Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cake

1 stick sweet butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs, separated
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup milk
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped maraschino cherries (reserve juice for frosting)

Chocolate cherry frosting

1 stick sweet butter
3 Tbsp. cocoa
6 Tbsp. cherry juice
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 16-oz box confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven at 350º. Grease and lightly flour 9x13 inch baking pan.

In large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Combine flour and baking powder in a small bowl. Stir to mix. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, starting and ending with flour mixture. Stir in walnuts and cherries.

Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into batter. Pour into pan.

Bake for 45 minutes.

While cake is baking, make frosting. Combine butter, cocoa and cherry juice in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until butter melts and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in van extract. Add confectioner's sugar. BEAT UNTIL SMOOTH.

Pour immediately over warm cake and smooth with spatula.

Note: Cool completely before slicing. If not the cake will fall apart.