SUMMERY COCKTAIL FRUIT CAKE

Light, summery, fresh, fruity!!!ALL that I had in mind while baking this gorgeous Cake for mum's birthday, and I am so hooked to Bavarian cream!!
The cake is a light as a feather sponge soaked in all the delicious fruit juices, filled with the cocktail fruit and the Bavarian cream and the top lavished with more of the same, indulge!

Ingredients-
for the fatless sponge-
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
¾ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 egg whites
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
2 tbsp powdered sugar
2/3 cup sifted cake flour
zest of 2 lemons
reserved juice from the Cocktail fruit can
Vanilla Bavarian Cream
5 egg yolks
Vanilla custard powder-1 tbsp
2/3 cup sugar
1 ½ cups milk
1 tbsp lemon juice
Vanilla extract-1 tsp
1 ¾ cups whipping cream
for filling and topping-
1 can Cocktail fruit
a handful of chopped toasted walnuts
some mint leaves

1.Preheat oven to 450F. Butter and flour the sides of large springform pan. Line bottom of pan with a sheet of parchment paper cut to fit bottom pan exactly.
2.Beat eggs, egg yolks, lemon zest and ¾ cup sugar together in a medium bowl until thick and light. Beat in the vanilla.
3.In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy, add cream of tartar and beat until whites begin to form peaks. Add the 2 tbsp sugar and beat until the whites hold stiff, glossy peaks(do not over beat).
4.Sift flour over the egg yolk mixture and fold in . Stir in one fourth of the whites. Then carefully fold in the remaining whites.
5.Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake until light brown and springy to touch. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Run a knife along edge to loosen.let cool. Cake may be frozen at this point.
6.To assemble cake:  Slice cooled cake carefully into half and Center one layer of the cake at the bottom of serving tray. Brush the cake with some of the reserved syrup to just moisten(not drench) the cake; set aside.
7.Prepare Vanilla Bavarian Cream. Immediately pour about half of the Bavarian Cream over the first layer of cake in the pan, layer with half of the Cocktail fruit bits Set the next layer of cake on top of the cream. Pour remaining Bavarian Cream over cake and smooth top of the cream with spatula, top up with the remaining cocktail fruit arranged decoratively.Sprinkle chopped walnuts and add mint leaves.
Prep Work
Vanilla  Bavarian Cream
1.Combine egg yolks, custard and sugar in a bowl’ beat until light. Bring milk to a boil in sauce pan. Pour hot milk into yolk mixture and stir with a wooden spoon(it doesn’t say so but I would temper the egg mixture first to be safe). Return this mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until your finger leaves a clear trail in sauce when drawn across the back of the spoon.(Do not boil or mixture will curdle.) Immediately remove from heat. Pour into a stainless steel bowl places over a bowl of ice water. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla extract. Cool over ice water, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens to the consistency of softly whipped cream.
2.While mixture is cooling, whip the whipping cream until it holds soft peaks. When cool, fold the whipped cream into the mixture.

Adapted from Cakes and Pastries At The Academy by the California Culinary Academy 1993

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