For the New Year, the boyfriend and I were invited to his parents’ house for a potluck party. As is often the case, I was expected to bring a cake :). I was looking for something simple, fruit-based, light, and not very sweet. I decided to do something traditional and went with a light, almond spongey cake topped with whipped cream and a ton of fruits. It’s a very simple cake, and a great way to showcase delicious fresh fruit that’s in season, so it’s also easily editable for different times of year. Best of all, it appeals to a large audience as it’s something that really plays on the simplicity of clean flavours.

Fruit & Almond Sponge Cake

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs (brown, cage-free, organic)
• 1/2 cup organic skim milk (no rBST!)
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• scant 1 cup cake flour
• 2 tblspn soy butter, softened to room temp
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1.5 tsp almond extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• LOTS of fresh, seasonal fruit
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup apricot jelly (organic, without too much added sugar)

Process:

1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and grease a 9-inch springform pan.
2. In your stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs, one at a time (be sure to really do them one at a time. trust me on this.)
3. Add the vanilla extract, almond extract, salt, and milk and beat on low until just combined. Then add the flour and barely mix enough- as soon as the flour is incorporated, stop beating.
4. Pour the mixture into your cake pan (and place it on a baking sheet), baking for about 25 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake is spongey). Remove from cake pan and place on a wire rack to cool.
5. Once cooled thoroughly, cut the cake in half to make two layers, and beat the cream into a whipped cream (adding 2-3 tsp of sugar halfway through to make it a bit sweet).
6. Place a layer of whipped cream and some fruit on the first layer of the cake, then add on layer 2 and spread the remaining whipped cream over the entire two layers of the cake (and sides).
7. Arrange fresh fruit on top as desired and brush the apricot jelly (warmed in the microwave) over everything to make a nice shiny glaze.

Yum, right? It’s simple, it’s not too guilt-inducing, and it’ll please the whole family. Make one for your next spring or summer potluck and take advantage of ripe stone fruit, fresh berries, melons, citrus…. so many options! I plan to make one again soon with different fruits and maybe a thin layer of marzipan halfway up the cake for added almond flavour :). Sprinkle on toasted almond slivers for a final touch or powder on some confectioner’s sugar in a pretty shape.

I say Greek-inspired… that’s a loose term. Slightly crazed is what I was, when I had the sudden and inexplicable urge for a scoop of vanilla’d goodness, and confusion as to how to make it have a bit more ‘oomf’. My mother had gifted me with some incredibly delicious fruit that would not last the weekend I planned to spend at the house with my family, and thus I needed to finish it prior to leaving the apartment. The solution? This yummy and delicious concoction that I’m, at least for the purposes of this blog entry, going to assume has some vague Greek roots to justify its title.

Greek-Inspired Ice Cream Snack

Ingredients:

• 2 medium-sized scoops of low-fat vanilla ice cream (or Greek yogurt, to make it more apt)
• 1/3 – 1/2 cup Tuscan melon balls
• 1/4 cup fresh raspberries
• 1.5 tablespoons toasted almond slivers
• 1 tablespoon clover honey (or the honey of your choice)
• large sprinkle of large-grain sea salt

Assemble in the order of the ingredients: ice cream or yogurt on bottom, then fruit, then almonds, honey, and salt. It’s this explosion of taste of tart and sweet that’s just delicious and unique. I really enjoyed the contrasting textures and degrees of sweetness, and the stickiness of the honey. You could switch out different fruits, or perhaps even switch the almonds for pistachios to get a more baklava-inspired dish… maybe add some crushed rose petals… very open to experimentation!