No-Bake Cake with Gelatin, Sour Cream, and Fruit

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make a cake with gelatin, sour cream, and fruit? Gather all the ingredients. I'm using nectarine, kiwi, strawberries, and grapes. But you can use any fruit that holds its shape after being cut. Bananas, apples, and pears are a no-go. The recipe lists the weight of the fruit and berries already peeled. My sour cream is 10%, but the higher the fat content, the tastier and more caloric the cake. I baked the sponge myself ahead of time, but store-bought cake layers or even sugar cookies will work.

2. Step 2:

   

   Cover the gelatin with filtered water and leave it to bloom for 30 minutes.

3. Step 3:

   

   Meanwhile, cut the sponge cake into medium-sized pieces of any shape. They can be a little thinner than mine in the photo, since my sponge came out a bit dry. I was afraid to soak it, thinking the cake might leak. But the dryness of the sponge doesn't matter much in the whole thing, since the cake itself will be juicy.

4. Step 4:

   

   Wash the fruit and berries under running water and remove any stems, hulls, peel, and pits as needed. That goes for the grapes too :)

5. Step 5:

   

   Take a deep bowl that we'll use as the cake mold and line it with two layers of cling film, crosswise. Arrange the fruit and pieces of sponge cake in the bowl, alternating them however your imagination suggests. Cover the bowl and set it aside for now.

6. Step 6:

   

   Now for the filling. In a separate bowl, combine the sour cream and sugar and beat with a mixer for 5 minutes, until all the sugar has dissolved.

7. Step 7:

   

   Transfer the bloomed gelatin to a small saucepan and, over low heat, bring it to the point where all the grains dissolve. Remember that if the gelatin boils, it starts to lose its gelling properties. Let the gelatin cool for 2-3 minutes, but don't let it set!

8. Step 8:

   

   Pour all the gelatin into the sour cream mixture in a thin stream and mix thoroughly with a whisk. The filling is ready!

9. Step 9:

   

   All that's left is to pour it into the bowl over the fruit. Leave the cake at room temperature to cool completely, then cover the top with cling film and put the bowl in the fridge overnight to set.

10. Step 10:

    

    Here's a handy way to turn out the cake: remove the top film, cover the bowl with a serving plate, and flip the whole thing over. Because the bowl was lined with cling film, the cake slips out easily. Carefully peel off the remaining film and decorate as you like. Though it already looks beautiful!