Today we are going to talk about structure. As in cake structure. Perhaps this post should have been titled, “The Cake that Almost Didn’t Make it to the Party”. Sometimes I get a good idea but do not always think them through from conception to execution and will pay the price because of my lack of planning. As in this case. My babysitter was having a large Open House party to celebrate her high school graduation. Her mom is one of my closest friends and I said that I would make a cake for the party. 50 people? Sure, no problem. What would you like? I don’t know. Do you like chocolate? No, not really. Peanut butter? Nah. What do you like? I like fruit. Really? I can make you any dessert and you want fruit? I decided to make a take on a Fruit Basket Cake (which I had never heard of before until I moved to California). Yellow Buttermilk Cake layers, with a Lemon Filling, freshly whipped cream and lots of berries. Sounds good to me.
The problem was that I made a rather large cake, 14 inches, and should have either made two smaller cakes or used a sturdier cake like a pound cake. Since the Yellow Buttermilk cake was so thin, it did not have enough stability to hold the layers. It started to crack and I really worried if it was going to just crumble and fall apart. It didn’t, but I should have known better. Lesson learned. I wasn’t going to post this cake but then I realized that it is a perfect 4th of July Dessert. It was not hard to make at all and it looks really impressive. You could use a boxed Yellow Cake mix, skip the Lemon Filling (or use a can) and just do whipped cream and berries and you still have an amazing and easy dessert.
I will most definitely make this Fruit Basket Cake again. It is so fresh tasting and light and gorgeous. I will just fix my structural problem. I would make this and bake it in 9 inch pans and make the cake really tall. It will be gorgeous.
Speaking of gorgeous, this is Kenzie, my babysitter at her prom. She is one of the nicest, kindest, and sweetest people that I know. She is wonderful with our children and we love her. I just wanted to tell her that.
I used this Yellow Buttermilk Cake Recipe and this Lemon Filling Recipe. I baked one batch of the cake batter in a 14 inch pan and did it twice. I would bake it in a smaller pan to make the cake taller and have better support next time. Spread a thin layer of the lemon filling over the cooled cake.
I made a HUGE batch of whipped cream. 4 cups of cream, 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, 2 packages of Whip-It (i have recently been introduced to this product and I love it! Thanks Corey) and 1 Tablespoon vanilla.
Whip it until it is on the firm side.
Add an even layer of the whipped cream.
Add a layer of mixed berries. I used raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries.
Repeat with another set of layers. I add a ton more berries on the top layer. I wanted this cake to look rustic and homemade. See how it started to crack? It still tasted amazing and no one even noticed the crack. If they did, they were polite enough to not mention it. I very well may have cried if they did.
It looks so pretty on the dessert table.
The party was really nice. Great food, nice people, and a beautiful home. Clay has not gotten the memo that he is 2. He likes to hang with the big kids. I was very flattered, they served my Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches and they were a hit.
The graduation girl liked her cake and this is really all that mattered right? That is what I am telling myself anyway.
I am Bree. I love to cook. Even more than I love to take pictures.
The cake looks lovely despite the structural problem. Good job, Bree!! Congratulations to Kenzie!
P.S. I hope you can stop by to participate in my giveaway if you would like a paella pan.
That looks divine to me! I love fruits, and I love your choices here even the colors really went well together. For me it has that rustic look feel which I really love when baking cakes for my kids. I really wish I can try this sooner, but I broke my hand last week and the doctor said the cast stays on for at least a month longer.
But for sure I’ll give this ago, I simply love baking for my family even for friends, lol!
Sorry about your hand! Hope that it heals soon. Me too, I love to bake for people. It makes me very happy.
Yum! That lemon filling looks lovely. Shame about the cracks, but they’re hardly noticeable and it’s the taste that counts
that is what I am telling myself. thanks, the lemon filling is delicious. After I finished the cake I had the idea to fold some of the lemon filling into the whipped cream. Next time.
I wouldn’t worry about the cracks, the cake looks mouth-watering good!
thanks! it still tasted amazing, but the cracks bummed me out.
I had a very similar experience with a cake I did for a huge amount of guests last winter. It took forever to bake in those giant pans and then it cracked too. Ughhhh, that is so frustrating, but we both had great results. Your babysitter is gorgeous, so nice that you could honor her with this cake. Your little guy is precious! xo
thanks Marla! It was a lesson learned. Next time I will have a better plan.
Gorgeous summer cake! You always have such delicious food on your site!!
I can not find Whip It anywhere in my neck of the woods and am all set to make this cake for tomorrow! I am going to wing it and pray that the whipped creme still works. I am a little worried about how the whole thing will hold up overnight. I have been so excited to make this cake since I saw it! Crossing my fingers.
you can use gelatin or cornstarch to stabilize it. Here is a good article on how to do it.
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/tips-techniques/tip-stabilize-whipped-cream-018384
I’m going to attempt to make this fruit basket cake for my Mom’s birthday dinner on Saturday. One of my new hobbies this year will be cake making and decorating so I wanted to try a new cake recipe. This looks delicious! Just a quick question, if I’m baking thing in the 9inch round pans, would you do 3 layers or 2?? I just discovered your website yesterday and I’m already a huge fan. I also plan to make your Roquamole for an appetizer. It sounds heavenly! Thanks so much!
I would do 3 layers, I think that it makes a more impressive cake. Have fun at the party.
Bakedbree, I made a fruit basket cake using another recipe. It called for four layers of yellow cake , bananas, pineapple thickened and cherry pie filling, with of course lots of whipped topping. I am having huge structural problems. The third layer cracked almost in two and all of the cherries are falling off. I stuck the whole thing in the frig hoping the cool temp will give it some stablility. It still calls for frosting the entire thing in cool whip. My husband just suggested I flip the whole thing into the big glass bowl and put whip cream on the top and serve it that way.
I have just went from zero to hero with this recipe.
love your site.
I hope that your cake turned out.
[...] Grilling out with friends. I am making a Fruit Cake. [...]