Be sure to save room for cream-filled cake

Published 2:03 pm Tuesday, July 21, 2009

First, you make a luscious, cream-filled cake, then top it with a favorite fruit — fresh, frozen or canned.

Crown it with a blob of whipped cream and what do you have? What Everett cook Lavon Woodey tells us is “a great spring or summer meal topper or a coffee-gathering treat.”

“It is quite filling,” she warns, “so make it a light meal beforehand.”

She goes on to say, “I use the cherry pie filling, but feel any thickened fruit, such as strawberries, raspberries or other favorites would suit this recipe.

“I also feel it would be a tasty base for strawberry or raspberry shortcake, topped with whipped cream. The servings are very generous and are supposed to serve nine, but actually the recipe makes closer to 12 servings.”

Like a Boston cream pie, this dessert is called a pie, but is really a cake, finished with fruit instead of the chocolate glaze. Here we go with Lavon’s:

Fruit cream pie

Cake batter:

3eggs

1 1/2cups sugar

2cups flour

2teaspoons baking powder

1/2cup water

Filling:

1cup sugar

2tablespoons cornstarch

2cups milk

2eggs, beaten

2tablespoons butter

1teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

2cans (21 ounces each) cherry pie filling, or thickened strawberries, raspberries or other favorite fruit

Whipped cream

For the cake, in a mixing bowl, beat eggs 3 minutes on high speed of electric mixer; gradually add sugar. Combine the flour and baking powder and add to egg mixture alternately with water, blending after each addition. Beat on low speed 1 minute, then pour batter into a greased 9-inch square baking pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven, cool, then turn out of pan. Split cake crosswise into 2 layers.

For the filling, in a microwave-safe bowl, combine the sugar and cornstarch; stir in milk. Microwave until mixture comes to a boil, stirring often. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, until a smooth consistency is reached. Stir a portion of the hot mixture into the beaten eggs, then stir back into hot mixture, stirring until smooth. Return to microwave and cook until thick, about 1 minute. Remove from microwave and cool slightly, then stir in butter and vanilla and cool completely.

When cold, spread filling between layers of cake. Cut into squares and top each square with cherry pie filling or other thickened fruit. Serve with whipped cream.

Makes nine to 12 servings.

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