Fabulous light fruit cake

Makes 8 servings

•  6 cups ( 1.5 L) cut-up mixed fruit, such as berries, peaches, mangoes or kiwi
• 2 tbsp ( 30 mL) rum (optional)
• 1 tbsp ( up to 2 tbsp, 15 to 30 mL) granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 cups ( 375 mL) drained ricotta or mascarpone cheese
• 1-1/2 cups ( 375 mL) whipping cream
• 1/4 cup ( up to 1/3 cup, 50 to 75 mL) granulated sugar
• 2 tsp ( 10 mL) finely grated orange peel (optional)
• 2 tsp ( 10 mL) vanilla

• 8 inch ( 20-cm) store-bought angel food cake. If not store-bought, please see note below.

1. If using peaches, mangoes or other stone fruit, peel and discard pits.
2. Cut large fruit into small bite-size pieces.
3. Cut strawberries into halves or quarters depending on their size.
4. Place fruit in a bowl and stir in rum, if using.
5. Taste and stir in just enough sugar to sweeten a little. This will help to create juice. Set aside at room temperature.
6. In large bowl of a stand-up mixer or in a large deep bowl, combine cheese and cream.
7. Add 1/3 cup (75 mL) sugar to mixture if you are using ricotta cheese. Use only 1/4 cup (50 mL) if using mascarpone.
8. Add orange peel, if you like.
9. Using low speed of an electric mixer, beat mixture until it begins to thicken, about 1 minute.
10. Increase speed to high and beat until very thick, from 3 to 4 minutes.
11. Then beat in vanilla.

12.  Meanwhile, using a serrated knife, cut cake into 3 equally thick layers.
13. Measure out 2 cups (500 mL) fruit mixture and set aside for topping.
14. To assemble, place widest cake layer on a platter (with some store-bought cakes, the top of the cake is wider than the bottom).
15. Using a palette or butter knife, spread a thin layer of ricotta mixture, about 3/4 cup (175 mL), evenly over cut surface of cake.
16. Then spoon half of unreserved fruit over ricotta-spread cake.
17. Lightly spread a layer of ricotta over bottom of middle cake layer and set on top of berries.
18. Gently press down cake.
19. Spread another layer of ricotta, about 3/4 cup (175 mL), over cut surface of middle cake layer.
20. Top with remaining fruit.
21. Lightly spread ricotta over cut surface of last layer of cake.
22. Set, ricotta-side down, on top of fruit.
23. Lightly press down.
24. Ice top with remaining ricotta mixture.
25. If serving within 2 hours, arrange reserved fruit decoratively overtop of cake.
26. Store in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
27. If storing longer, don’t add cut fruit to top until just before serving.

28.  Carefully slice with a serrated knife and place a wedge of cake on dessert plates

Refrigerated cake will keep well for at least 6 hours; after that time, cake may become soggy..

Note: Angel food cakes made at home from scratch or a mix are larger than most store-bought angel food cakes. So, follow recipe above, but increase fruit to 8 cups (2 L) and ricotta or mascarpone cheese and whipping cream to 2 cups (500 mL) each. You will need to generously spread each cake layer with about 1 cup (250 mL) of cheese-cream mixture.