
1         teaspoon almond flavoring
1/4      cup sugar
1         teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or spray a 9 x 13 - inch baking pan.


Blend oil and 1-1/2 cups sugar together.
Add vanilla and orange juice.
Add eggs, one at a time.
Mix together flour and baking powder.
Fold into egg mixture.
Mix together cherry pie filling and almond flavoring.
Pour 1/2 batter (about 2 cups) into pan.
Spoon cherries over. 



Pour remaining batter over cherries. (My mixture was too thick to pour so I spooned it over the cherries.)


Mix together the 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon.
Sprinkle over top of cake.
Bake for 15 minutes. Then reduce temperature to 325 degrees F. and bake 35 more minutes.


Cool in pan on wire rack. (I baked this the day before. When completely cool, I covered with foil and stored it in the refrigerator overnight.)


To serve, cut into squares. (I didn't do as good a job as I have been doing lately, cutting it evenly. Betty and Vali had two of the big pieces on the left and three more of the smaller ones in the next row.)



9 comments:

  1. Patricia, this looks so good! I am definitely making this - I just wish I could eat it too! I never heard of sour cherry filling either, I think you chose right. It looks delicious! Thanks for this recipe! Also thanks for the new way to soften butter, definitely going to try that. I can't remember how many times I forgot to take the butter out early to soften.

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    1. Joansy, don't you think you could use gluten free flour? You know if you need to make any other changes when using the the gluten free flour. Interested in knowing. Glad you are still enjoying my blog.
      Patricia

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    2. Great minds must think alike! I made this for my family, and they loved it! I wanted to taste it so bad! It smelled so good! So I went and got more cherry pie filling and am making it gluten free this weekend. I am going to try adding one more egg with the gluten free flour, because gluten free flour tends to be dryer. I will let you know how it turns out! I cannot wait!

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    3. Can't wait to hear how it turns out Joansy.
      Patricia

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  2. I haven't seen sour cherry pie filling either, but I buy sour cherries already pitted and ready to freeze most summers from a farm around the corner from me. They are not inexpensive, but I do love sour cherry pies. I use about 3/4 cup sugar and 3 TBSP instant tapioca just sprinkled on top to thicken the juices. One of our friends had dinner with us one night and almost jumped off the chair after the first bite of pie. They are tart, but I do think that is plenty of sugar for a 9 inch pie! The cherries come in 5# or 30 # containers -- 5# is enough for us as we are only two people.

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    1. Hi Marcia, Yes, I have bought the frozen cherries and the canned ones. I considered using the canned ones but because the recipe said pie filling, I was afraid to try it. Might though and use your suggestion re amount of sugar and tapioca. I think it would be awesome also. This was made in a 9 x 13 - inch pan so I might have to add a little extra. Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comments.
      Patricia

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  3. Some of the directions aren't in the printable version. I had printed it off to make, was reading it & wondered when the flour, eggs, baking soda were mixed. They are missing from mix oil and sugar together then it goes to Pour remaining batter over cherries.

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    1. Okay, I checked it out and everything shows on the printable version for me. I printed it and it all printed. Not really sure why it didn't print all of the directions for you. You can also use the print icon at the bottom of the post to print it. You should have the option to remove photos. Unfortunately you will print what I blogged before the recipe. Hope this helps. Patricia

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  4. Thanks will check it out. Patricia

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