A hollowed out melon is filled with layers of fluffy cake, whipped cream, and fresh fruit. You assemble the layers inside the whole melon before cutting it to reveal the impressive cross section!
Makes 6
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake (or small batch cake recipe of choice)
100g(1/2 cup) granulated sugar
30g(2 tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature
1large egg
90g(3/4 cup) all-purpose flour
24g(3 tbsp) cornstarch
3/4tspbaking powder
1/4tspbaking soda
1/4tspsalt
45g(3 tbsp) full-fat sour cream
30ml(2 tbsp) vegetable oil
15ml(1 tbsp) vanilla extract
80ml(1/3 cup) whole milk
Assembly
1melon
240ml(1 cup) heavy whipping cream
2tbsppowdered sugar
3 strawberries, sliced
1kiwi, sliced
Instructions
Vanilla Cake
Preheat oven to 350F and line a 6-inch cake pan
In a bowl of a mixer, beat butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg and mix until incorporated.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk to combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a measuring cup, combine sour cream, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and milk.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and while the mixer is running on low, slowly add the milk mixture. Mix until combined.
Fill cake pan with batter. Bake at 350 for 22 - 27 minutes. The cake is done when it is lightly golden brown and when an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Allow cake to cool completely.
Using a serrated knife, level the cake into four even layers. I also trimmed two of the four cake layers smaller for the first and last layers of the melon cake.
Assembly
In a bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat heavy whipping cream until medium peaks form. Add powdered sugar until incorporated. Transfer whipped cream into a piping bag and set aside in the fridge until ready to use.
Using sharp knife, cut off the top of the melon. Set aside the melon cap.
Using a large metal spoon, remove seeds and hollow out melon. Set aside.
Slice strawberries and kiwis. Set aside.
Pipe a layer of whipped cream at the bottom of the melon and place a small cake layer on top of the cream. Pipe another layer of cream.
Add a fruit layer and cover with cream, followed by cake. Repeat the steps until all the cake, cream, and fruit are used.
Once the last layer of cream has been piped on, place the melon cap back on and transfer cake to the fridge to chill for at least two hours.
When the cake has chilled, cut the cake in half before cutting it into slices.
Notes
*You can use a cake ring or a large round cookie cutter as the 'anchor' for cutting and layering the melon cake. This will prevent the melon from rolling around.