Jelly Fruit Cake

Today I want to show you how to make beautiful Jelly Fruit Cake! We’ll make a delicate Vanilla Sponge Cake filled with delightful Cream Cheese Frosting with White Chocolate and yummy fruits and, of cause, we’ll decorate the cake with jelly and tons of fruits.

This décor is gaining popularity and is similar to an Island Cake with Jelly. If you haven’t seen my Island cake tutorial yet, be sure to check it out.

Ingredients for the cake:

165g sifted flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
4 eggs
150g sugar
1/8 tsp salt
60g butter
120 ml whole milk

Ingredient for the frosting:

375g cream cheese
100g powdered sugar
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
375 g white chocolate
300 ml heavy whipping cream

Ingredients for the jelly:

200 ml water
50g sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
15 g powdered gelatin
90 ml water

Ingredients for the chocolate ganache:

100g white chocolate
30g butter

Fruits for the filling:

2 kiwis
15 oz mandarin oranges in 100% fruit juice

* Slice them thin and lay out on the paper towel to get rid off the extra juice before assembling the cake.

Fruits for the top of the cake:

Any seasonal fruits you like

Step 1

Before starting to make the cake, we’ll need to prepare a baking pan. I will use an 8-inch baking ring. This ring is high enough and the baked sponge cake can be divided into three cake layers. I used a piece of parchment paper and foil to cover one side of the ring. Try as best as you can to attach the foil to the ring so that the cake dough doesn’t leak out. Also, preheat the oven to 340 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2

Add baking powder to the flour, mix well and set aside. In a stand mixer bowl combine the eggs, salt and sugar. Beat the eggs on medium-high speed until they’re light and fluffy for about 5 to 7 minutes. While the eggs are beating, add the butter to the milk and heat until the butter is completely melted. I’m using a microwave, but you can do it in a saucepan, using the stove top.

Step 2

Meanwhile, our eggs were beaten, the mixture increased in volume and brightened. Next, add the dry ingredients and gently mix it with a spatula. When the dry ingredients are incorporated, add the hot mixture of butter and milk and keep mixing gently with a spatula.

Step 3

Place the prepared baking ring on a baking sheet and pour the dough into the ring. Bake at 340 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes. Check the readiness of the cake with a skewer or toothpick. The skewer inserted into the cake should come out dry.

Step 4

Let the cake cool in the baking ring for about 10 minute or so, then with a sharp knife slice between the cake and the baking ring. Take the ring off, invert the cake and carefully take off the parchment paper and foil from the bottom. Let the cake cool.

Step 5

When the cake is warm to the touch, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2-4 hours or overnight.

Step 6

For my cake fruits filling I will use sliced kiwi and canned mandarin oranges. I drained the mandarin juice and will soak the cake layers with it.

*If you don’t use any canned fruits, then you can make a simple syrup for soaking the cake. In a saucepan combine 200ml of water and 100g of sugar, boil it for a minute then transfer to a bowl and let it cool to room temperature.

My cake is chilled and now we can start to make the frosting.  Start by microwaving the chocolate for 20 seconds (or 10 seconds if at a high temperature) then take the bowl out and give it a stir. Place the bowl back in the microwave and repeat the process of cooking for another 20 seconds, stopping, stirring and returning it to the microwave until the chocolate has melted. Set aside to cool down.

Step 7

Place the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and add powdered sugar. Mix with a spatula to soften the cheese and combine the ingredients. Using a hand mixer beat the mixture for a couple of minutes.

Step 8

Add vanilla extract and melted chocolate. Using a hand mixer beat the mixture again until it’s all combined well.  Add the whipping cream and beat again until the cream cheese filling thickens. Don’t overbeat the mixture.

In a separate bowl put aside a third of the filling. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until decorating the cake.

Step 9

Using a cake leveler or a bread knife divide the cake into three layers.

Step 10

Place the first cake layer on the serving plate or a cake board and soak with the preserved juice from the mandarin oranges. Put the adjustable baking ring around the first cake layer, place the cake collar inside the ring and adjust the ring so that it fits tight around the cake.

Step 11

Spread about a fourth of the filling on top of the cake. For my convenience, I put the filling in a pastry bag, but this can be done with a spoon or spatula. Place an even layer of sliced kiwi on top of the cream cheese filling and cover the fruits with more frosting.

Step 12

Add the second layer of the cake. Soak it with juice and cover with cream cheese filling. Place an even layer of mandarin oranges on top of the filling and cover them with more frosting.

*You can use any other fruits you like to put between the layers. Slice them thin and lay them out on a paper towel to get rid of any extra juice before assembling the cake.

Step 13

Soak the third cake layer with the juice and cover the cake with the soaked side down. Cover the assembled cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-6 hours or overnight. During this time the cake will soak in all the flavor and settle a little.

Step 14

My cake chilled overnight and now we can start to decorate the cake. We’ll start by preparing the fruits. I already washed and dried some grapes, blackberries, blueberries, mango, pomegranate and oranges. Some of the grapes I sliced in half and I prepare halves and quarters of orange slices. I also have some mint leaves to add green color to my fruit composition.

*You can use any other seasonal fruits you like.

Step 15

Next, we’ll make the jelly. Add the smaller portion of the water to the gelatin powder, mix very well and set aside for 15-20 minutes. In a saucepan, bring the rest of the water, sugar and lemon juice to a boil.

Cook it for about 2 minutes whisking all together until the sugar is dissolved and remove the saucepan from the heat. Transfer the sugar syrup to a bowl and let it cool while dissolving the bloomed gelatin.

Step 16

Microwave the gelatin mixture for 15 seconds then take the bowl out and give it a stir. Repeat the process if there are pieces of unmelted gelatin. Be careful to not overheat the gelatin.

While constantly stirring, pour the gelatin into the water. The water and gelatin need to be approximately the same temperature. Strain the syrup through a small sieve to a clean bowl and let it cool to room temperature.

Step 17

Take of the plastic wrap, adjustable ring and acetate film from the chilled cake. Using a sharp knife carve the cake creating a difference in the height of the cake. It’s totally up to you how to carve the cake and it doesn’t have to be perfect. Don’t forget to have a cup of coffee with all the cake scraps))

Step 18

Next step is to cover the open cut and the top of the cake with cream cheese frosting that we saved in the beginning and refrigerate the cake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a microwave melt a small amount of white chocolate and a piece of butter. Mix it with a spoon to a smooth consistency. Cover the cut on the cake with the chocolate ganache, this way we create a protective layer between the cake and the jelly. Then refrigerate the cake for another 15 minutes.

Step 19

The white chocolate coating has hardened and now we can start to decorate the cake with the fruits. I use the same chocolate ganache to glue the fruits to the cake. Use the cream cheese frosting to glue the fruits to the top of the cake. You can use mint leaves to give the cake a final touch.

Step 20

Next, is a very important step. We’ll need to glue the acetate film to the cake in order to prevent the jelly from leaking out. Pipe the frosting under the fruits. Place the acetate film around the cake. Go over it with your hands to make sure it sticks well. Place the adjustable baking ring on top and adjust the ring so that it fits tight around the cake. One more step to prevent the jelly from leaking out is to secure the edges with a few layers of tape.

Step 21

When the gelatin has reached room temperature, pour a little bit of it into the form, filling about half an inch. Then refrigerate the cake for 15 minutes. When the first layer of gelly sets, pour the second one and refrigerate the cake again. When the second layer of jelly sets, pour the rest of the gelatin and keep it refrigerated. You can also brush the fruits with the gelatin syrup to give them a shine and keep them from winding up.

Step 22

When the gelly sets, remove the tape, adjustable ring and the acetate film. Frost the cake around the fruits with the remaining cream cheese frosting and add more fruits if needed.

The cake is ready! I think you can agree with me that it’s not difficult to make. This gorgeous cake can be the center of any celebration!

I want to cut the cake and show you how it looks inside.

Moist sponge cake, delicate filling and a lot of fruits… Yamm!

Notes:

Make sure the cake is chilled in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours or overnight before decorating it.
If you don’t use any canned fruits, then you can make a simple syrup for soaking the cake. In a saucepan combine 200 ml of water and 100g of sugar, boil it for a minute then transfer to a bowl and let it cool to room temperature.
You can use any other fruits you like to put between the layers. Slice them thin and lay them out on a paper towel to get rid of any extra juice before assembling the cake.

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