Easy Fresh Fruit Topped Cake

Delicious and simple & simply delicious- I love to make a beautiful cake for anytime of the year. This fresh fruit and flower topped rustic cake is one of my favorite desserts to serve. It always wow’s guests tastes amazing and the best part- it is so easy to make. Lots of requests for simple and easy dessert recipes with Valentine’s Day just around the corner- so am sharing a few favorites on the blog over the next couple of weeks. And stay tuned for a new version of this cake that might be my new favorite coming soon.

Fresh Fruit Cake Idea

Oh this is such a fun cake to make. I used fresh berries we had on hand and wandered the greenhouse to clip some fresh herbs and used organic roses for garnishes. You might remember another version of this cake in my first book French Country Cottages.

Favorite White Cake Recipe

Start with your favorite white cake recipe- vanilla, angel food, butter- whatever you prefer works. I used a simple white cake that is pretty basic. I don’t generally share a basic cake and frosting recipe here- I know so many have their own favorite go-to mixes or handed down recipe favorite versions. And since I run around like a wild woman last minute- sometimes I just use a fresh made bakery cake and customize it.

Tip: Use box cake mix or pick up a pre-made cake from the market and customize it if you are short on time for baking from scratch.

Frosting

While I generally prefer a whipped frosting to a buttercream- I have to admit that when stacking up layers of cake- buttercream does a better job of holding everything together most of the time. So that is what I used for this cake.

Tip: Check with your local supermarket bakery to see if they will sell you a tub of fresh buttercream. Fresh from the bakery is the best option if using pre-made, and it comes without the usual preservatives that are in a shelf tub.

Fresh Fruits

For this cake – I used blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and rosé strawberries. The strawberries look like they are not ripe and are not brightly colored – but that is what they look like. They are a special type of strawberry. I love the soft color they have- especially with roses.

Tip: Make sure to wash and dry the fruit before placing it on your cake.

Stacks & Layers

Start stacking your cake rounds and heaping a generous portion of frosting in between each one. I like to make sure to push a little bit of extra frosting to the outer edges to make sure that the cake will stay ‘straight’ easier. Then repeat with each layer and then add a chunky amount of frosting to the top of the cake. Totally non-pro tip? If you don’t have a ‘frosting spreader’ – try a butter knife. I used a vintage butter knife for this one and it worked well for spreading the layers in between.

Tip: If making a ‘rustic or naked’ cake- leave the sides unfrosted for an unfinished look.

Add the Fruit

I generally start with a couple of the strawberries or larger pieces of fruit and then fill in around them with blueberries and blackberries but there is no right or wrong way to decorate the top of the cake- so do what works best for you.

Tip: Don’t worry if the fruit rolls off and onto the cake platter. Use those pieces and add extra fruit to the base of the cake for extra pretty touches.

Add Herbs & Flowers

This is such a fun way to fully customize what your cake looks like. You can of course leave it as is with just the fruit- it is absolutely gorgeous already. But if you want to add a special touch of something pretty – add a few sprigs of fresh herbs and fresh clipped roses.

Tip: Make sure to use only organic, pesticide and all other garden sprays/treatments free of herbs and flowers. I clip these from our garden so you know what we use or don’t use and what is safe to place on food. You can buy fresh edible herbs at the market if you don’t grow them and you can ask your baker about organic roses for embellishment if using real flowers. It is important to always make sure any flowers you use are safe to be used as a garnish – there are many that are not. A safe option if you are elemental is to use a faux or sugar flower instead.