Crema de Fruta with delicious layers of from-scratch sponge cake, sweet custard, and fruit gelatin is sure to wow the crowd! It’s the perfect holiday or any time of the year treat!
Hello everyone! It’s Sanna from Woman Scribbles here again to share with you another fabulous recipe and it’s none less than the classic Filipino dessert, crema de fruta!
I am so excited Christmas is here, this is truly the best season of the year! I just love the atmosphere of joy and cheer, the spirit of kindness and generosity. And, of course, all the baked treats abound! Everywhere I turn there seems to be a trayful of cookies or brownies or sweet cakes to enjoy!
If you’re looking for the perfect holiday dessert, what can be better to celebrate this joyful season than the festive crema de fruta? Deliciously layered with from-scratch sponge cake, sweet custard, fruit cocktail, and gelatin, it’s sure to be the highlight of your festivities!
While pulling together the three elements of this dessert may seem too complicated and there are indeed simpler no-bake versions of the recipe using graham crackers, broas or store-bought cakes, making the sponge cake from scratch is really worth the effort. By following the tips below, you’ll have your cake base ready in no time!
Tips for Making the Sponge Cake:
- Sponge cakes don’t have leavening agents such as baking soda or baking powder and rely solely on the air that is beaten into eggs to in order to rise. For this reason, making sponge cakes involve beating whole eggs together with sugar until the mixture is pale, thick and has tripled in volume. It should almost be like a delicately textured whipped cream. When you lift a spatula from it, it should create an indentation that does not sink back immediately to the rest of the mixture.
- Add the dry ingredients to the whipped eggs gradually and carefully, folding it in with a rubber spatula in gentle scooping motions until the flour mixture is incorporated, so you don’t deflate the whipped eggs too much.
- Make sure to sift the flour mixture a couple of times. Do not skip this step as it is important that the powders are fine and lump free so they will dissolve easily into the eggs when
incorporated.
Crema de fruta is as much fun to make as it is to eat. With a little careful planning, you’ll be able to pull together this classic Filipino dessert in a breeze!
Tips on How to Make Crema de Fruta:
- To assemble the dessert, use a clear square container roughly the same size as the cake.
- Allow the cake and custard to sufficiently cool before putting everything together.
- Arrange the drained fruit cocktail on top of the custard in an even layer to ensure they’re completely covered by the gelatin.
- Allow the gelatin to firm up for about thirty minutes and refrigerate the cake for at least 6 hours or overnight to fully set. This delicious dessert is best served cold!
That’s it, my friends! I wish you all a Christmas as merry as this fruity dessert! Make sure to drop by my blog, Woman’s Scribbles, for more delicious recipes to add to your holiday festivities!
Crema de Fruta
Ingredients
For the Sponge Cake
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Custard
- 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/8 cup butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Fruit and Gelatin
- 1 1/2 cups fruit cocktail, drained and juice reserved
- 1 1/2 cups fruit cocktail juice
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon clear unflavored gelatin
Instructions
For the Sponge Cake
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Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and line the bottom of an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
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Sift the cake flour into a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar and the salt to the bowl and whisk to combine. Sift the mixture again two more times.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the eggs and the remaining sugar. Use the whisk attachment to beat the mixture at medium speed until fluffy, thick and pale. The mixture should have tripled in volume and is comparable to a softly whipped cream.
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Add the vanilla extract and mix it in gently using a rubber spatula.
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Add the flour mixture in three additions. Gently fold in, making sure not to deflate the volume too much.
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Place the melted butter in a large mixing bowl.
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Scoop about one cup of the batter and mix it into the butter. Stir until well incorporated and fold the mixture back to the rest of the batter.
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Pour into the prepared baking pan and bake for about 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool cake slightly in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Custard
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In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, sugar, and all-purpose flour until well smooth and well blended.
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Cook, stirring regularly until mixture is thick but spreadable.
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Turn off the heat and stir in the butter, vanilla and egg yolks. Allow to cool completely and set aside.
For the Gelatin
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In a medium saucepan, combine fruit cocktail juice, water, and sugar. Bring to a boil.
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Turn off the heat and stir in the gelatin powder until it is dissolved. Set aside to cool.
To Assemble
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Transfer the cooled cake into a square glass dish of the same size.
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Spoon the cooled custard over the cake and spread evenly to coat.
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Arrange the fruit cocktail in an even layer over the custard.
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Pour the gelatin over the fruit cocktail. Allow it to set for about 30 minutes and then refrigerate to firm and cool completely for about 6 hours or overnight. Slice into serving sizes.
