Cherry and Strawberry Cake
The cherry and strawberry cake is perfect for warm days when the fruits are fresh and fragrant. It has a simple base, two layers of pudding, and fruits soaked in sugar to form syrup. It is prepared without complicated creams, but it needs a few hours in the refrigerator for the layers to settle and the gelatin to take effect. I made it for my family and it was especially appreciated for being refreshing and easy to serve. Quick Info Total time: approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes, including chilling in the refrigerator Preparation time: not specified exactly; time is needed for the base, puddings, fruits, and assembly Baking time: approximately 30 minutes Cooling time: 3-4 hours Servings: the number depends on the thickness of the slices Difficulty: medium Recipe type: cold fruit cake, suitable for festive days and family meals Ingredients For the base 5 eggs 5 tablespoons granulated sugar 5 tablespoons flour 1 pinch of salt 1/2 packet baking powder 1 tablespoon lemon juice, to deactivate the baking powder For the strawberry pudding layer 1/2 liter milk 1 packet strawberry pudding powder 4 tablespoons sugar 4 tablespoons cold milk, for dissolving the pudding powder 1 packet gelatin, 10 g 100 ml cold water, for hydrating the gelatin 500 g strawberries 5 tablespoons sugar, for strawberries For the vanilla pudding and cherry layer 1/2 liter milk 1 packet vanilla pudding powder 4 tablespoons sugar 4 tablespoons cold milk, for dissolving the pudding powder 1 packet gelatin, 10 g 100 ml cold water, for hydrating the gelatin 500 g cherries 5 tablespoons sugar, for cherries For decoration, optional Whipped cream Preparation method 1. Preparing the base Before starting, preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Separate the eggs if this is the method you usually use for simple bases, then prepare the mixture from the 5 eggs, 5 tablespoons of sugar, flour, salt, and the baking powder deactivated with lemon juice. In the original recipe, the ingredients are mentioned together, without a separate mixing order. Line the baking tray and pour in the mixture. Bake the base at 180 degrees for about 30 minutes. Check it with a toothpick; if it comes out clean, the base is baked. Let it cool in the tray before cutting. 2. Preparing the fruits Wash the strawberries, remove the stems, and sprinkle the 5 tablespoons of sugar over them. Slice the strawberries before assembly or after they have sat a bit in sugar. Wash the cherries, pit them, and sprinkle the 5 tablespoons of sugar over them. Set the fruits aside to form syrup. Do not throw away the syrup; it will be used to soak the base. 3. Strawberry pudding Put the pudding powder in a bowl and mix it with the 4 tablespoons of sugar and the 4 tablespoons of cold milk. Stir until there are no lumps. Put the remaining milk to boil. When it is hot, add the pudding mixture and stir continuously until the composition thickens. In a separate bowl, hydrate the gelatin in 100 ml of cold water. Then heat the gelatin in a water bath, stirring until it homogenizes. There is no need to let it boil. Pour the warm gelatin over the strawberry pudding and mix well. 4. Vanilla pudding Prepare the vanilla pudding in the same way. Mix the pudding powder with the sugar and cold milk, and boil the remaining milk. Incorporate the mixture into the hot milk and stir until the pudding thickens. Hydrate and heat the second packet of gelatin in 100 ml of cold water, then in a water bath. When it is homogeneous and warm, pour it over the vanilla pudding and mix. 5. Assembling the cake Cut the cooled base into two layers. In the tray where you baked the base, place plastic wrap so you can easily remove the cake after cooling. First, pour the strawberry pudding. Place the sliced strawberries on top. Put one of the base halves over the strawberry layer and soak it with the syrup left from the strawberries. Continue with the vanilla pudding, then add the drained cherries. Place the second half of the base on top and pour the syrup left from the cherries over it. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and place the tray in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours. This time is necessary for the puddings with gelatin to set and for the cake to be turned out without losing its shape. 6. Removing from the tray After the cake has been in the refrigerator long enough, remove the tray and turn the cake onto a plate or serving tray. Carefully remove the plastic wrap. The cake can be served plain or decorated with whipped cream. Why I make this recipe often I love the recipe because it uses seasonal fruits and does not require a complicated cream. The base is prepared with few ingredients, and the puddings are easy to find. The strawberries and cherries leave enough syrup to moisten the base, and the cake stays cool and is easy to serve in slices. Additionally, the recipe can be adapted with other seasonal fruits. Tips and variations Tips Let the base cool before cutting. If it is still hot, it can break more easily. The cherries must be drained before being placed over the vanilla pudding; otherwise, the excess liquid can thin the cream layer. The syrup is kept separately for the top base. Gelatin is added to the puddings after they have thickened. It is important that it is warm and homogeneous, not hot and boiling. The cake must be cooled well before being turned out. If it is taken out too early from the refrigerator, the layers may slide. Substitutions Cherries can be replaced with other seasonal fruits if they leave enough syrup and match the texture of the cake. Strawberries can also be swapped with other fruits, depending on the season. Variations You can use only one type of fruit if you do not have both strawberries and cherries on hand. In this case, the chosen fruit can be used in the layer with one of the puddings, while the other pudding can remain plain. The cake can be decorated with whipped cream after it has been turned out and the plastic wrap has been removed. The decoration is added before serving or after the cake has been taken out of the refrigerator. Serving ideas Serve the cake cold, cut into slices. It is suitable for a holiday, a family meal, or a summer dessert. If you decorate it with whipped cream, it should be added last, after the cake has retained its shape. Frequently asked questions Can the cake be prepared a day in advance? Yes, the cake can be prepared in advance and kept in the refrigerator until serving. It is even helpful to have enough time for the layers to set. Keep it covered so it does not absorb odors from the refrigerator. What do I do if the pudding is not cold enough when I add the gelatin? The gelatin is added warm over the pudding, not cold, but the pudding should not be boiling. Mix well after adding so that the gelatin distributes evenly. Do the strawberries need to be drained before assembly? The strawberries are placed over the pudding, and their syrup is used to soak the base. If they have released a lot of liquid, it is good not to pour it all at once so that the base does not become too soft. Can the cake be served without decoration? Yes. The cake can be served plain after it has been turned out and the plastic wrap has been removed. Whipped cream is just a decoration option. Why is plastic wrap used in the tray? The plastic wrap helps in removing the cake after cooling. Placed before pouring the pudding, it allows for easier turning out of the entire cake. Nutritional values The values below are estimates, as the weight of the pudding packets is not specified, and the number of slices can vary. For guidance, the calculation is made for approximately 12 slices, without whipped cream. One slice may contain approximately 240-280 kcal, 45-55 g carbohydrates, 5-7 g protein, and 4-6 g fat. The majority of carbohydrates come from sugar, flour, fruits, and pudding powder. The whipped cream added for decoration will increase the caloric value and fat content. Storage and reheating Keep the cake covered in the refrigerator. Since it contains fresh fruits and pudding, it is best consumed while fresh. It does not freeze and cannot be reheated. Before serving, cut it directly cold, after it has been in the refrigerator long enough.
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