Cherry Cake Squares with Buttercream Frosting
Cherry Cake Squares with Buttercream Frosting are so easy to make and pretty too! I’m presently in love with glace cherries. I seriously can’t get enough of them! It all started last Christmas – or was it the Christmas before that? – and now it seems they’re all I can think about for the entire month of December. It’s terrible really! Sure, they’re sweet and delicious and colourful and cheerful, but good Lord, they’re basically fruit that has been dyed and turned into candy.
This is certainly a recipe that lends itself to some person interpretation. You can follow my recipe exactly and make them look just like I did, or, as I mentioned, you can skip the buttercream frosting part. You can bake the cake in a round 9 inch pan rather than a square pan. Then, you can slice the cake into wedges and serve it with a fresh cherry compote or a little bit of vanilla ice cream. If you prefer, you can add in a few pecan or walnuts – about half a cup will do just fine. This will add a little bit of crunch to the Cherry Cake Squares. I was intending to add walnuts to this particular recipe, but I had used up all of my walnuts in my fruitcake.
This cake, however, is a little on the dry side, but feels and tastes moist because of the cherries. The outer edges of this cake have a wonderful texture; it’s chewy, yet crunchy. Are these not the cutest? A Christmas treat that’s perfect for sharing, but so delicious, you’ll want to keep them all for yourself!
Ingredients:
For the Cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups all-purposed unbleached flour
- 3/4 cup red glace cherries, halved
- 3/4 cup green glace cherries, halved
For the Frosting
- 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon milk