Maraschino cake

1. Preheat oven to 340 degrees.  Line muffin tins (I wound up with about 18).
2. Beat the butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Combine milk, cherry juice, and almond extract and add alternately to the butter and sugar with the flour mixture.
3. In a small bowl, sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of flour over the diced cherries and stir until the flour has been completely absorbed. Note: It’s okay if the cherries still have a little juice on them after this.
4. Stir cherries into the batter.
5. Fold stiffly beaten egg whites into the batter. Pour into lined tins and bake 15-18 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

1. Set a saucepan filled one-third full of water over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer.
2. Whisk together the egg whites, sugar, and salt in a large heatproof bowl. Set over the simmering water and whisk until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar has dissolved.
3. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
4. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Increase to medium-high until stiff peaks are formed.
5. Continue beating at medium-high speed until the mixture is fluffy and has cooled (the mixing bowl should feel cool to the touch).
6. Turn the mixer off and switch from the whisk attachment to the paddle. Turn the mixer on medium-low and add the butter, a few cubes at a time, beating until well incorporated before the next addition.
7. Add the vanilla extract. Beat until the frosting is thick and completely smooth.
8. Store in an airtight container until ready for use. Enjoy these with a nice cold glass of water in order to prevent a sugar coma.