Fresh Fruit Cake: A Vibrant, Fruity Delight
Brighten any occasion with this Fresh Fruit Cake, a stunning Dessert Cake that bursts with juicy seasonal fruit, fluffy whipped cream, and tender layers of Genoise Sponge Cake. Inspired by the gorgeous fruit cakes found in Korean, Chinese, and Japanese bakeries, this Fresh Fruit Cake is as beautiful as it is delicious.
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake
- ▢1 cup cake flour
- ▢4 eggs - room temperature
- ▢⅔ cup sugar
- ▢1 ¾ tablespoon butter - melted
- ▢½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ▢¼ teaspoon salt
Cake Syrup
- ▢⅓ cup hot water
- ▢3 tablespoons sugar
Whipped Cream
- ▢2 cups heavy whipping cream - cold
- ▢6 to 8 tablespoons powdered sugar - adjust to taste
Fruit Topping and Filling
- ▢3 cups fresh fruit - strawberries raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, kiwi, mandarin oranges
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom and sides of the cake pan with parchment paper.
- Whip Eggs: In a large heat-proof bowl, add the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Place this bowl inside a larger bowl that's been filled with hot water (bain-marie). Using a hand mixer, beat the eggs on high speed until soft, fluffy, and pale yellow ribbons form, about 8 to 10 minutes. Replace the hot water halfway through as it cools down. See Note 1.
- ⅔ cup sugar,4 eggs,½ teaspoon vanilla extract,¼ teaspoon salt
- Add Flour: Sift in the flour in three parts, gently folding after each time.
- 1 cup cake flour
- Add Butter: To help incorporate the butter, mix 3 heaping spoonfuls of the batter into the warmed, melted butter. Next, gently fold the butter mixture into the batter. See Note 2.
- 1 ¾ tablespoon butter
- Bake: Pour the batter into your cake pan and bake at 350°F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For one 9-inch round pan, about 25 minutes. For two 6-inch round pans, about 18 minutes.
- Cool: Remove all parchment paper and allow it to cool completely on a cooling rack.
For the Whipped Cream:
- Using a whisk attachment, beat the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar together until light and fluffy.
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream,6 to 8 tablespoons powdered sugar
Assemble:
- Cake syrup: Make cake syrup by dissolving the sugar in hot water. Set aside.
- 3 tablespoons sugar,⅓ cup hot water
- Fill: Slice the cake into even layers using a leveler. Working with the bottom cake layer, brush on a layer of cake syrup, then add a thin layer of whipped cream. Top with sliced fruit, being careful not to overfill. Then top with another thin layer of whipped cream. Repeat these steps for the next cake layer. See Notes 3 and 4.
- 3 cups fresh fruit
- Decorate: Decorate the top layer with more fruit and whipped cream. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Whipping eggs: It is essential the egg mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar is completely dissolved for this step, thus requiring a bain-marie. See step-by-step photos in the post for the proper ribbon stage. If you're looking for a sponge cake that doesn't require a bain-marie, try my Easy Sponge Cake recipe.
- When adding butter, it's very easy to deflate the batter. Make sure the melted butter and batter are still warm. Cold temperatures will solidify the butter and deflate the batter. Fold very gently at this stage until just combined.
- Cake layers: I recommend using no more than 3 layers per cake as it can easily collapse if too tall. If using a 9-inch cake, use 3 layers. If using two 6-inch cakes, create two 2-layer cakes or one 3-layer cake.
- Overfilling the cake with too much fruit or whipped cream can cause it to collapse. Be conservative when placing the fruit and be sure they are sliced the same thickness to have a level layer. I recommend using cake dowels for extra support.
- Storage: Store decorated and filled cake in the fridge for up to 2 days.