Several years ago I created this cake experiment using pound cake, berries and whipped cream layered together. My husband was convinced that this should be his only birthday cake from then on and the Elliott Birthday Cake was born.
Some years I make the whole thing from scratch and other years I get a little help from the store. It just depends on how much time I have towards the end of May when my husband celebrates his birthday.
This year I realized that I hadn't written down my recipe for future generations and that just wouldn't do. So, without further adieu here's the Elliott Birthday Cake aka Citrus Pound Cake Triffle with Mixed Berry Compote. Enjoy!
Citrus Pound Cake Triffle with Mixed Berry Compote
Citrus Pound Cake
2c flour
1t lemon zest
2 sticks of butter
4 eggs
2T orange juice
1T lemon juice
1t vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Butter a standard sized loaf pan.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. Mix together the sugar and citrus fruit zests with a whisk or electric mixer if you have one at low speed until sugar is evenly colored, then add butter and whisk together or beat at high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in your eggs one at a time and then add in the citrus juices and vanilla. Slowly mix in the flour mixture until it just comes together.
Spread the batter in your buttered loaf pan and tap pan several times on counter to get rid of any air bubbles.
Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool in pan on a rack 30 minutes, then run a knife around edge of pan and invert cake onto rack. Cool completely, top side up.
This cake can be made up to five days ahead and gets better with age. Just keep it wrapped tightly, at room temperature.
Berry Compote
3 12-16 oz bags of frozen berries
orange zest and juice
lemon zest and juice
Put all of your frozen berries, orange zest, lemon zest and juice from both citrus fruits into a sauce pan and simmer on low until fruit breaks down and a light syrup forms. It takes about 30 minutes or so.
(I used one bag of mixed berries, one bag of strawberries, and one bag of raspberries.)
Cake Construction
Now we get to the fun of putting this all together. Here's what you will need:
Completed and Cooled Citrus Pound Cake
Cooled Berry Compote
One Double Tall Container of Whipped Cream
Your Favorite Triffle Bowl (I have still to get one of those) or Clear Glass Serving Container
First you want to slice your pound cake into 1/2 inch slices and line the bottom of your chosen container. There will be gaps and that's okay. Next spoon a little bit of the berry compote on top of the pound cake until lightly covered.
Finally, cover the berries with whipped cream to cover. That is your first layer. Complete this process until you run out of cake or run out of room in your serving container. Which ever one happens first.
Serve your creation in your favorite dessert dish or bowl. Martini glasses work well if you are feeling creative. Keep leftovers if you have them in your refrigerator.
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