Grandma Smucker's Cherry Cake

A recipe that I use around Valentine's Day comes from Jay's mothers' recipe collection. It's simple to make and produces a moist red cake that's topped with whipped cream and cherry pie filling.  The original recipe was made in a 13 x 9 pan but I've tried individual serving, heart-shaped cakes, piped the cream around sides and over the top and covered with the cherry filling.  We used this recipe as a bakery item in our retail store years ago by pouring the mix in large heart-shaped foil pans, layering the same and covered with the clear plastic lids and they were ready to carry home.  I'm sure they would be easy to make as cupcakes and I considered that for my shop breakfast this week but decided that it was too time consuming.

These are the ingredients needed:

1 box yellow cake mix

3 oz. Cherry Jello

1/2 cup oil

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon red food coloring

4 eggs

1 envelope Dream Whip

15 oz. can pie filling

Mix first 6 ingredients together and beat for 2 minutes. I tripled the recipe to feed the gang Friday morning so my bowl was quite full.  I also forgot to add the food coloring until after I started mixing so it had a swirled look to it until it was thoroughly mixed.

After the cake was baked and cooled I covered the top with whipped topping. 

 I had a little time to play with decorating so I piped the edges and sprinkled with Valentine sprinkles.

Then I filled the space on top with cherry pie filling and added a 'poor excuse of a heart' on top.  (I knew the guys weren't going to judge me on artistic ability - whew!)

Tripling the recipe made this 18 x 13 cake pan plus a 8x8 cake (gave this one to the neighbors).  Trying to fit the large cake into the camera frame had me taking the picture too far away to see detail so this picture makes the cake look like ants are doing the march around the walls of Jericho.

Also til breakfast was deliverered and served it never crossed my mind to snap a photo of a piece of cake to provide a view of the red cake with the layers..... you'll have to try it and see for yourself.

**Baking instructions for 13 x 9 cake:  Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.