Jello Fruit Cake Dessert is vibrant, refreshing and effortless, it is a blast from the past! Bring it to your next potluck and “WOW” your guests with this classic dessert.

Jello Fruit Cake Dessert on a cake stand

For a whole year, my sister would bring this dessert to EVERY family party. At first, I didn’t give in to the hype, because after all, it’s just made of jello and fruit! But, then I started to notice that her jello fruit cake would be devoured before all the other desserts on the table. I finally decided to try it and I have been hooked ever since.

What Kind of Fruit Can you Put in Jello?

The key to making a stunning jello fruit cake is a good color contrast between the jello and the fruits. While you can use virtually any fruit, it is pretty to pick the ones that will pop against the jello. For example, purple grapes and strawberries look awesome in mango flavored jello. You get the idea…

Here are a couple of great suggestions:

  • Mango
  • Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc.
  • Apples
  • Honeydew and Cantaloupe chunks
  • Grapes
  • Mandarin Oranges

How Long Does Fruit Need to Set Before Adding Jello?

You need to fill the entire bundt pan up to the top with fruit. This will ensure that your fruit doesn’t sink and set only at the very top of your cake. You will chop up all your fruits, layer them into the pan, pour jello batter over the top and allow the mold to set for 2 hours in the fridge. Once you remove it from the pan, you will have beautiful layers of fruit throughout your cake. Impressive!

What Mold Should you Use for Jello Fruit Cake?

A metal mold works the best. There are some rubbery molds out there, but I find the stability of metal molds works best for this cake.

How to Remove Jello Fruit Cake from the Mold?

To loosen your cake from the tray, pour hot water into a large bowl and set the mold inside of it. Make sure the metal bottom of the pan is inserted into the water bowl and no water gets on top of the jello itself. As soon as you see a bit of melting from the sides of the jello cake, cover the mold with a serving plate and invert the mold on top of it. If necessary, wipe the sides of the cake delicately to remove excess liquid.

Fruit Jello dessert on a cake stand

Tips for Jello Fruit Cake

  • Hispanic brand jellos are the best to use for this recipe. D’Gari is my favorite brand because it’s super flavorful and colorful. Find it in the hispanic aisle of the grocery store or on Amazon.
  • Don’t rush pouring the jello mixture over the fruit until it completely cools. It will cook the fruit and make the pieces soggy, making your cake less stable.
  • Going heavy on the fruit is much better than skimping. Depending on the size of your mold, you may need more or less than the recipe calls for. The most important thing to remember is to FILL the mold COMPLETELY. Otherwise, your cake won’t be stable and the fruit will sink to the bottom of the mold, which will end up being the top of your cake.
  • Don’t use banana unless you plan on eating the cake in one day. Banana turns brown and slimy overnight.
  • Check that the jello is fully set with a knife before attempting to remove it from the pan. You only get one shot at flipping, so make sure the cake is ready!

Other Jello Cakes to Try:

About Author

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Natalya Drozhzhin

Natalya founded Momsdish to demonstrate that placing a homemade meal on the table is not hard at all. Natalya makes cooking easier and approachable, by simplifying the ingredients, while still producing the same great taste.