Strawberry Cheesecake Torte Recipe
After I tasted this dessert at a party, a friend shared the recipe. It originally called for pound cake...and I decided to lighten it up by substituting angel food. The result was this delicious light torte.
After I tasted this dessert at a party, a friend shared the recipe. It originally called for pound cake...and I decided to lighten it up by substituting angel food. The result was this delicious light torte.
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
- 1 package (16 ounces) angel food cake mix
- 1 package (.3 ounce) sugar-free strawberry gelatin
- 1/4 cup seedless strawberry jam
- 1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese cubed
- 1/3 cup fat-free milk
- 3 cups reduced-fat whipped topping
- 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant cheesecake or vanilla pudding
- 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
- 1 kiwifruit, peeled halved and sliced
- 1-1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
- Carbohydrate 7.69860625810077 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.00770000000788994 g
- Fiber 0.107750002402157 g
- Protein 0.0393625000428537 g
- Saturated Fat 0.00116666666792906 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (18g)
- Sodium 3.15917407550107 mg
- Sugar 7.59085625569861 g
- Trans Fat 0.00203000000168845 g
- Calories 31 calories
Step-by-step
- Line a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with ungreased parchment paper. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake at 350degrees for 24-26 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Sprinkle sugar over a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Immediately invert cake onto baking sheet. Gently peel off parchment paper; cool completely.
- Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in jam until melted. With a fork, poke cake at 1/2-in. intervals. Brush with gelatin mixture; chill for 10 minutes.
- In a bowl, beat cream cheese, milk and lemon juice until smooth. Beat in whipped topping and pudding mix. Reserve 1 cup. Cut a small hole in the corner of pastry or plastic bag; insert a large star tip. Fill the bag with pudding mixture.
- Trim edges of cake. Cut widthwise into three equal rectangles; place one on serving plate. Spread 1/2 cup reserved pudding mixture in center. Pipe pudding mixture around top edge of cake. Repeat layer. Top with third cake layer. Pipe pudding mixture along top edges. Fill center with fruit. Sprinkle with lemon peel. Store in refrigerator.
Traditional layer cakes require specialized round pans and precise horizontal slicing through delicate crumbs, often resulting in uneven tiers and wasted scrap material. Baking the sponge batter flat in a standard 15-by-10-inch jelly roll pan eliminates the need for cake leveling tools entirely. Spreading the angel food batter evenly across ungreased parchment paper yields a uniform sheet that bakes in just 24 to 26 minutes at 350 degrees. Inverting the warm cake directly onto a sugar-dusted, waxed paper-lined sheet prevents sticking while preserving the delicate crust necessary for absorbing subsequent moisture.
Creating structural integrity in a lighter dessert requires deliberate handling of liquids. Dissolving strawberry gelatin in boiling water before whisking in seedless jam creates a glaze that penetrates the sponge without making it soggy. Poking the cooled cake at half-inch intervals with a fork creates micro-channels for the strawberry mixture to travel downward. Beating the reduced-fat cream cheese, milk, and lemon juice until completely smooth prior to folding in the whipped topping and instant pudding mix prevents lumps from forming in the filling. Trimming the dry outer edges of the baked sheet before cutting it widthwise into three equal rectangles ensures clean, sharp borders for the final stacked presentation.
Assembling the torte ahead of time is practical for meal planning, as the components hold up well in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours without losing their textural contrast. Freezing this specific dessert is not recommended due to the high moisture content of the gelatin soak and the emulsion stability of the whipped topping-based pudding layers, which can separate upon thawing. Store the finished dessert covered in the refrigerator and add the sliced fresh strawberries and kiwifruit just before serving to maintain fruit brightness.
