Fresh Fruit Cake Recipe (Fruit Cream Cake)

Quick Summary: Fresh fruit cake is a light sponge cake layered with airy Chantilly cream and piled with juicy fresh fruit. This fruit cream cake is easy to decorate and works for any celebration, from birthdays to summer gatherings.

What is fresh fruit cake?

Fresh fruit cake, also called fruit cream cake, is a layered sponge cake filled and frosted with whipped or Chantilly cream and topped with fresh, uncut or sliced fruit rather than dried or candied fruit.

It closely resembles the Asian-style fruit cakes popular in Korea, Japan, and China, where soft cake, light cream, and seasonal fruit are the stars. It differs from a traditional fruitcake, which is a dense loaf packed with rum-soaked dried fruit and spices.

Why you'll love this recipe

• Fruit cream cake highlights the vibrant colors and beautiful flavors of summer fruit.
• It is perfect for any special occasion, such as birthdays, Easter, Mother's Day, summertime gatherings, and Christmas.
• Fresh fruit cake recipe made with simple ingredients and your preferred fresh fruit and berries at any time of the year.
• The cake has a make-ahead option. Just make the cake sponge in advance to save time on the day of serving.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

• Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature. Bring them to the kitchen counter about 45-60 minutes before you start.

• Sugar: Use white granulated sugar. To make Chantilly icing, opt for icing (powdered) sugar. You can use superfine caster or baker's sugar instead. To flavor the sponge cake, add a sachet of vanilla sugar.

• Flour: The recipe calls for all-purpose flour. For the best results, use cake flour.

• Butter is an essential ingredient in making classic Genoise cake. Opt for European-style unsalted batter with 82% fat content.

• Cream: Choose heavy cream or heavy whipping cream with at least 30% fat content in a grocery store. It must be refrigerated for at least 3 hours.

• Vanilla extract is a flavoring added to the cream. You can replace it with 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste.

• Fresh fruits are the stars of this lovely fresh fruit cake. Choose fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, oranges, kiwis, and your favorite fruits. However, avoid making this cake with frozen berries because the extra juices released during thawing can make it runny.

• Sliced almonds are used for cake decoration. Opt for toasted sliced or flaked almonds. To toast nuts yourself, bring them to the oven at 300°F (150°C) for 10-15 minutes. But watch out for the color.

Recipe variations

• Sponge cake: You can play with spongy cakes, from Italian sponge cake, vanilla sponge, or chocolate sponge cake, to Angel food cake and a cake made with a cake mix.

• Flavorings: Experiment with sponge cake flavors, switching vanilla extract for coconut or almond extract, rose or orange flower water. Learn more about fruit flavor pairings.

• Fruit: Opt for seasonal fresh red fruits (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries) or a blend of fresh tropical fruits (pineapple, mango, dragon fruit, lychee, etc.). You may continue the list of fruits.

• Cream frosting: Experiment with different cream fillings, from sugar-free whipped cream and creme legere to whipped chocolate ganache and cream cheese frosting.

• Cake fruit topping and decoration: Garnish the top of the cake with abundant fresh fruit, or use a minimalistic approach for a homemade cake. Sprinkle the sides of the cake with chopped pistachios or chocolate shavings for a final touch, or leave them plain.

How to make fresh fruit cake

Making a fresh fruit cake involves a few steps, including preparing the sponge cake, making sugar syrup, making French Chantilly frosting, and assembling the cake.

Step 1: To make a sponge cake, follow the Genoise sponge cake recipe for step-by-step, photographed explanations. Make sure to test the cake's doneness with a toothpick or cake tester, and let the cake cool completely.

Step 2: To make sugar syrup, pour water with sugar into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add vanilla extract out of the heat, mix, and reserve at room temperature.

Step 3: To make Chantilly cream, place the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or a large bowl, in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Pro tip: Consult the creme Chantilly recipe for step-by-step photographed explanations, helpful tips, and tricks.

Step 4: Pour the cold heavy cream into the bowl. Start whisking at low speed until soft peaks form (photo 1).

Step 5: Add powdered sugar, increasing the mixer speed to medium, then to high. You will go through medium to firm peaks (photo 2).

Pro tip: Stop the mixer at the moment of medium-stiff peaks for easy application of the cream. It counts for 1-3 seconds between medium and stiff peaks and over-whisking the cream.

Step 6: To assemble the cake, wash and dry the fruits well. Cut strawberries into 4-6 pieces, peel, and slice kiwis into thin slices.

Step 7: Peel the oranges and segment them. Then peel the skin off each segment. Peel and slice kiwis. Leave some fruit for the decoration.

Pro tip: Watch a video about how to segment an orange.

Step 8: Adjust a mousse cake mold to an 8-inch (20 cm) diameter and line it with an acetate strip. Place it on a serving platter or a cake board.

Step 9: Cut the sponge cake into three layers with a sharp knife (serrated preferred) or a cake leveler.

Step 10: Place the bottom sponge layer on a serving platter or a cake board, and with a silicone or a pastry brush, generously soak it with the syrup.

Step 11: Cover the sponge cake disc with ¼ of the Chantilly cream, then arrange the fruit pieces over the cream (photo 3).

Step 12: Place the second cake disc on top and gently press it with your hands to ensure adherence. Soak it, and fill it with another ¼ of cream and some fruit. Cover with the top layer and press it down slightly to finish the cake.

Step 13: Cover the mold with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Keep the bowl with the cream covered with plastic film in the refrigerator.

Step 14: Once ready to decorate, take the cake and the cream out of the fridge. Remove the ring and the acetate collar. Apply a thin coat of the cream to the entire cake, then chill for 10-15 minutes.

Step 15: Cover the cake with the remaining cream using an offset spatula. Decorate the top of the cake with fresh fruit and sprinkle with icing sugar (photo 4).

Pro tip: If the remaining cream is loose, lightly whisk it with a hand whisk and apply it over the cake.

Expert Tips

1. Don't skip soaking the sponge cake; it helps keep it moist.
2. Avoid over-whipping the cream. Stop the mixer at the moment of medium-stiff peaks for easy application of the cream. It counts for 1-3 seconds between medium and stiff peaks and over-whisking the cream.
3. If desired, make some extra cream and place it into a piping bag fitted with a tip of your choice. Then, pipe some patterns around the edge of the cake.
4. Respect the chilling time: let the cake firm up for a couple of hours. However, if necessary, the cake can be served right upon completion of the decoration.
5. Ensure the fresh fruit is washed and dried thoroughly before using. Watery fruits tend to bleed into the cream frosting and become mushy more quickly.
6. Recalculate ingredient amounts for cake pans of different sizes with this simple cake pan size converter.
7. Make-ahead option: Make the Genoise sponge cake 1-2 days in advance and store it, covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature. Then finish the cake.

Storing & freezing

Because the cake's ingredients are dairy-based, don't leave it at room temperature for more than 30 minutes.

Store fresh cream fruit cake under a glass dome in the fridge for 2-3 days. Keep the leftover cake in an airtight container.

Can you freeze it? It is not recommended to freeze a cake with fruit and whipped cream, but you can bake the Genoise sponge cake in advance and freeze it for up to 3 months.

Recipe FAQ

Can you put fresh fruit on a cake?
You can make a cake with fruit inside and decorate the top with it. Fresh fruit keeps its shape, avoids discoloring the cake, and does not release the extra juices that thawing frozen fruit does.

Can I put fresh fruit on a cake the day before?
To keep the fruit looking its best, place it on the cake before serving. Alternatively, brushing the fruit with a clear glaze and refrigerating the cake for 1 day ahead also helps maintain its freshness.

Does fresh fruit cake need to be refrigerated?
Yes. Fresh fruit cake needs refrigeration when made with dairy-based creams such as whipped cream, Chantilly cream, buttercream, or cream cheese frosting. Chilling preserves the cake and helps it firm up.

What is the difference between fresh fruit cake and traditional fruit cake?
Fresh fruit cake is a light sponge layered with cream and topped with fresh fruit. Traditional fruit cake is a dense loaf packed with dried and candied fruit soaked in liquor, so the two are completely different desserts.

What fruits are best for a fresh fruit cake?
Choose firm, low-moisture fruits like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, kiwis, oranges, and grapes. Avoid very watery or frozen fruit, as it can bleed into the cream and turn the layers mushy.

Can I make fresh fruit cake ahead of time?
Yes. Bake the Genoise sponge 1 to 2 days ahead, wrap it, and store it at room temperature; then, on the day of serving, assemble and decorate with fresh fruit for the freshest look.

Love fresh fruit cakes? Try these next!

Enjoy more fresh fruit cakes on the website, from fruit Charlottes to Chantilly cakes made with various sponge cakes and fruits. Also, browse all the cake recipes.

• Triple Berry Cake
• Strawberry Chantilly Cake
• Uruguayan Cake Chaja
• Jordgubbstårta (Swedish Strawberry Cake)
• Fresh Fruit Cake
• Or browse all the cake recipes

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The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.