Ingredients
2 packages (6 oz total) of raspberry gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1 cup cold water
1 ½ cups crushed raspberries (I used fresh)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy cream
Left-over sponge cake cut into two-inch strips
Process
Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Mix raspberries, lemon juice, sugar, and salt, and add, along with the cup of cold water, to the gelatin. Chill until mixture reaches consistency of unbeaten eggs whites. Whip the cream and fold into the gelatin mixture. Spoon carefully into an eight-inch springform pan that has been lined with wax paper and the strips of sponge cake. Chill until very firm (at least five hours). Serve garnished with whipped cream and whole berries. (Note: strawberries may be substituted for the raspberries.)
Notes
Most of us don’t have leftover sponge cake laying around, so a box mix will do just fine. I baked mine in a 13-by-nine-inch glass dish, cut it into strips, and transferred the strips to fit on the bottom of an eight-by-eight-inch dish. I took the other half of the cake and smooshed it into a Bundt pan to create a bonus cake. Looking back, I would have just poured half of the box mix into the eight-by-eight-inch dish and the other half of the mix into another dish for two cakes and to avoid cutting strips of cake to fit in a dish.
I wasn’t sure how long the gelatin mixture would take to reach “unbeaten eggs” consistency. I left it in the fridge for several hours, checking it periodically.
I ended up using all of the whipped cream in the gelatin mixture, so more was needed for the top. I recommend whipping an extra cup of heavy cream for the top.
Review
The title “ice box” made me think this dessert would be a little more “chill” to make, but the extra work of baking sponge cake and waiting patiently for the gelatin to settle didn’t change my opinion of the results. I loved this cake! It was fruity, light, and refreshing. I would definitely bake it again to bring for some occasion. I brought some of the cake to the office the next day and the sheer fact that I went home without any leftovers reinforces that this is a recipe to bake again!
