FRUIT JOY CAKE

Fruit Joy Cake - a delicious cake recipe that brings an explosion of flavors and colors, perfect for any occasion! This elegant cake, with a soft crust and fine cream, is a real feast for the senses. Get ready to spoil your family and friends with a culinary masterpiece that is sure to become everyone's favorite.

Preparation time
- Preparation time: 30 minutes
- Baking time: 20 minutes
- Cooling time: 1 hour
- Total time: 2 hours
- Servings: 8-10

Ingredients
For Batter 1:
- 3 eggs
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- Juice from ½ lemon
- 2 tablespoons cocoa

For Batter 2 (layer of pieccottes):
- 13-14 piecrusts
- 4 tablespoons instant cocoa
- 300 ml warm water

For the Cream:
- 500 g mascarpone
- 500 ml whipped cream
- 1 can tropical fruit compote
- 5 tablespoons powdered sugar

For Decor:
- Pies (for the rim)
- 100 g dark chocolate
- Fruit compote (for decoration)
- Cake decorations

Brief history
The "Fruit Joy" cake is a traditional recipe that brings together many people's favorite ingredients: chocolate, fruit and whipped cream. This combination is not only delicious, but also brings a touch of freshness to any celebration. Over the years, fruit cakes have been associated with moments of joy and celebration, being prepared for birthdays, weddings and other special occasions.

Step by step instructions

Step 1: Prepare the oven and tray
Start by preheating the oven to 180°C. While the oven is warming up, prepare a round tray with removable sides and line it with baking paper to make it easier to remove the cake after baking.

Step 2: Prepare the pastry
1. Scrubbing the eggs: In a large bowl, add the yolks from the 3 eggs, along with the salt and sugar. Use a mixer or spatula to rub them well until they become a light-colored foam.
2. Beat the egg whites: In another bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. This step is essential to get a fluffy batter.
3. Mixing the egg whites: With a spatula, add the beaten egg whites to the egg yolk mixture, stirring gently from bottom to top to keep the air in the whites.
4. Adding the dry ingredients: Si sift in the flour and cocoa, then gradually add them to the mixture, continuing to stir gently.
5. Activating the baking powder: Stir the baking powder with the lemon juice and fold it into the batter.
6. Baking: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level it. Bake for 20 minutes, checking with a toothpick to see if it's cooked (if the toothpick comes out clean, the pastry is done). After baking, allow to cool in the tray.

Step 3: Making the custard
1. Draining the fruit: Place the compote fruit in a colander to drain well of the syrup. Once drained, cut them into small cubes.
2. Mixing the cheese: In a bowl, mix the mascarpone cheese with the powdered sugar, using a mixer until it becomes a fine, frothy cream.
3. Whipping the cream: In a separate bowl, whip the cream until stiff, then add it to the mascarpone cream, mixing gently with a spatula.
4. Incorporating the fruit: Add ¾ of the diced fruit to the resulting cream, stirring gently so as not to break up the fruit.

Step 4: Assembling the cake
1. Assembly: Remove the ring from the tray and place the cake on a flat plate. Drizzle the top with the compote syrup to keep it moist.
2. Adding the cream: Spread half of the mascarpone cream over the top of the pastry, leveling it evenly.
3. Preparing the piecotta layers: In a bowl, mix the instant cocoa with the warm water. Dip the pieccottes in this solution and place on top of the cream.
4. Continuing to assemble: Spread 2 tablespoons of the cream and add the rest over the pieccottes, leveling again.

Step 5: Cool the cake
Refrigerate the cake for about 1 hour to set the cream and combine the flavors.

Step 6: Decorating the cake
1. Removing the ring: After the cake has chilled, remove the ring and coat the cake in the remaining cream, making sure it is even.
2. Decorating: Break the dark chocolate into pieces and melt it in a steam bath. Use the melted chocolate to glaze the tops of the piecrusts, then place them on the edge of the cake, tying them with a bow.
3. Finish the decoration: Use the remaining fruit and decorations to give the cake a festive look.

Practical tips
- Fruit selection: You can use any type of fruit from the compote, but choose the ones you like best. Fresh fruit is a great choice to add a touch of freshness.
- Gluten-free version: If you want a gluten-free version, you can replace the flour with almond flour or coconut flour (be sure to adjust the quantities).
- Complementary drinks: The cake goes perfectly with a sweet wine or a cup of flavored coffee. Fruit tea can also add a refreshing touch.

Nutrition Facts
One serving of Fruit Joy Cake contains approx:
- Calories: 350
- Fat: 22 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Protein: 5 g

This cake is not only delicious but also a source of energy thanks to the fruit and protein in the mascarpone and whipped cream.

Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I use other types of cream?
Yes, you can replace the mascarpone cream with a cream cheese or vanilla cream depending on your preference.

2. Can I make the cake the day before?
Absolutely! The cake gets tastier as it sits in the fridge and the flavors combine perfectly.

3. How can I store the cake?
The cake keeps well in the fridge, covered with cling film, for 2-3 days.

Enjoy this tasty recipe and feel free to share your experience with your loved ones! Fruit Joy Cake is not only a delicacy but also a wonderful way to celebrate special moments in life.