Cherry Pound Cake

I have a delicious new recipe for you. Maraschino Cherry Pound Cake (a.k.a Shirley Temple Pound Cake). I made it tonight in an large egg-shaped pan and the pale pink batter makes it perfect for Eastertime. I am trying out a homemade cream cheese frosting tomorrow and will post a photo. Note: This cake is delicious as is...you don't actually need to frost it. Bake it in a pretty pan and then dust it with powdered sugar for a light touch.

Cherry Pound Cake
1 c. butter
1/2 c. Crisco
3 c. white sugar
6 eggs
1 (10 oz) jar maraschino cherries
2 t. of cherry syrup (reserve from jar)
1/4 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. almond extract
3 3/4 c. all purpose flour
1/4 t. salt
3/4 c. skim milk

Beat butter & Crisco with electric mixer. Gradually add the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time. Drain (reserve 2 T. cherry syrup) and chop cherries. Add cherries, reserved syrup and the extracts to the batter and mix. In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt together. Turn mixer on low and alternately add some of the flour mixture to the batter, then some milk. Repeat until all flour and milk is mixed into the batter. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan (or Wilton's 3-D Egg pan) and bake at 300* for 1 hour & 45 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan.