Shortcake is always delicious with fresh summer fruit, but tropical fruits like mango and pineapple really shine when you take the extra step and cook them briefly in syrup. The syrup is spiked with pisco or rum, and brushed onto the cake to add even more flavor.
This is a special dessert, but it's quick and easy to make, and perfect for summer entertaining. If it's too hot to turn on the oven or you're short on time, use store-bought pound cake or angel food cake.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 8 thin slices cake (pound cake or angel food), or 4 individual shortcakes (see recipe link below)
- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
- 1 cup fresh or frozen mango (cubed)
- 1 cup fresh pineapple, cubed
- 2 cups sliced strawberries
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 2 tablespoons pisco or rum
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Preparation:
- Bring water, sugar, and salt to a boil. Stir in pisco and lime juice.
- Add mango and pineapple and simmer for five minutes.
- Stir in strawberries and simmer for 1 minute more. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, and let cool.
- Beat whipping cream (adding a teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla if desired) until soft peaks form.
- Brush some of the cooked fruit syrup onto the cake slices.
- On each plate, place a slice of cake and top with some whipped cream. Add another slice of cake, cover cake with cooked fruit, and top with another dollop of whipped cream.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 4.
