Make Cherry Topping For Cakes

Turn fresh cherries into cherry topping for cakes, pies and tarts.

Cherry topping is a sweet, sometimes tart and gooey finish for any cake or pie. While you can purchase canned cherry topping at any supermarket, making your own from scratch kicks the flavor up a notch. Preparing your own cherry topping allows you to control the ingredients and eliminate preservatives. Vary the amount of sugar added to the cherries for a more sweet or tart topping as desired.

Instructions

Basic Cherry Topping

1. Pour the cherries, sugar and corn starch into a saucepan.

2. Set the burner temperature to "low" and stir the ingredients together.

3. Cook, stirring constantly until the sauce has thickened and the cherries have softened slightly.

4. Add the vanilla extract, stir and remove from heat.

Cherry Topping With Splenda

5. Combine cherries, Splenda, cornstarch and water in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat for five minutes or until the cherries are heated through.

6. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook until thickened, stirring constantly.

7. Stir in the vanilla extract, almond extract and orange zest, then remove from heat and cool before serving.

Tags: from heat, remove from, remove from heat, stirring constantly, vanilla extract