Cake with spring fruits. Step by step recipe

Hello, companions of the kitchen. We are already in spring and I have the fridge full of seasonal fruit, so this weekend I have chosen to make a cake that was very successful in the previous course of empanadas. I think the combination of apples, strawberries and bananas is delicious, so it is one of those cakes that usually has nothing left over. If I had done two there would be nothing left right now. Its secret is above all in the fruit filling that becomes compote in the microwave and with the subsequent help of the oven. The mixture of the puff pastry with the fruit is incredible, and as soon as you give it a half-crunchy bite, all the fruit syrup slides … it doesn’t need to continue, right?

In my opinion, this cake is better freshly made, a little warm, so that the aroma of freshly baked fruit emanates. I assure you that it is an exquisite and delicate dessert with a flavor very similar to apple strudel but softer and with a less crunchy dough. I leave the recipe and good week to all.

Preparation of the fruit tart:

1. To prepare the filling we have to peel and cut the apples into medium pieces or sheets of approximately 1 cm. We discard the heart of the fruit.
2. In a microwave-safe container we incorporate the pieces of fruit, 2 tablespoons of sugar, one of cinnamon and half a tablespoon of cardamom, nutmeg and freshly ground black pepper, these last 3 spices will give an incredible intensity to the fruit. We also add a tablespoon of vanilla essence and stir by hand so that all the flavors mix well. Even without baking it smells like you’re dying.
3. We put the container with its lid ajar in micro for 15 minutes on high power. We will obtain the poached fruit pieces with all the flavor and aroma of the spices. Let cool and reserve.
4. While we have the apples in the micro, we wash the strawberries and cut into cubes. In the same way we peel the bananas and cut into slices of approximately 1 cm. We reserve everything in a bowl, these are not going to go through the micro because they would be pureed and we want to find the pieces.
5. We put a saucepan to heat the fire with a little water, when the water is boiling add the berries and leave them for 1 minute on the fire. Remove from the heat and let them rest in the water for another 5 minutes until cool. Drain and add to the strawberries and bananas.
6. We preheat the oven to 220º so that it takes temperature.
7. Take out the puff pastry that we have in the fridge, it must be very cold. I have not prepared the dough because I did not have time, I have used one that is already stretched, 2 sheets.
8. We have several ways to spread the puff pastry. In this case I have used a circular silicone mold as you can see in the photos, when I use silicone molds, baking paper is not necessary. If you do not have you can use the oven plate and there it will be necessary to cover with baking paper. If you use the baking tray, spread out a sheet of puff pastry on the baking paper, it’s that simple.
9. In any case, we must prick with a fork several times to prevent the base from rising, otherwise it will begin to swell and balloons that we do not want will form.
10. Fill with the mixture of apples, strawberries, bananas, berries, spices and sugar, flattening with a spoon and covering the entire puff pastry base except the sides.
11. We cover with the second sheet of puff pastry and close the edges pressing with the fingers so that it is well sealed. We prick the entire surface with a fork and brush with the beaten egg mixed with a little milk and a few tablespoons of the liquid that we have reserved for the fruit. Sprinkle the entire surface with sugar so that it forms a crust when baking.
12. We introduce in a preheated oven at 220º and bake at 200º about 20-25 minutes, or until the surface is well browned. If you see that it is browning excessively, we lower the temperature a little or cover it with a little aluminum foil.
13. Take out of the oven and let it warm a little, accompany with a little vanilla ice cream or English cream. This warm cake is something spectacular, due to the aroma that comes from the filling. You will tell me.

Curiosities:

Puff pastry, advice for use and baking:

• To bake puff pastry, the oven should never be cold , the butter in the dough will melt and the puff pastry will not rise or do well.
• Before putting the puff pastry in the oven we must prick it with a fork. It is extremely important that you do not open the oven during baking, as lowering the temperature could cause the dough to begin to drop and not come out as expected.
• The stretching and folding must always be done with the dough very cold. Always keep it in the fridge until it is used, as you can see I have not removed the pie cover until the end.
• We must avoid manipulating the puff pastry too much so that it does not harden, crack and is not cooked properly. Try to stretch and shape it just right.
• The ideal temperature for baking the puff pastry is between 200 and 225ºC, no more and no less. At lower temperature you will not get a good result and at higher temperature you will burn.