Crema De Fruta Layered Cake

 

Crema De Fruta Layered Cake

 Cake

The holidays are here! I am finally back with a brand new recipe that is perfect for this time of year! Crema de Fruta is a classic Filipino dessert that has a nice soft and fluffy chiffon or sponge cake layered with a whipped cream or, as I would always like to use, a creamy custard. 

In this recipe I changed it up a bit. Instead of baking it the classic way, which is using a rectangular pan, I decided to turn it into a round layered cake with a creamy pastry cream and a swiss meringue frosting. 

Originally, the recipe for the cake included only about a cup of cake flour which makes it really light and fluffy but when I tried making it into a round layered cake, the cake fell apart because it was too delicate. So, to give it more structure, I decided to add more flour. 

The cake turned out pretty elegant, and it has an amazing combination of pineapple and lemon flavors. It definitely is perfect for Noche Buena or any celebrations you have throughout the year. 

Crema De Fruta Layered Cake

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Total time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

For the Cake

• 2 cups sifted cake flour

• 2 ¼ tsp baking powder

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 6 pcs egg yolks

• 6 pcs egg whites

• 1 tsp lemon extract

• 1/2 cup oil

• 1/2 cup pineapple juice 

• 1/2 cup sugar

• ½ tsp salt 

For the Custard:

• 2 cups whole milk

• ½ cup sugar (divided)

• 3 egg yolks

• ¼ cup cornstarch

• 1 tsp lemon extract

• ⅛ tsp of salt

For the Meringue Frosting:

• 3 egg whites

• ¾ cup sugar

• ⅛ tsp of salt (for better stability)

• 1 tsp lemon extract

Additional:

• 1 can of Fruit Cocktail, drained

• Light syrup from fruit cocktail

Procedure

1. For the Cream: Combine the milk, water, the 1/4 cup of sugar, and salt in a saucepan then let it simmer in low heat. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Give it a quick mix then add the cornstarch and whisk until light in color.
2. Bring the hot simmered milk from the heat and pour it into the egg mixture a little at a time. Then, bring the combined mixtures back to the pot or saucepan and stir it constantly until it turns to a creamy texture. 
3. Transfer the cream to another container and cover with plastic wrap making sure it touches the cream to prevent a film from forming.
4. Preheat the oven to 340F. 
5. For the cake: Sift the cake flour and baking powder in one bowl then set it aside. In another bowl, combine the sugar and egg yolks and mix with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy. While mixing, gradually add the oil and the pineapple juice. In another bowl, add the egg whites and salt then beat with an electric hand mixer with a clean and dry whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites until foamy then slowly add the sugar. Keep beating until stiff peaks form.
6. Fold in some of the meringue into the egg yolk mixture and then fold in the whole egg yolk mixture into the meringue. Once these are well combined, add the dry ingredients then fold gently. . 
7. Pour this over your prepared 10" round pan for 40-45 minutes or until done. 
8. After the cake is baked, cool this completely then remove the cake from the pan by inverting it into a wire wrack. In the meantime, drain the fruit cocktail and save the syrup.
9. Once the cake is cooled, divide the cake into 2 layers with a serrated knife. Brush the first layer with some of the fruit cocktail syrup. Frost the first cake with a thin layer of meringue and pipe some meringue around the sides of the first layer. In the middle, spread the first half of the pastry cream. Top the first layer with the second layer and repeat. 
10. Design the cake as desired with the fruit cocktail.
11. Before serving, allow this to set in the fridge for at least an hour.