Very Berry Cake
Get-together season is upon us! From weekend games to holiday gatherings, this vibrant and festive cake is an easy-to-make crowd-pleaser. I have made it a couple of times for the Fourth of July celebrations, baseball game watching, and even a birthday party! It tastes as good as it looks. People will think you spent hours in the kitchen when in reality, all you need is a boxed cake mix, some fruit, and jam.
The hardest part of this elegant creation is the frosting, but even that is uncomplicated. There are no time-consuming decorations or worries to make it look perfectly even. The beauty of this dessert resides in its simplicity. I brought this cake to the first Fourth of July party I went to with Jake. It was a total hit, and people still talk about that gathering. I would like to think not because of the person found bludgeoned in the alley but because of this simple spectacular ode to the red, white, and blue.
You can sure play with the flavors and color combinations of the jam and fruits used to make this confection. For example, you could use kiwi and mango with orange preserves to give it a tropical taste. If you are making this for a big party, it will be a good idea to double-check for food allergies. That was the issue with Carla. She would not shut up about her strawberry allergies and how come Jake never mentioned since they dated before. Like I cared about that. So I had to take care of her; after all, a tee ball bat isn’t anything more than a colorful truncheon, and loud fireworks are a great distraction. When selecting fruits, I will definitely go with fresh ones and avoid bananas and apples since they turn brown after cutting.
You can easily elevate the cake mix by using milk instead of water. You can also add an extra tablespoon of vanilla, soak the cake in simple syrup or make it a boozy one by either adding or soaking the cake in your favorite complimentary liquor.
Sure hope you give this cake a try. Enjoy!
Very Berry Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix
- 1 cup strawberry jam or any red-colored jam
- ½ cup blueberries
- ½ cup raspberries
- ½ cup diced strawberries
For the frosting
- ½ cup softened butter
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 4 Tbsp milk
- 2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Prepare the cake according to the box instructions for two 9in round pans.
- Using an electric mixer in a large bowl or a stand-up mixer with the flat beating attachment, beat the softened butter at medium to high speed for about 30seconds.
- Scrape the sides and add two cups of sugar. Mix at low speed for about 30 seconds.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add one more cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, and vanilla. Mix at slow speed so the sugar won't blow out of the bowl, then increase speed to medium for about 30 seconds.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl, then add one cup of sugar and one tablespoon of milk. Start mixing at slow speed then increase to medium for about 30 seconds.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl, then add one cup of sugar and one tablespoon of milk. Start beating at low speed, then increase to medium-high speed until all ingredients are well combined. The frosting should be creamy and easy to spread. You can add more milk, one tablespoon at a time if needed.
- When the cake rounds are completely cool make sure they are evenly flat. If they are not, correct as needed. Then place one on the serving plate and spread a generous amount of the frosting on top. Then spread half a cup of the jam. Top with a quarter cup of each of the fruit.
- Place the second cake round on top and repeat in the same order: frosting, jam, fruit.
- Serve immediately or keep on the fridge for 2 days.
