1st of July Dessert – Canadian Flag No-Bake Fruit Cake

1^st of July is just around the corner, meaning is time to put on your best red and white clothing and celebrate our great nation with your family and friends.  Even though we just got our citizenship last year we’ve been proudly celebrating Canada Day every single year since we moved to Canada about nine years ago. We are thankful and feel lucky to have had the chance to live in such a wonderful country! Canada is indeed the land of opportunity and hope, where you’re always surrounded by friendly people who make you feel welcome regardless of your race, nationality or culture.

So if you are Canadian at heart, this Canadian Flag No-Bake Fruit Cake is for you! It’s really the perfect dessert you can make to celebrate Canada Day and beat the summer heat – it’s light, not overly sweet, very refreshing and easy to make! 

Ingredients (12-16 servings)

• Lady fingers (400 g)
• 8 eggs
• 16 Tbsp sugar
• 40 g gelatine, softened in 350 ml water
• 750 ml whipping cream, at room temperature
• 1 can of pineapple chunks (350 g) – save the pineapple juice to moist the lady fingers
• 400-500 g fruits, cut into small cubes (I used 1 orange, 4 kiwi fruits, 1 banana). Don’t use bananas if you want to refrigerate the cake for a longer time as they oxidize and turn brownish.
• Extra whipped cream and red sugar sprinkles for decorating cake  
• A maple leaf cookie cutter

You also need a springform pan, 26.7 cm (10.5 inch) in diameter, lined with plastic wrap. Allow wrap to extend over the edge of the pan as you’ll use this to cover the cake.

Directions

Cut the fruits into small cubes and squeeze out the excess juice.

Place the eggs and sugar in a metal bowl over a pot of boiling water and beat until the mixture becomes thick and creamy. Note that once the water starts boiling, you need to turn the heat to low. Also, the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl.

At the same time, in a small bowl, soften the gelatine in 350 ml water for at least 10 minutes. Then place the bowl in pot with hot water until the gelatine is completely dissolved. The gelatine should be dissolved by the time your egg and sugar mixture becomes thick and creamy. You can also melt the gelatine in the microwave, 10-5 seconds at a time, until all the gelatine granules are dissolved.

Remove the egg mixture from the heat and add the gelatin. Keep stirring for half a minute or so to make sure the gelatine is incorporated into the mixture.

Dip one side of the lady fingers in the pineapple juice (from the can).

Line the sides of the springform pan, with the dry side facing outwards. Lady fingers absorb moisture very rapidly so you need to dip them quickly (do not over soak).

Beat the whipping cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Combine the whipped cream with the warm egg mixture. If the egg mixture is too “soupy” let it sit for a few minutes to allow the gelatine to start setting a bit; stir once in a while. However, make sure you don’t let the egg mixture chill too much because your cream will not have a tender and smooth texture and you will end up with lots of lumps.

Then, add the pineapple chunks and fresh fruits and mix to combine.

Pour the cake filling into the pan.

Add a layer of lady fingers with the dipped side down.

Carefully cut off the top part of the lady fingers with a sharp knife. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Invert the cake onto a serving platter.

Cover the cake with whipped cream.

Place the maple leaf cookie cutter in the middle of the cake and, using a small teaspoon, carefully sprinkle some red sugar sprinkles to cover the inside area.

Cover the edges of the cake with sugar sprinkles to make the Canadian flag as seen in the picture.

Happy Canada Day!