German Fresh Fruit Torte

By
Jennifer McGavin
Jennifer McGavin
Jennifer McGavin learned to cook German food while living in Germany for 11 years and has worked in the food industry for many years.
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Updated on 08/18/19
Fruit torte
SF Foodphoto/Getty Images
Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 10 servings

Make this fresh-tasting cake and fruit torte early in the day and you can serve it when you get back from playing golf. It's an easy cake made from a store-bought sponge cake base, pudding, and fresh fruit. This German dessert is very refreshing.

Ingredients

  • 1 purchased cake base (such as "Bavarian" Sponge Cake)
  • 2 teaspoons liqueur (your choice or sugar syrup)
  • 1 package of 4 servings, vanilla pudding mix (or 2 cups prepared vanilla pudding)
  • 1 3/4 cups milk (for vanilla pudding mix)
  • 2 cups strawberries (or kiwi, berries, or other fruits)
  • 1 cup apple juice
  • 1 package gelatin (1/4 ounces)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)

Steps to Make It

  1. Sprinkle or brush cake base lightly with fruit schnapps, liqueur, or sugar syrup to moisten but not douse.

  2. Prepare pudding according to directions for pie filling. Look at the following recipes if you would like to make vanilla pudding from scratch or if you would like to make pastry cream. If it is cooked, then cool until thickened. If it is instant, let it set a few minutes. Spoon into purchased sponge cake base and chill (Note: the German sponge cakes have a lip to hold in the pudding and fruit. They are baked in a special mold).

  3. Wash and prepare fresh fruit. Cut strawberries in half, peel and slice kiwi, etc. Arrange fruit decoratively on top of the pudding. You can also overlap sliced fruit if you wish. Place cake back in the refrigerator while you make the glaze.

  4. In Germany, you can buy tortenguss or cake glaze, which you simply mix with water. You can also order it online. If you don't have access to this product, it is easy to make a glaze which helps hold the fruit on the cake and seals in the fruit, so that it stays fresher, longer. It can be made with agar ​or gelatin, and sometimes cornstarch.

  5. To make the glaze shown here, sprinkle the package of gelatin over cold apple juice and let it swell for five minutes. Add 3/4 cup hot apple juice (plus one or two tablespoons sugar, as desired), stirring constantly until gelatin is dissolved. You may need to heat this mixture slightly but do not bring it to a boil or the gelatin loses the ability to gel. Place this mixture in the refrigerator until it starts to thicken.

  6. Pour, spoon, or brush the glaze over the cake. Refrigerate the cake for at least one hour and make sure the glaze has set before serving.

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