Punch Bowl Cake

Matt's Birthday Cake

On the table of many a Spring function in my neck of the woods, is a layered dessert some call Trifle, but hereabouts, more commonly called a Punch Bowl Cake.  There is a difference in the two; Trifle is layered with custard, while my offering here uses a tasty strawberry sauce.  I think it's the look of it more than anything else that causes the misnomer. 

This past weekend I gave a birthday function for my son and since he never asks for the traditional birthday cake I always give him a choice.  Last year it was Syrup Cake, so his answer this year (Punch Bowl Cake) wasn't so very surprising to me. The cake I made for his birthday was a bit different from the recipe found in The Red Plate.  I baked an Angel food cake and added crushed pineapple.  I also used real whipped cream...whipped `a la minute and unsweetened; while the other uses whipped topping.  Both are wonderful.

Today I was asked to bring a dessert to church for a luncheon and since this is so easy and quick I thought I'd practice this one more time.   I love Angel food cake and always use it instead of a simple white cake; it holds up much better and I love the lightness of it. 

Sunday Cake

Punch Bowl Cake
                          
1 Angel food or white cake
1 large box strawberry gelatin
1 large (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1 large (24-ounce)sweetened frozen strawberries
1 large whipped topping
Carton of fresh strawberries 

Mix together the gelatin and evaporated milk and stir until gelatin is dissolved.  Add the thawed strawberries, reserving a bit of the liquid for garnish.  Slice the Angel food cake and pull apart each slice into bite size pieces.  

Into a trifle bowl, or literally a small punch bowl, add a bit of the strawberry sauce to the bottom of the bowl, then a layer of cake bits.  Drizzle over the cake about a cup of the sauce, then whipped topping.  Continue in this manner until everything is used.  There should be 3 layers of each in the end.  Dribble over the top, the reserved sweetened strawberry juice and  garnish with fresh strawberry fans or simply nestle whole strawberries into the puffy topping.
 
It's beginning to feel Spring like in Deep South USA and this is an ideal dessert to serve.  It was perfect for today and I must say, very well received.