I’ve seen several watermelon cakes floating around on the Internet. {I saw my first one on Pinterest.} After my fun experience making fruit salad in watermelon bowls and fruit flower bouquets, I tucked it away on one of my many mental lists. A few weeks ago I received a parent newsletter outlining the plan for Teacher’s Appreciation Week at our preschool. On one of the days we were asked to bring a piece of fruit or baked good. And voila! I had the perfect excuse to try a fruit {cake}.
Watermelon {cake} is a fun twist on fruit salad and makes a great healthy dessert or snack and beautiful centerpiece for any party or function. You can use the fruits of your choice or whatever is in season, and choose to “ice” all, some or none of the cake. I dolloped some whipped cream on top for visual effect and a touch of sweetness on each slice of cake.
- 1 watermelon
- Cantaloupe
- Honeydew
- Pineapple
- Strawberries
- Blackberries
- Apples, sliced
- Kiwi
- Other fruit of your choice
- Toothpicks
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ - 1 tsp vanilla, to taste
- ½ Tbsp sugar, to taste
- Mix the ingredients together and beat on high using a hand-held mixer or a KitchenAid mixer with the whisk attachment. It will take several minutes for the liquid cream to transform into fluffy peaks.
- If you beat the whipping cream until it is too stiff you can add more cream and continue beating.
- Cut the bottom and top of the watermelon off to make a cylinder shape (of the desired height for your "cake").
- Slice the rind off the sides to form the base for your watermelon cake.
- Cut slices of melon and cut them out with cookie cutters (hearts, stars, flowers, etc.) or use a melon baller to make balls.
- Place the watermelon on a platter.
- Use toothpicks to decorate the sides of the cake with fruit.
- Arrange fruit around the base of the cake.
- If desired, "frost" the top of the cake with whipped cream and pile berries and other fruit on top.
- Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
ParentMap {via Eighteen 25} provided more great ideas for Teacher Appreciation Day and this year we chose to recreate these cute “Thanks a latte!” Starbucks gift cards for our incredible preschool teachers and staff.
