EASY CHERRY COCONUT CAKE WITH DIVINITY ICING

Easy Cherry Coconut Cake with Divinity Icing image

Provided by Cecelia Huddleston

Categories Cakes

Number Of Ingredients 14

1 box white cake mix
1 jar(s) maraschino cherries
3 large eggs
1/2 c sour cream
1 c oil
1/4 c cherry juice
1/4 tsp almond extract
DIVINITY ICING
1 c granulated sugar
1/2 c light corn syrup
1/4 c water
4 large egg whites, stiffly beaten
2 tsp imitation vanilla
1 1/2 c coconut

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9" round cake pans with cooking spray with flour. Drain cherries, reserving 1/4 cup of juice. Set aside 1-3 cherries for decoration. Chop remaining cherries; set aside.
2. In large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, sour cream, oil, cherry juice and almond extract. With mixer on low speed, beat 30 seconds. Scrape sides of bowl & continue to beat with mixer on high speed for. 1/2 minutes. Stir in chopped cherries. Pour batter into prepared pans. Place in oven and bake 25-30 minutes or until done. Insert toothpick in center of layers to test for doneness. If it comes out clean, remove from oven. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out on cooling racks. Frost when cool.
3. Icing: In small heavy saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup and water; stir until blended. Cook without stirring over medium heat. Bring to a boil. With spoon, held above saucepan, drizzle small amount of syrup mixture. When a long thread separates from the stream of syrup; remove from heat. While beating with mixer, slowly pour hot syrup mixture into stiffly beaten egg whites. Continue beating until mixture is fluffy and spreadable. Add vanilla. Frost bottom cake layer and sprinkle with coconut. Repeat with top layer. Sprinkle remaining coconut on sides. Top with cherries. Cool cake before refrigerating.
4. Note: I used a large jar of maraschino cherries because I like a lot of cherries. I beat the egg whites for the icing as soon as I start cooking the syrup mixture.