Copycat Roselyn Spumoni Whip Cream Cake

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No matter how many years go by after the closing of a local favorite, Roselyn Bakeries, Spring will always bring to my mind their Spumone Whip Cream Cake.  Roselyn closed in 1999, and though we Indy folks can still get some baked goods made from their recipes at Kroger, favorites like this cake are long gone.  Oh how I miss the Jelly Pop doughnuts, the Toffee Chip and the Smiley Face cookies, and the Chocolate Eclairs.  Heck, I miss the fake brick wall, the long glass cases filled with pastries, and the seemingly grandmotherly ladies who always worked behind those cases.  And the smells….

My mother’s birthday is St. Patrick’s Day.  For many of her birthday’s past, my grandparent’s (her parents) would buy a Spumone Cake for her birthday.  (By the way, that’s not my spelling mistake.  It’s how Roselyn named the cake.)  We all loved the green, pink, white, and chocolate layers surrounded by cherry whip cream.

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Since it’s been close to 15 years since we had this yummy cake, I thought I would surprise her with my own version of the cake.  I am fortunate to have one of the Roselyn Cookbooks.  The recipes aren’t the easiest to follow.  In fact, they remind me of a recipe you get from someone’s grandmother at a church potluck dinner.  But with a little baking experience and the ability to make substitutions when a direction in the recipe doesn’t sound quite right, I have had good luck with several recipes.

For this cake, I decided to use boxed mixes instead of following the directions to make the cakes from scratch.  I have had good luck with boxed mixes, since I don’t keep flour and sugar in my pantry any more.  This also allowed me the opportunity to make the green layer actually taste like pistachio.  Did you know that Roselyn’s was just a white cake with green food coloring?

The whip cream frosting is Roselyn’s exact recipe.  I don’t think I used enough to frost my cake, because I had a ton leftover.  And frosting cakes isn’t my greatest strength.  Neither is putting graham cracker crumbs on the side of a four-layer cake covered in whip cream frosting.  See what I’m learning about myself?

I also changed the spelling.  I just couldn’t take it, though both spellings are correct.

The good news is that when my mom first saw the cake, her reaction was “Is that…?  Did you…?  Is that a Spumoni Cake?”  Yay! My frosting skills weren’t so bad after all — meaning it was still somewhat recognizable.  And the taste?  I’m proud to say that it tasted like Spring.

I hope you are encouraged to make this simplified version from my favorite childhood bakery. The pastel colors would be awesome at the Easter table.  But I know that my family will be making this cake again and again.  Enjoy!

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Roselyn Spumoni Whip Cream Cake

1 box each of chocolate and strawberry cake mix
eggs
butter
buttermilk
2 boxes of white cake mix
egg whites
vegetable oil
1 t. strawberry all-fruit spread
1 3 oz. box of pistachio pudding mix
½ t. lemon extract

Whip Cream Frosting:
5 c. heavy cream
½ c. 100% fruit cherry jam
12 drops red food coloring
1 cup powdered sugar

1 c. crushed graham cracker crumbs

Prepare the chocolate cake according to the package directions for two 9-inch round cakes, substituting butter for the oil and buttermilk for the water called for in the ingredients.

Prepare one white cake according to the package directions for two 9-inch round cakes, using the egg whites and vegetable oil called for in the ingredients.

Prepare the strawberry cake according to the package directions for two 9-inch round cakes, substituting butter for the oil and buttermilk for the water called for in the ingredients and adding the strawberry fruit spread.

Prepare the second white cake mix according to the package directions for two 9-inch round cakes, using the egg whites and vegetable oil called for in the ingredients and adding the pistachio pudding mix.

Once cakes have baked, cool them on a wire rack.  Wrap one layer of each cake in plastic wrap and then place in freezer bags for future use.  Trim the tops from the remaining cake layers so that they are flat and even on top and so that the layers are approximately the same height.

To make the whip cream frosting, place chilled heavy cream into a bowl and whip until it reaches a full peak.  Add the cherry jam slowly, so that it does not lose its peak.  Next add the powdered sugar slowly and fold in until completely mixed.  Add food coloring and blend until just fully incorporated.

To frost the cake, place layers in order (chocolate on bottom, then white, then strawberry, then pistachio), making sure to spread equal amounts of whip cream in between each layer.  Next frost the outside and top of the cake.  Place the crushed graham crackers around the outside of the cake.  Keep refrigerated until served.

Makes 10-12 large slices.

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