Summer cake Calories

To make a summer cake, bake and cool a sponge, then layer it with cream and prepared fruit. Chill the assembled cake before serving so the filling firms up, and add delicate fruit toppings close to serving time.

Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches and cherries all work well in a summer cake. Choose ripe fruit that is still firm, and drain or pat juicy fruit dry so it does not make the sponge soggy.

Yes, but thawed frozen fruit releases more liquid than fresh fruit. Drain it thoroughly and use it between layers rather than as a delicate topping; fresh fruit is usually better for decorating a summer cake.

For fruit baked into a summer cake sponge, coat small pieces lightly with flour and fold them into the batter at the end. For a layered cake, place fruit on the cream rather than mixing heavy pieces into a thin filling.

Yes, you can assemble a summer cake the night before and refrigerate it covered. For the freshest finish, keep juicy or easily bruised fruit off the top until just before serving.

A summer cake with fresh cream and fruit is best eaten within about two days when kept covered in the refrigerator. The sponge may soften as it sits, especially if cut fruit releases juice into the layers.

You can freeze the plain sponge layers, but a fully assembled summer cake with fresh fruit and cream may thaw watery or lose its texture. Freeze the cooled sponge airtight, then thaw and decorate it with fresh filling.

A Victoria sponge traditionally has two sponge layers filled with jam and whipped cream, while a summer cake can use a wider range of creams and fresh seasonal fruit. The names may overlap in recipes, but summer cake is less fixed in style.

Summer cake is usually served chilled on its own, since the fruit and cream provide plenty of flavor. Unsweetened tea or coffee makes a simple accompaniment, while extra fruit works well if you want a fresher plate.