Fruit Topped Cake Food

FRUIT-TOPPED CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F Grease a 9-inch round pan.
• Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a small bowl.
• In a medium saucepan, melt 6 tablespoons butter over low heat. Stir in 6 tablespoons sugar and let cool 10 minutes.
• Add egg to butter/sugar mix, stir well.
• Stir in flour mix, spread dough in pan with the back of a spoon.
• Arrange fruit slices in a circle filling in to the center, press lightly into the dough.
• Drizzle fruit with lemon juice and sprinkle with remaining 4 tablespoons sugar.
• Sprinkle with cinnamon and dot with remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until fork inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool on a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

TEXAS STRAWBERRY CRUNCH SHEET CAKE

Steps:

• For the strawberry cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray, then line with parchment paper, allowing the parchment to hang over the sides. Lightly coat the parchment with cooking spray.
• Put 8 ounces of the strawberries in a blender and process until pureed; you should have 1 cup. Set aside.
• Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl.
• Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
• Add the eggs, one at the time, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl until the batter is completely combined, smooth and creamy.
• With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the strawberry purée, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
• Add the vanilla and mix until combined, making sure not to overmix. Add a few drops of the pink food coloring if using until you reach the desired color. Chop the remaining 8 ounces strawberries; you should have 1 cup. Fold the chopped strawberries into the batter.
• Transfer the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes (see Cook's Note).
• Allow the cake to cool slightly in the pan before inverting it on a wire rack or serving dish. Remove the parchment and allow to cool completely, 30 to 35 minutes.
• For the whipped cream: Add the gelatin to the heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk by hand until fully dissolved. Beat the heavy cream mixture in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on low speed. Slowly add the confectioners' sugar until combined. Increase to medium high speed and whisk until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla until combined.
• For the strawberry shortcake topping: The cookies and wafers each have different textures, so they need to be processed one at a time. Pulse the spiced biscuit cookies in a food processor until crushed, then transfer to a plate. Pulse the strawberry crème-filled sandwich cookies and transfer to the same plate. Pulse the strawberry-flavored wafer cookies, transfer to the plate and mix together the cookie crumbs.
• Spread the whipped cream on top of the cake, then sprinkle generously with the strawberry shortcake topping (see Cook's Note). Slice and serve.

CHOCOLATY HARVEST FRUIT-TOPPED CAKE

Steps:

• CAKE:.
• Preheat oven to 350°F Grease and flour two 9 x 1-1/2-inch round baking pans.
• In an extra-large bowl combine sour cream, water, oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With a large wire whisk, whisk until well combined. Add flour, cocoa powder, black pepper, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves; whisk vigorously until smooth. Divide batter between prepared pans.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes until top springs back when lightly touched in center. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely.
• Finely chop chocolate. In saucepan over medium-high heat bring whipping cream to boiling. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate until smooth. Cool to room temperature; chill until a spreadable, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, prepare Harvest Fruit.
• To assemble, place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with 1/2 of chocolate cream mixture. Top with the second layer. Arrange fruit in a single layer on top of cake. Pour caramel over top of fruit. Serve immediately. (Cake does not store well after fruit is added.) Makes 12 servings.
• HARVEST FRUIT:.
• Thinly slice pear lengthwise and apple horizontally. In medium saucepan combine apple juice and sugar; bring to boiling over medium-high heat.
• Add sliced fruit and dried cranberries; return to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat, let stand 5 minutes. Strain and discard liquid. Cool to room temperature.

FESTIVE FRUIT & NUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4/fan 160C and lightly grease and line the base and sides of a deep 22-23cm round loose-based cake tin with Bake-o-Glide or baking parchment (see overleaf). Beat the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, ground almonds and spices until thoroughly mixed and creamy, preferably with an electric beater or in a food mixer.
• Measure off 100g/4oz of the cake mixture, put in a bowl and set aside. Fold the fruit and rum into the remaining mixture, then gently stir in the marzipan. Spoon this mixture into the prepared cake tin and flatten with a spatula to make a smooth even surface, then make a slight dip in the centre of the cake. This simple trick will give the finished cake a nice flat top. Bake for 11⁄4 hours.
• While the cake is in the oven, make the fruit and nut topping. Mix all the nuts, cherries and syrup into the remaining cake mixture (see tip overleaf). Spoon the mixture on top of the part-cooked cake (once it has had its 11⁄4 hours), evenly distributing the mixture of nuts and cherries across the surface of the cake. Loosely cover the top of the tin with foil.
• Return to the oven for 40 minutes more, then take off the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, so the nuts can turn golden. Keep an eye on them, so they don't get too dark. To test the cake mixture is cooked, insert a fine skewer into the cake - if it comes out clean then it's ready. Cool in the tin then turn out, keeping the lining on, and wrap with foil. (The cake will keep for up to 2 weeks or can be frozen for up to 2 months.)
• To serve, remove the cake from the foil and strip away the lining. Place on a board or serving plate and tie with a decorative ribbon.

FRUIT SLAB CAKE

Steps:

• Cream margarine and sugar then gradually add in the eggs.
• Fold in remaining ingredients, pour into loaf tin and bake at 350F for 1 hour.

BUTTERMILK FRUIT TOPPING

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine buttermilk and pudding mix. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Fold in whipped topping. Chill for 1 hour. Serve over fruit.

NO-BAKE FRUIT TOPPED CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Mix crumbs, cocoa and melted butter and press into the bottom of foil lined 8" round cake tin with spring base.
• Beat cream cheese until soft, add condensed milk gradually, then lemon juice.
• Pour onto biscuit base and chill 4hrs or overnight.
• Once cheesecake is well chilled arrange well drained fruit decoratively on top of cheesecake and return to fridge - I like to freeze cheescake before this step then it is much easier to work with, jelly sets quickly and it is it easy to get out of springform without cracking jelly.
• Mix syrups together, except for the dark cherry syrup which is too dark, and sprinkle gelatine over; let it soak into syrup then mix well and chill in fridge until it is just starting to set - it will set quickly once it is on chilled cheesecake so don't wait for it to be almost set or it will be lumpy when you spoon it over fruit. It is right when it is only just starting to set but still able to be poured.
• Take cheesecake from fridge and gently pour the jelly over the fruit making sure it is as even as possible, return cheesecake to fridge. Any bubbles, prick with point of a knife.
• Once cheesecake and jelly top are well set and firm remove from springform pan and set on large serving plate; pipe whipped cream around edge of cheesecake, then return to fridge until ready to serve.
• FOR CREAMIER CHEESECAKE; To make extra light and creamy add another 250g tub of light cream cheese and use a 1/2 cup lemon juice instead of 1/3 cup.

BERRY-TOPPED COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9-in. springform pan., Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg and lemon zest. In another bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, salt and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well (batter will be thick). Spread into prepared pan., For topping, mix sugar, flour and cinnamon; toss gently with berries. Distribute over batter to within 1 in. of sides. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove rim from pan. , Mix glaze ingredients. Drizzle over warm coffee cake.