Creamy jelly cake with fruit and meringue

Step-by-step cooking

1. Step 1:

   

   How to make a creamy jelly cake with fruit and meringue ? Start cooking with a very tender shortbread. For its preparation, eggs can be taken immediately from the refrigerator, but it is better to take out the butter in advance, it should become soft, but keep the shape of cut cubes. The dough can be prepared both in a blender and in a combine, crushed into crumbs. Also by hand, but the kneading should be fast so that the base is tender and crumbly.

2. Step 2:

   

   Sift flour with baking powder, powdered sugar and a small pinch of fine salt. Mix all the dry ingredients.

3. Step 3:

   

   Rinse and dry the eggs well. Separate the yolks and whites into a deeper container so that they can be conveniently whipped later. Put the whites in the refrigerator for now, they will be needed later, and stir the yolks well until smooth.

4. Step 4:

   

   Add cubes of slightly soft butter to the dry ingredients, rub them into crumbs with your hands. Add the yolks and knead the dough quickly. If necessary, add 1-2 tablespoons of ice water, but try to do it as it is. I had large eggs and didn't have to add water, there was enough moisture.

5. Step 5:

   

   Shortbread dough does not like long kneading, do not knead, only at a minimum to assemble into a ball.

6. Step 6:

   

   Cover the bottom of the split mold with parchment, close the side and lubricate the paper a little. Put the dough into a mold. It can be rolled out about 1 cm thick (between two sheets of parchment) or immediately spread over the bottom of the mold with your hands, as you like. The dough is quite plastic, do not delay the process. Then put the dough form in the refrigerator for 15-25 minutes.

7. Step 7:

   

   After cooling, bake the shortbread in a preheated oven at 180 ° C for about 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Check the readiness with a toothpick — if it came out dry, it means ready. Let it cool down a little in the mold, run a thin blade along the side and only then open the side. The cake is very tender and brittle, let it cool completely leaving it on parchment.

8. Step 8:

   

   Filling products can be different. It is better to use soft and juicy fruits, but which keep their shape well so that they look beautiful and presentable through a layer of jelly. I give bananas the maximum time to ripen so that they become soft and fragrant. I use canned peach, pear or pineapple is also suitable. Jelly can be made homemade or from dry semi—finished products, you will need yellow, orange or peach color - to your taste and choice.

9. Step 9:

   

   First prepare the jelly so that it has time to cool down to room temperature. Prepare the semi-finished product according to the instructions on the back, I just needed to pour and stir the dry mixture in hot water. Jelly will need to be poured in 2 stages. To begin with, you will need 800 ml. I diluted 4 packs of 50 gr., each diluted with 200 ml of water. The second part, another 400 ml will be diluted later, otherwise the jelly will thicken.

10. Step 10:

    

    Prepare the form. It must be washed and dried. On a large sheet of food film, place the bottom of the split mold with the cake in the center. Transfer the cake to the bottom of the mold from the paper, as if pulling out the paper from under it, let it slide onto the iron base. Careful, the cake is brittle! Assemble the edges of the film to the center as in the photo (it turned out to be clearer to remove the truth without the cake). Carefully put on and close the side, and spread the film evenly, bending it to the outside.

11. Step 11:

    

    Put the bananas on the cake, place the sliced pieces of canned peach between them. I took mini bananas and laid them out whole. If you take standard or large bananas, they must be cut in half lengthwise and laid out with a slice down.

12. Step 12:

    

    To insure against leaks, wrap the bottom of the mold with foil, I also put it on the bottom of the baking sheet. Pour the first portion of the cooled jelly, level with the top of the bananas. Do not pour any more, otherwise light fruits will start to pop up. Put the mold in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours, until the jelly is clearly set and the fruit is fixed. The time may vary, just check.

14. Step 13:

    

    In advance, about 1 hour before the jelly solidifies in the mold, dilute the second portion so that the jelly has time to cool down. Take the mold out of the refrigerator and pour another 400 ml of jelly on top, I have 2 more packs. Return to the refrigerator until the jelly is completely solidified, this is about 4 hours (you can stay overnight). The jelly layer will be about 1 cm higher than the fruit.

15. Step 14:

    

    Products for making meringue. For whipping, egg whites can be either at room temperature or from the refrigerator. It is important that the dishes are fat-free and dry, otherwise the proteins may not be whipped. Be sure to sift powdered sugar and starch. Chocolate will suit any without additives. I prefer dark, with a cocoa content of 50% or more. Dairy is more suitable for a children's menu, but bitter is for lovers of bitterness.

16. Step 15:

    

    Prepare a chocolate meringue. Melt the chocolate in pulses in the microwave or in a water bath. Whisk the whites to stiff peaks, gradually adding powdered sugar, for about 7 minutes. (Your time may be different). Continuing to whisk, gradually pour in the starch, whisk a little more. Then pour in the melted chocolate, mix lightly with a spatula. Just a couple of movements so that the marble pattern remains.

17. Step 16:

    

    On baking paper, draw a circle slightly smaller than the top of your form. Turn the sheet onto the baking sheet with the other side and lay out the whipped meringue along the contour of the drawing. Gently smooth with a spatula. Put in a preheated oven to 120 ° C, dry for about 1 hour. Then cool completely.

18. Step 17:

    

    Products for cream cheese cream. Cold cream is needed, only fat from 33%, intended for whipping, will do. It will be tastier with cottage cheese cream cheese, but it can be replaced with soft homogenized cottage cheese.

19. Step 18:

    

    Prepare the cream. Whisk the creamy cottage cheese until fluffy.

20. Step 19:

    

    With a clean, dry whisk, whisk the cold cream until it begins to thicken noticeably, gradually adding the sifted powdered sugar and vanilla sugar. Add the whipped cream cheese or cottage cheese, whisk a little more, until combined.

21. Step 20:

    

    Put the cream on the frozen jelly, smooth it out.

22. Step 21:

    

    Separate the paper from the meringue, put the cake on the cream, press lightly. Be careful, the meringue is very fragile. Return the cake to the refrigerator for 1-2 hours (or overnight).

23. Step 22:

    

    Then remove the board and the food wrap. Without removing the cake from the bottom of the mold, place it on a cake stand or a large dish. Decorate the top according to your desire and ability, try not to overload.

24. Step 23:

    

    The cake is light, but very satisfying. Serve sliced like a small cake, the meringue will crumble bizarrely on the slice, this is the norm. It is better not to keep the cake on the table for a long time, he likes coolness and immediate tasting.