The BEST Cake Filling Recipe - Fresh Fruit Compote ⋆ Shani's Sweet Art (2024)

Written by Shani Published on

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Hello Sweet Friends! Today I have a great recipe for you. Fresh Fruit or Berry Compote.

The BEST Cake Filling Recipe - Fresh Fruit Compote ⋆ Shani's Sweet Art (1)

Doesn’t that look mouthwateringly delicious?!

This is my Go To recipe when I need a delicious fruit filling for my cakes. It couldn’t be quicker or easier. Best of all is perfect for many other things… ice cream topping, pancake and waffle topping, use it to fill a doughnut instead of jam, marble it into your favorite coffee cake recipe… the possibilities are endless!

The BEST Cake Filling Recipe - Fresh Fruit Compote ⋆ Shani's Sweet Art (2)

Lemon cake with fresh blueberry compote filling

I particularlylove it because you can adjust the amount of sugar to the sweetness level you like. Since I don’t care for things that are super sweet I keep the sugar level to a minimum, this way the beautiful fresh fruit flavor shines through! I’ve never been a huge fan of jam for cake filling because it’s too sweet for me. Now fruit filling is one of my favorite options.

You can use pretty much any fruit, berry or combination with this recipe. You can use fresh or frozen fruit as well. Of course fresh is best but sometimes that just isn’t possible or practical.

The BEST Cake Filling Recipe - Fresh Fruit Compote ⋆ Shani's Sweet Art (3)

So here is my quick and simple process ~

Of course first you want to wash your fruit or berries. I talked about the BEST way to wash your berries over on this post (pssst! while you are over there you might want to check out how to make some pretty spectacular marbled chocolate strawberries! They are way easier than the look!)

The BEST Cake Filling Recipe - Fresh Fruit Compote ⋆ Shani's Sweet Art (4)

Now you will want to dice up your fruit. I’m going to show you my process using strawberries. I like to do a fine dice on the fruit because I like some texture and small pieces of fruit in my compote and doing this makes it so you A. don’t have to cook the compote very long so you retain a maximum amount of fresh flavor, and B. you don’t need to mash the fruit which results in a more mushy texture with larger pieces of fruit ( you can totally do this if you like that texture though!) I find it makes a much more pleasing texture to have small juicy pieces of the fruit. You certainly don’t want large chunks of fruit though, it’s just not easy for getting a smooth even layer so your cakes stay level as you stack the layers.

The BEST Cake Filling Recipe - Fresh Fruit Compote ⋆ Shani's Sweet Art (5)

Now add your fruit, sugar and lemon juice to the pan and cook on medium until it starts to boil. Turn down the heat and gently simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes. At this point you can test for sweetness level. Add more sugar if it needs to be a little sweeter.

Make a slurry with your corn starch and water and add to the fruit. Continue simmering and stirring constantly for another minute until it thickens. You can add a little more corn starch slurry if you would like it thicker. REMEMBER this will thicken A LOT more when it cools and sets in the fridge!

The BEST Cake Filling Recipe - Fresh Fruit Compote ⋆ Shani's Sweet Art (6)

Let it cool and then store in the fridge for up to 3 days. It also freezes beautifully! I often make twice as much as I will need for an order so I can have some on hand in the freezer for those pesky last minute orders. When used as a filling in cakes I do recommend that the cakes not be left out at room temperature for more than 4 hours at a time.

Next on my recipe test list is fresh mango compote. How does that sound? Don’t you think it would be heavenly in a coconut cake?? Do you have any other ideas for fabulous fruit combinations? Let me know in the comments and I will give them a try!

Have a Sweet Day!

The BEST Cake Filling Recipe - Fresh Fruit Compote ⋆ Shani's Sweet Art (7)

For more of my delicious recipes check out the following posts

Fresh Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Salted Bourbon Caramel Sauce

Fresh Chocolate Whipped Cream

Print Recipe

Fresh Fruit Compote

Fresh and mouthwateringly delicious fruit or berry compote for filling cakes, ice cream topping, pancake or waffle topping and so much more

Prep Time 15 minuts
Cook Time 5 - 8 minutes
Servings

cups

Ingredients

  • 3 cups fresh or frozen fruit or berries try various combinations for more delicious flavors
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 2 teaspoons water
Prep Time 15 minuts
Cook Time 5 - 8 minutes
Servings

cups

Ingredients

  • 3 cups fresh or frozen fruit or berries try various combinations for more delicious flavors
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 2 teaspoons water

The BEST Cake Filling Recipe - Fresh Fruit Compote ⋆ Shani's Sweet Art (9)

Instructions

  1. wash fruit & peel if needed

  2. Dice fruit into small pieces

  3. Place diced fruit, sugar and lemon juice in pot and bring to a boil over medium heat

  4. reduce heat and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes

  5. taste for sweetness and add more sugar if needed

  6. make a slurry of the corn starch and water

  7. mix the slurry into the fruit and continue to simmer for another minute stirring constantly

  8. if it is not thick enough you can add another tablespoon of slurry and cook one more minute

  9. remove from heat and pour into a heat resistant container

  10. let cool uncovered. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days or in freezer for up to 3 months.

Related

8 Comments

  1. The BEST Cake Filling Recipe - Fresh Fruit Compote ⋆ Shani's Sweet Art (10)

    Trish Sherman

    May 16, 2018 at 6:34 am ·Reply

    Shani, Could you please share your lemon cake recipe? I would love to make it with the blueberry compote. I tried searching it in your recipes but I can’t find it. Thank you!

  2. The BEST Cake Filling Recipe - Fresh Fruit Compote ⋆ Shani's Sweet Art (11)

    Laurie Spinazze

    March 8, 2019 at 4:29 am ·Reply

    I would like the blueberry compote recipe as well. Do you cut them up?

  3. The BEST Cake Filling Recipe - Fresh Fruit Compote ⋆ Shani's Sweet Art (12)

    Meg

    August 22, 2020 at 9:00 pm ·Reply

    Compote was delicious, but I wonder if the measurements for the cornstarch and water are off? 2 Tblsp of cornstarch and 2 tsp water, i could barely make a paste – definitely not a slurry 🤔

    • The BEST Cake Filling Recipe - Fresh Fruit Compote ⋆ Shani's Sweet Art (13)

      Shani

      August 23, 2020 at 9:16 am ·Reply

      Oh yes it should be 2 tablespoons water. Really just a splash to make a slurry, it doesn’t have to be precise for that. Thanks for the heads up I will fix the recipe! I’m glad you liked the compote. Happy caking!

  4. The BEST Cake Filling Recipe - Fresh Fruit Compote ⋆ Shani's Sweet Art (14)

    weezy

    September 13, 2020 at 6:40 pm ·Reply

    What size cakes will this fill?

    • The BEST Cake Filling Recipe - Fresh Fruit Compote ⋆ Shani's Sweet Art (15)

      Shani

      September 15, 2020 at 8:50 am ·Reply

      This makes enough compote for an 8”, 4 layer cake (3 layers of compote filling).

  5. The BEST Cake Filling Recipe - Fresh Fruit Compote ⋆ Shani's Sweet Art (16)

    Jean Conway

    November 9, 2020 at 7:14 am ·Reply

    Hi Shani I am doing a wedding cake for my granddaughter in December. A naked 2 tier cake, the top tier I’m using rum and raisin butter icing, and the bottom tier I’m using Irish cream flavoured butter icing. Have you any suggestions what fruit fillings I can use in the cake please to compliment these flavours. Thank you regards Jean.

  6. The BEST Cake Filling Recipe - Fresh Fruit Compote ⋆ Shani's Sweet Art (17)

    Gina

    September 6, 2021 at 7:16 pm ·Reply

    Can you use figs for this?

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The BEST Cake Filling Recipe - Fresh Fruit Compote ⋆ Shani's Sweet Art (19)

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The BEST Cake Filling Recipe - Fresh Fruit Compote ⋆ Shani's Sweet Art (2024)

FAQs

What does compote mean in baking? ›

Compote is a type of fruit spread made from whole fruit or chunks of fruit combined with sugar syrup. It is slowly cooked to create its signature flavor.

Why is my fruit cake so dry and crumbly? ›

Cakes crumble because they've dried out too much. From years of baking, I know that dry cakes happen for one of two reasons; using too much of your dry ingredients or over-baking your cake.

Is compote a dessert made of fruits cooked with sugar? ›

Compote or compôte (French for stewed fruit) is a dessert originating from medieval Europe, made of whole or pieces of fruit in sugar syrup. Whole fruits are cooked in water with sugar and spices.

What alcohol is good for fruit cake? ›

Other good choices of booze include brandy, rum, or whiskey. Feel free to use one or a mix of these to best complement your fruitcake. Once you've chosen the liquor, bake the cake, poke holes throughout the whole thing, and pour a few tablespoons of the alcohol over it. Or, you can brush the cake with the alcohol.

What is the purpose of fruit compote? ›

Compote is fresh, saucy and sweet, and ready in as little as 15 minutes. You can make compote ahead of time and warm it up or throw it onto the stove after dinner. Serve it on ice cream for dessert, yogurt or toast the next morning, or anything else that could use some fruity flavor. You really can't go wrong.

What can you use to thicken a compote? ›

There are two ways to thicken the compote – lemon peel contains pectin, which is a natural thickener. Alternatively, you can use a cornstarch slurry if a fresh lemon isn't available. Warning though – use just a small amount of thickener – we're not making jam!

Does sour cream make cake moist? ›

Sour cream is one of the fattiest dairy products; the extra fat content (for example, adding sour cream to a cake instead of milk) will make the cake moister and richer, says Wilk. "Fat, in any form (butter, lard, cream, etc.) shortens gluten strands, which essentially leads to the most tender baked goods," she adds.

How do you make a cake less moist and crumbly? ›

Use cake flour.

If a recipe calls for all-purpose flour, opt for cake flour instead to create a more moist, tender crumb. Additions like sour cream, buttermilk, or applesauce can also infuse moisture and prevent a dry cake. Baking soda or baking powder also ensures a nice lift in baked goods.

What makes a cake dense and heavy? ›

Six common baking-fails, and how they can be prevented. Your cake is too dense A cake that is overly dense typically has too much liquid, too much sugar or too little leavening (not excess flour, as is commonly thought).

What is a fun fact about fruit compote? ›

The dish was originally served by itself in 17th century France as a dessert item. Interestingly enough, the dessert was originally created for its supposed health benefits. The idea was that this dessert, or fruits cooked in any syrup, balanced out the effects of humidity in the body.

What is the difference between stewed fruit and fruit compote? ›

A compote is simply preserved or cooked fruit. Your mum probably called it stewed fruit, so compote is just a new name for an old favourite. Compote is French for 'mixture' and back in medieval Europe, it was a dessert of whole fruits cooked in water with sugar and spices.

How do you thicken fruit compote? ›

You can thicken up your berry compote by simmering it for longer to reduce it further. Alternatively, add a little cornstarch to the mixture. To do this, create a cornstarch slurry with cornstarch and water before adding it to the berry sauce in the pan.

Why do you soak fruitcake in alcohol? ›

Here are some tips to help you make a moist fruit cake: Ingredients: Fruits:Use a variety of dried fruits such as raisins, sultanas, currants, chopped dates, and candied peel. Soak the dried fruits in a liquid (like alcohol or fruit juice) overnight to plump them up and infuse flavor.

How do you add moisture to fruitcake? ›

Wrap it in several layers of cheesecloth and saturate the cheesecloth with rum or brandy. Place in a sealed container or zip bag. If the cloth starts to dry out, add more booze. Your fruitcake should be ready to eat in 7–10 days but it will keep for many weeks when properly aged in alcohol.

Can children eat fruit cake with alcohol? ›

Yes, they can. Desserts which contain alcohol usually contain such small amounts of it that it doesn't have any influence.

What makes something a compote? ›

Compote (or compôte) is French for “mixture.” It is basically a sweet, chunky fruit sauce made with whole or chopped fresh or frozen fruit and sugar.

What's the difference between jam and compote? ›

Compote and jam are relatively similar and you can substitute one for another with certain considerations. Compote is less spreadable. Most jam has a fairly uniform consistency, which makes it easy to spread. Compote, which may feature whole pieces of fruit, can be a bit harder to evenly spread.

Is compote the same as sauce? ›

The Culinary Institute of America considers compote to be one of two types of fruit sauce: there's coulis, made with smooth, pureed fruit and then there's compote, which is a chunky mixture.

What is similar to compote? ›

Jam, jelly, preserves, marmalade, compote, and chutney all involve some combination of fruit, sugar, and heat, and they rely on pectin — a natural fiber found most plants that helps cooked fruit firm up — for texture.

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