This is similar to the Valentine's Cake my grandmother made for the family every...I mean every...Valentine's Day. It was her way of telling us how much she loved us.

Sweet Story Cake

 Cake

 2 ½ cups sifted cake flour

 1 ½ cups sugar

 3 ½ tsp baking powder

 1 tsp salt

 ½ cup shortening

 ¾ cup milk

 ¼ cup maraschino cherry juice

 1 tsp vanilla

 2 tsp almond extract

 4 egg whites unbeaten

 18 maraschino cherries, well-drained and finely chopped

 ½ cup walnuts or pecans

 

Frosting

 2 tbsp shortening

 2 tbsp butter

 1 tsp vanilla

 ½ tsp almond extract

 ½ tsp salt

 4 cups confectioner's sugar sifted

 9 tbsp scaled cream

 Red or pink food coloring

 

Cake

 Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl. Drop-in shortening. Combine milk and maraschino cherry juice and add ¾ cup of this liquid. Add flavoring extracts and mix with mixer on low for 2 minutes (100 strokes by hand).

Add remaining liquid and egg whites and beat for another 2 minutes. Fold in cherries and nuts. Bake in two 9-inch pans or two heart-shaped pans at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. (If you pour all the batter in one pan, bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes)

 

When cool, cut layers with a heart-shaped pattern, if you didn't use a heart-shaped pan. Spread with frosting, and outline a short Valentine's message with a toothpick and fill in letters and outline of cake with sugar pearls.

 

Frosting

Combine shortening, butter, flavorings, and salt and blend well. Beat in ½ cup sugar. Add hot cream alternating with remaining sugar, beating well after each addition. Add only enough cream to make a nice spreading consistency. Add a few drops of red or pink food coloring to tint frosting a delicate pink before spreading on the cake.