Follow our fast route to building a low-fat angel food cake--store-bought or home-made--into a pyramid of luscious seasonal fruit.
Preparation time 20 minutes
Refrigeration Time 2 hours
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:6 cups ( 1.5 L) cut-up mixed fruit, such as berries, peaches, mangoes or kiwis
2 tbsp ( 30 mL) rum (optional)
1 tbsp ( up to 2 tbsp, 15 to 30 mL) granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups ( 375 mL) drained ricotta or mascarpone cheese
1-1/2 cups ( 375 mL) whipping cream
1/4 cup ( up to 1/3 cup, 50 to 75 mL) granulated sugar
2 tsp ( 10 mL) finely grated orange peel (optional)
2 tsp ( 10 mL) vanilla
8 inch ( 20-cm) store-bought angel food cake; or homemade from mix, which I found to be better (see tip below if using home-made cake)
Directions:
If using peaches, mangoes or other stone fruit, peel and discard pits. Cut large fruit into small bite-size pieces. Cut strawberries into halves or quarters depending on their size. Place fruit in a bowl and stir in rum, if using. Taste and stir in just enough sugar to sweeten a little. This will help to create juice. Set aside at room temperature.
In large bowl of a stand-up mixer or in a large deep bowl, combine cheese and cream. Add 1/3 cup (75 mL) sugar to mixture if you are using ricotta cheese. Use only 1/4 cup (50 mL) if using mascarpone. Add orange peel, if you like. Using low speed of an electric mixer, beat mixture until it begins to thicken, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and beat until very thick, from 3 to 4 minutes. Then beat in vanilla.
Meanwhile, using a serrated knife, cut cake into 3 equally thick layers. Measure out 2 cups (500 mL) fruit mixture and set aside for topping. To assemble, place widest cake layer on a platter (with some store-bought cakes, the top of the cake is wider than the bottom).
Using a palette or butter knife, spread a thin layer of ricotta mixture, about 3/4 cup (175 mL), evenly over cut surface of cake. Then spoon half of unreserved fruit over ricotta-spread cake. Lightly spread a layer of ricotta over bottom of middle cake layer and set on top of berries. Gently press down cake. Spread another layer of ricotta, about 3/4 cup (175 mL), over cut surface of middle cake layer. Top with remaining fruit. Lightly spread ricotta over cut surface of last layer of cake. Set, ricotta-side down, on top of fruit. Lightly press down.
Ice top with remaining ricotta mixture. If serving within 2 hours, arrange reserved fruit decoratively overtop of cake. Store in the refrigerator for 2 hours. If storing longer, don't add cut fruit to top until just before serving. Refrigerated cake will keep well for at least 6 hours; after that time, cake may become soggy. Carefully slice with a serrated knife and place a wedge of cake on dessert plates.
Home-made angel food cake:
Angel food cakes made at home from scratch or a mix are larger than most store-bought angel food cakes. So, follow recipe above, but increase fruit to 8 cups (2 L) and ricotta or mascarpone cheese and whipping cream to 2 cups (500 mL) each. You will need to generously spread each cake layer with about 1 cup (250 mL) of cheese-cream mixture. Yummy in the tummy
How's everyone doing,it's a little cooler down here.
ReplyDeleteHow's Nana still giving you hell??
Is Brian feeling any better, I hope so???
I bet Maxy is keeping you company.
Hi Toots.
ReplyDeleteHi cutie
ReplyDeleteYou let me know tonight when you wish to log off. I know you have to be up bright and early.
ReplyDeleteWatcha ya doing? The big day tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteThe weather was mercifully cooler. It was a pleasure to be outside today. We hope it stays like this for a while at least.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid we had sunny, pleasantly warm days where we stayed out all day long and only went home when it was dark.
Okay I will....the girls is so excited and I have been crying all day...but I will make it.
ReplyDeleteTomorrow is a big day for us and a big day for you and your girls.
ReplyDeleteHas it ever been this hot there???
ReplyDeleteIt seems to be getting hotter each year here.
Poor Nee. It is so hard to be a mom and I mean that sincerely. But don't fret they will come home to you at the end of the day.
ReplyDeleteWhat's your big day???
ReplyDeleteThankyou, I know it is hard and with you/Sis help and advice I will make it.
ReplyDeleteMy baby is growing up and I will hold her hand all the way.
We have had a few heat waves in the last ten years but they are usually a few days to a week at the most. This has gone on for weeks and that has never happened before.It has never been so hot for so long in Europe either.
ReplyDeleteTomorrow we go to the cancer centre and find out if Brian's cancer cell count has gone up.
ReplyDeleteWhere in hell did this Judith Harris person get her sense from.
ReplyDeleteParents do have the power to shape their kids minds and teach them the right roads to take.
Right you are honey.Not every damn thing is hereditary.
ReplyDeleteI will say a prayer that the cells has stabilize and everything will work out for the best.
ReplyDeleteThose are my prayers for tonight.
Thankyou sweetie. I very much appreciate the gesture. If a prayer can help, I know my voodoo woman's will have some power.
ReplyDelete[giggles] PIC...if everything was hereditary, ask that Harris person what the hell happen to me.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Susan is right , daddy/mama found me in a head of cabbage.haha
I think a parent's influence is greater than anything a kid inherits.
ReplyDeleteA child may inherit great talent but unless a parent nurtures and coaxes it along and encourages, it will never develop.
When I say prayer....I mean there will be a lot of people in sinc tomorrow hoping for the same thing and maybe there's power in a lot of people being on the same wave length.
ReplyDeleteIf parents had no influence on kids they would still be shitting their pants and eating with their hands at fifteen.
ReplyDeleteI definitely believe that there is power in many people being on the same wavelength and thinking the same thing.
ReplyDeleteI agree...we see it here with the girls, when they started to read and want their own books, we encourage them, Gil would read to them at bedtime and they took it from there.
ReplyDeleteJust like the twins, they have different thins they like and you/family encourage them...Sammy is good at what he does and Jakey is good at what he does. As they grow older, maybe there will be other things they want to do...
I found a nice little mall today. it had a Walmart supercentre there.The produce was excellent. I have never bought groceries at a Walmart before. I like Soby's and Zehrs usually.
ReplyDeleteI baked the banana cake, it's good.
ReplyDeleteI will use the store bought cake..it's to much trouble to make a homemade angel food cake.
What time is his appointment???
ReplyDeleteWe agree on that. A little push in the right direction can change the course of a child's life.
ReplyDeleteWhat about brilliant musicians. Where would they be if their mothers hadn't forced them to take lessons when they wanted to go out and play?
His appointment is at three tomorrow. I'm very nervous. He's not.
ReplyDeleteI buy most of my groceries at Walmart supercenter,we have about 4/5 here.
ReplyDeleteI find the meats/vegetables are more fresher because most everyone shops there and I buy a lot of stuff there...I call it my one stop shop.[giggles]
"B" has great faith and he know things will be fine and he don't think both of your need to be nervous.
ReplyDeleteSweetie...he's bounced back from everything that been thrown at him, so my money is on "B".
What a strong man.
We have three Walmarts. Our town is fairly small. I shop there mostly at Christmas for the kids.But not too often besides that.I will use it more often now because the food was good and fresh.As you say it is so busy there the food doesn't have time to get stale.
ReplyDeleteI was in a shopping mood today. I saw a lovely little mirrored vanity at Bowrings but B wouldn't let me have it.
ReplyDeleteI had a bit of trouble with my Jag and he said that cost him enough today, as if it was my fault.
ReplyDeleteI love that guy.
ReplyDeleteThe girls loves going there, sometime we spend half a day there.
ReplyDeleteDo you have a Sam's Club there??
There's also 2 across the river.
We have one that stays open 24 hours.
I think Nana will enjoy shopping there.
Do you have a handicap sticker for Nana you can hang in your car when you get out???
I'll see if Jaye wants to go shopping with me tomorrow. It'll take my mind off the doctor's appointment.She is always up for shopping.She's like a hyperactive mouse when you set her loose in a store.
ReplyDeleteYes we have Sam's Clubs. Sam used to think they belonged to him.
ReplyDeleteJaye likes to shop at Costco where she buys big clubpacks of everything. The food is fresh there too. I stopped going there because we don't need 50 rolls of toilet tissue at one time.
Just like a man...everything our fault...how can you not love that man, he loves you so much.
ReplyDeleteNever shop with a man unless you are going to buy boy things, this one here tells me the same thing.
Did your Jag overheat, it's happening a lot hear.
[giggles] I'm going to tell my man I want a Jag.
Wouldn't I look funny with my babies stached on top of each other. Hahaha
We shop at Costco...NAN and I collect money from these old folks and go shopping for them and they love it...we go once a month.
ReplyDeleteWe do have a handicapped sticker for Nana. It's great when parking in a crowded mall.
ReplyDeleteI bet you and Jaye will have a ball at Walmart just looking.
ReplyDeleteGo for it girl, Jaye is up to it.
I have one for myself...when I had my legs worked on....you can always use it wheh you go out.
ReplyDeleteA Jag wouldn't dare overheat. No I think it was a computer problem. My Jag doesn't like the computers they put under the hood.
ReplyDeleteOne last question...Do you think Sandra stay sane or go crazy and take Jesse back ? I hope she keeps her head on straight.
ReplyDeleteWe don't see many Jags here but they are cute little devils.
ReplyDeleteShe would be mad to take him back. He is a no good, lazy, cheating, gold-digging arse-hole.
ReplyDeleteI hope her common sense has kicked in by now. She says she won't take him back but she has a weakness for bad boys.
ReplyDeleteI looked in my crystal ball today and I saw where you was going to get a surprise next week.
ReplyDeleteWonder what that's all about.
Oh well, I'll just have to wait and see. hahaha
There's a lot more bad boys out there and I bet they would treat her nice.
ReplyDeleteBy the way. The store bought angel cake will work fine.
ReplyDeleteEveryone is pretty tired of strawberries right now (I just couldn't find a picture of an angel cake with any other fruit).This recipe suggests more tropical fruit like mangos and kiwis.Peaches and berries mix with them very well too. The more kinds of fruit the better.
Do you want to sign off now honey?
ReplyDeleteThe reason I hate surprises is because they come in two kinds of packages. Very good or very bad. Both kinds make me uncomfortable.
ReplyDeleteDoes your crystal ball say which kind it is??
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness gracious...I just looked at the time.
ReplyDeleteFreah fruit is plentiful now and I will fix one tomorrow.
Yes and it is a good one...not bad at all.
ReplyDeleteThats why I was asking so many questions the other night.
You are so nosey...I guess that's why I love you.[giggles]
ReplyDeleteI hate to go so early, but I must but I will see you here at the pond tomorrow taht damn gator is loose again...HA !
ReplyDeleteOkay Sweetie get some rest or you will be exhausted tomorrow.I thank you again for your good wishes and prayers. I will tell Brian about it.
ReplyDeleteSleep well, you are not losing your babies. They always come home again.Gilly will be the guy with the problem. He will not undertand and he might give them attitude when they get home tomorrow...
LUV and HUGS...PIC
Thankyou and have a goodnight...
ReplyDeleteI will keep my little man busy helping me cook.
I think Gilly will handle it better than I...My baby girl is going to school for big kids.
Goodnight Sweetie and pleasent dreams and everything will turn out fine...you will see.
GOODNITE...HUGS & KISSES...PIC
Kiss the ROCK.