4-Layer Cherry Limeade Cake | Episode 4: Halloween Wars

Looking for a recipe that will transport you back to childhood? Look no further. 

This 4-Layer Cherry Limeade cake is the perfect bite of nostalgia. It reminds me of summertime, warm days on the farm, and a whole lot more freedom. 

It is a refreshing cake that is not too heavy. You certainly do not have to set this recipe aside for summer. It would be perfect for any time of year. I mean, red and green. Why not Christmas? It's that delicious.

This cake is composed of both cherry and lime flavored cake layers with homemade cherry jam, refreshing lime curd, and the creamiest Italian buttercream. You can't go wrong with this combination. 

For Episode 4 of Halloween Wars, our challenge was based on Salem, Massachusetts and the Salem Witch Trials. We had to use orchard fruits for our cakes. For this challenge, I knew I wanted to use a classic favorite to help tell our story to the judges. They really enjoyed this cake, and I was thrilled. There was nothing like that moment of silence after they had taken a bite. No words. No expression. Just waiting. Putting this cake together for the judges of Halloween Wars showed me a whole new level of excitement and nervousness.

I wanted to incorporate different and varying textures in this cake, without necessarily adding a crunch. So, the bite of the cherries, creaminess of the buttercream, and the tang of the lime curd would be the perfect contrast of flavor, color, and texture. 

I can say with a huge amount of joy that the judges loved the cake and our whole display. I am still SO proud of the Witch we created. My team is phenomenal. I wouldn't trade them for anything. Team Squad Ghouls forever !!

Without further ado - THE one & only ... Cherry Limeade Cake !!! 

Steps to Make Cherry Limeade Cake:

1. Mix together eggs, sugar, and extracts/additions in a large bowl. Mix by hand with a whisk - to ensure the batter is not over-mixed.

2. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and mix.

3. Heat milk, butter, and oil in a saucepan until boiling. 

4. Alternating between wet and dry, add the dry ingredients and milk mixture into the large bowl with the sugar, eggs, and extracts/additions.

5. Carefully whisk until just combined. Portion into two 8" cake pans, and repeat the process for the second cake batter.

6.  TIP: I will measure everything out for both cake batters at the same time and will work on them both, in separate bowls, at the same time to speed things along.

7. Bake cakes until golden and cooked through.

8. Let the cakes cool, and once cooled - layer them up the goods. The Lime Curd, Cherry Jam, and Vanilla Bean Italian Buttercream. Since this is a 4-layer cake, I filled the first layer with cherry jam, the second with lime curd, the third with cherry jam, and then placed the final cake layer on top. You may do this however you please.

This cake may seem like a lot of work, but I assure you it is worth every minute of your time. Give it a whirl!

Other Unique Cake Recipes

Having fun with these cakes? Well, be sure to check out the other cakes I created especially for the show. I had a blast competing on Food Network's Halloween Wars Season 12 in Fall 2022. It was so fun & challenging. 

I was able to create so many amazing, fun, and delicious cakes to go along with each weeks' theme, and the celebrity judges loved them all. That was the best part. 

- An Almond Sourdough Cake that's so moist and tender, with a light touch of tang is paired with a creamy & luxurious Milk Chocolate French Buttercream and a tart raspberry jam. A bit of crunch comes from some toasted almonds in there, too. It's a beautiful combination. This one was featured on Episode 3, which was our debut episode.

- Churros are one of my very favorite desserts, so when I was able to create a cake based on this treat for Episode 5.. I about lost my mind. This Churro Cinnamon Spice cake filled with Churro Diplomat Cream, sweet and spicy Strawberry Chili Jam, a nutty and crunchy Almond Streusel, and a classic Vanilla Buttercream is to die for. I love and adore it. It's a bit of a labor of love, but it's so worth it.

- This Sidecar Cocktail Inspired Cake was a fun one to make based on our Portland, Oregon Prohibition Episode for Episode 6 of Halloween Wars. It was so exciting to get creative on how to combine a cocktail into a cake. It turned out fabulously, and I still can't get over what the judges said about it. It still makes me beam just thinking about it. It's filled with Orange Liqueur simple syrup, traditional lemon curd, and a Cherry and Pistachio Granola - and, it's all wrapped up in a glorious Brandy Buttercream. HEAVENLY.

- Finally, for Episode 7 - I was able to make a cake that featured seaweed... which is something I never thought I would do. However, *spoiler* according to the judges, even with it being gluten free, it was the BEST cake of the SEASON !! I was floating. It contains my famous gluten free chocolate cake, peanut butter Italian buttercream (YUM!), ginger sea salt caramel, crushed peanuts, and deep fried & chocolate coated dulse. Dulse is a red seaweed. Quite interesting, but it added such a nice texture, crunch, and saltiness. I've made this cake several times since. 

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