Have a vintage Valentine's Day with this cherry nut cake

I'm back at it again with a vintage recipe just in time for Valentine's Day. This is a Betty Crocker recipe, so I can't take credit and have posted the original below.

This is a quick and delicious cake packed with maraschino cherries and walnuts. It's tinted pink from cherry juice—no artificial flavors in this bad boy. The funny thing with vintage recipes (this is from the 1950s, I think?) is they used a TON of shortening. I stuck to the exact recipe, but if you would like to use healthier alternatives, certainly be creative!

It's a *thick* cake and requires two 8-inch round pans. Bonus cupid points to you if you have heart shaped pans 💘

Here's the recipe:

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I used a basic buttercream icing recipe and again tinted it pink with maraschino cherry juice. Here's that:

Homemade buttercream icing

Perfect for cakes of all shapes, sizes, and occasions

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 2-3 Tbs. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 7-8 tsp. maraschino cherry juice

Instructions

1. Cream together shortening and butter until light in color and fluffy.
2. Sift powdered sugar THEN measure. Add 1 cup at a time to the cream ingredients and beat on low, incorporating each time.
3. Add vanilla and milk, beat until well combined. Add a touch more milk if the icing is too thick.
4. Add cherry juice and beat until color is evenly mixed in. Add more if you want a darker color - but be careful not to thin your icing with too much juice.
5. Ice your cake!

Since the buttercream should be refrigerated, store any leftover cake there, loosely covered.

And finally, here's how mine turned out! It was a huge hit in my home. The cake isn't too sweet, and the icing is, so it balances out nicely. Have a little fun with your decorations—I used more maraschino cherries and chopped walnuts. (Dry the cherries best you can with a paper towel).

I love vintage recipes because they are made of wholesome ingredients, they're super easy to make, and they are truly timeless.

What sweets are you making this Valentine's Day?