Angelina's Cherry Cake and Book Giveaway

First, congratulations to our two winners of "Back in the Saddle" from last week, and thank you, Waterbrook Multnomah for offering extra copies!!!!

Carol Garvin and Joy Avery Melville! Happy dancing for you!

We've got a couple more Thursdays of giveaways and let me just say, having a straight-shootin' heroine who's as good with a gun as she is with a spatula ROCKS....

Because Angelina Morales (aka Mary Angela Castiglione) isn't afraid to get the job done in either venue, and I love that about her!

Here's a pic of how I envisioned Angelina...

She's a mix of Latina and Incan, a true blend of culture clash, and she was the only child born alive to her parents Martin and Isabo Castiglione who came here before she was born. Her father became a Seattle police captain, and Angelina followed in his footsteps. She was a decorated undercover detective specializing in vice and gangs when her retired father was killed as a retaliation for a drug ring she helped dismantle.

With a widowed mother and a baby son, she couldn't bear to stay in the job she loved and allow more loved ones to become possible targets... And now time has gone by. Things are changing at the Double S Ranch... good change? Or just change?

Angelina isn't sure, but her faith and drive push for the former, and when it comes to Colt Stafford, the prodigal-like oldest son... change is inevitable.

I developed this recipe last year, when I finished writing "Back in the Saddle"... you remember Back in the Saddle, right?  My first cowboy western from Waterbrook Multnomah, releasing March 15, 2016 in THREE SHORT WEEKS!!!!

Yee Haw!

I love this story, I love this series, and I hope you will, too! And this cake is fun, super easy and a bright pink salute to George Washington and his totally inaccurate cutting of the cherry tree... or a nod to spring!

Here's the easy-peasy recipe that won a lot of cowboy hearts at the Double S:

Angelina's Cherry Cake:

1 White Cake Mix
1 1/4 cups maraschino cherry juice
6 eggs, separated (a temporary separation! We'll get them back together for the happy ending soon!)
1 tablespoon almond flavoring
24 maraschino cherries, chopped (more or less is fine)

Whip egg whites. Set aside.

Line 2 9" cake pans with parchment paper OR line a 13 x 9" pan with parchment paper (this keeps the crust sponge-cake soft, so good!)

Mix cake mix, cherry juice and the six egg yolks together. Blend until smooth. Add in about two-dozen chopped maraschino cherries.

Whip egg whites until stiff peaks form.

Fold in egg whites until incorporated. (mixed in, but don't overbeat, we want those air holes the egg whites will make!)

Pour into pan or pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-35 minutes, depending on your oven and the pan choice.

This is a soft, sponge-like cake (think cherry Twinkies).... Any frosting is fine, and a dark chocolate one like this Hershey's recipe would go great with the cherry cake....


But for this pic I used simple Whipped Cream Frosting:

1 quart heavy whipping cream
1 cup sugar

Beat at high speed until stiff peaks form. Frost layers and sides if desired. Shave chocolate over top or garnish with more maraschino cherries.  Keep chilled, serve cold.




And there you have it, a delightful nod to spring, future presidents, or just a great summertime cold cake!

We've got Colt's cowboy hat out again... and just so you know, I got a sneak peek at Nick's cover.... I don't know if it could be better, but IT IS..... How can that be???? How did Kelly Howard and her crew at Waterbrook catch so much of the book in the cover???? I don't know, but let me just say:

Nick's sportin' a darker hat, but he's every bit the cowboy his big brother is, and he'd be glad to let you know that this fall!

Leave a comment to be entered in the drawing!