Berry Soaked Cake *Pun Intended*

 

Ingredients:

• Vanilla Cake Mix 
• eggs and oil for the cake mix, varies by mix 
• Dark Cherries, 1 (12oz) bag, frozen
• Red Raspberries, 1 (12oz) bag, frozen
• Strawberries, I used fresh this time because they were on sale, frozen would work too
• 1 1/2c sugar
• 1c pineapple juice
• ~3T cornstarch
• Cool Whip

Directions:

( I baked the cake and got the berries covered in sugar the night before so they had time to cool and soften) 

1. Bake the cake according to directions, I cooked it just a few minutes longer so it'd be a touch darker than what you'd want for a normal cake. I actually wanted it dry so it could soak up the juice and not fall apart. 
2. In a (stain proof) bowl combine the fruit and sugar. I add just a couple tablespoons to 1/3c of water to help the sugar to start dissolving and breaking down the fruit. I'd let the fruit sit for at least 6-8 hours or longer, and if you think of it, stir it so everything gets a chance to sit in the sauce.
3. Smash up the berries just a bit since the cherries are whole when they're frozen.
4. Put the berries in a fine mesh strainer and keep just a bit of the juice in the berries. We're straining it for the glaze and to soak the cake with. 
5. Add the pineapple juice to the strained juice, then reserve 3/4c of the juice for the cake and the rest will be used for the glaze (I'd make sure there's at least 1c of the glaze juice, if you need to add a little water or pineapple juice go ahead). 
6. Once cake is completely cool lift the whole thing out of the 9x13 pan and put on a cutting board. Trim off the edges and carefully cut the cake through the middle making 2 layers.
7. Using a basting brush, cover both layers in the reserved juice and let that sit for bit.
8. Take 3T of glaze juice and put in a little container, add the 3T cornstarch and use a whisk to break up all the lumps, this is your slurry to thicken the juice.
9. In a medium sauce pan put the juice in and turn on the heat to a lower setting, once it comes to a boil, slowly adding in the cornstarch and whisking, don't dump it all in at once, add a few teaspoons at a time so that it doesn't get thickened into a gel. After each addition let it come back to a boil and watch it, it will burn easily. 
10. Once the glaze can coat the back of a spoon, drag your finger across it and if the glaze doesn't fill it back in, it's done. Make sure the glaze is cold when you put it on the cake. I let mine cool for 45m in the fridge.

Assembly:

1. Bottom half back into the cake pan or jelly roll pan. 
2. Drizzle 1/2 of glaze over the cake (not all of it) making sure the get the sides too.
3. Spread whipped cream all over.
4. Add 1/2 of the berries and juice.
5. The second layer of cake with the berry soaked side up goes on next.
6. Add rest of glaze.
7. Top with rest of whipped cream and cover sides if possible.
8. Cover with rest of berries.

Should serve 8-12 people. I served it with ice cream but it's not necessary.

It's a really easy cake, I just like explaining things. :) 

PEACH & APPLE PIE BARS.

Crust:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
• 1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 sugar
• 6 to 8 Tbsp ice water

I didn't really worry too much about the dough being "perfect". Just combine all of it until it sticks together. I actually froze this crust because I had made a pie for March 14th (Pi Day) and I had extra so I froze it. I just got it out the night before I made this.

You're going to want to grease the 9x13 cake pan and crumble the crust into bits and press it up the sides half way then press it all down on the bottom.

Filling:
6 ripe georgia peaches, peeled and chunked
5 apples (mine were about the 2-3" around so they were on the small side), peeled & chunked
1/2c brown sugar
1/2c sugar
1/2t nutmeg
1/2t cinnamon
2t vanilla
1c flour, I kind of guessed with it since I wasn't sure how much to put in. I made it so the peach juice thickened up a bit, a little runnier that pancake batter if that helps.

Mix everything together and pour over the crust.

Topping:
1/2 stick butter
1/2c brown sugar
1/2-3/4c oats

Mix all that up in the bowl you made the filling in, should be able to form into a ball  and just sprinkle all around the top, it'll spread a little.

Ok. Oven at 350F, bake for an hour. I checked it at 40min then let it go another 20 cause it was still jiggly.
I also let it sit for quite awhile when it was done so it firmed up and the topping crisped up.

THEY'RE DELICIOUS.