The Freshman Cook: No Cook, Refreshing Tropical Torte

The heat of the summer is starting to wear on me a little. How about you? I am definitely looking forward to fall! But it is still summer, and I needed a little after dinner dessert for a party I hosted last week. The entire meal was grilled, and I didn't want to heat up the kitchen with the oven, so I made this No Cook, Refreshing Tropical Torte! I used some fun fruit, like carambola (star fruit), kiwi, and mango, a favorite pound cake, and some yummy whipping cream. Sprinkle it with a bit of toasted coconut and dessert is in the fridge!

Tropical Torte

(printable recipe)

Makes 1 cake

2 Star Fish

2 Kiwi

1 Mango

2 cups Heavy Duty Whipping Cream

1/4 cup Powdered Sugar

1 Pound Cake

1/4 cup Sweetened Coconut Flakes

Use a veggie peeler to cut the edges off of the star fruit, then use a sharp knife to cut thin slices of the star fruit.

Cut the ends off the kiwi, then peel it and cut into thin slices.

Mangos are slippery, so using a corn cob holder as a handle helps to stabilize them a little while they are peeled. Once peeled, cut around the center seed to get the fruit off. Cut the pieces of fruit into small bite sized pieces.

Pour heavy whipping cream into mixer. Add sugar. Mix cream on high until whipping cream becomes thick and becomes slightly stiff. You want it spreadable. Often when I am mixing liquid on high speed, it can splash out of the bowl. To fix the problem, I cover the mixer with a couple pieces of saran wrap,and the splash hits the wrap instead of the wall!

Cut the pound cake into three long slices.

Spread whipped cream onto the top of the bottom slice of cake.

Place coconut in small pan on medium heat. Swirl coconut around in the pan until the desired color is reached.

Place a mix of the fruit on top of the whipped cream. Double stack the fruit to make it even, so the next layer will be flat. Repeat with the middle layer, and then cover with top layer of cake.