Pumpkin Spice Cherry Cake

I know what you are thinking, cherry’s with pumpkin?  I promise you it’s wonderful and that everyone will want more than one piece.  I call this one of my comfort cakes because it’ just good!

Cake:

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup shortening *
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin

 Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:

• 1 can tart cherries, drained (save cherry juice)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Prepare two 9 1/2” round pans; greased, floured and lined with parchment paper.
3. Place flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger in your food processor pulse several times till combined; set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for about 30 seconds.
5. Add sugar and vanilla; beat till well combined.
6. Add eggs, one at a time; beating well after each.
7. Add dry mixture and buttermilk and pumpkin puree alternately to beaten mixture, beating low speed after each addition just till combined – do not over mix!
8. Pour into prepared pans.
9. Bake @ 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
10. Place on wire rack to cool.
11. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese until creamy.
12. Mix in the vanilla, and then gradually mix in the powdered sugar.
13. Mix till you get the desired consistency.
14. Set aside
15. Remove cakes from pans.
16. Use a bread knife or cake leveler; level top of each cake. Divide each cake into two layers.
17. If desired use pastry brush to soak cake layers with saved cherry juice.
18. Assembly: cake layer, frosting, cake layer, ring of frosting around outer edge of cake layer, drained tart cherries in center of cake layer, cake layer, frosting, cake layer.
19. Frost the sides & top of cake.

Enjoy!

 I use high ratio shortening, makes the cake a little lighter.

I love frosting!  So I usually end up needing at least 1 1/2 batches of the frosting.