Here is a very fun fact, Peruvians LOVE jello! So much so, you can go into any little dessert shop in Lima, Peru and find several types of jello desserts available for purchase. In my household, jello is the answer to anything and everything. Stomach ache? Eat some jello. Sick? Jello. Broken hearted? Hello, it’s jello time! I’ve never met a problem jello couldn’t help resolve. This is the perfect treat to have on a hot summer day, as it is refreshing and light but also to satisfy a sweet craving without much guilt. If you opt for sugar-free jello to make this cake, you can save yourself a few calories and the flavor remains almost exactly the same! 

These types of cakes are very popular. So much so that my mother was even able to start her own small business making jellos cakes for birthday parties and special events. Not only are we attached to this jiggly dessert through business, but also in personal matters as well. This very simple but very delicious dessert helped create bonds in my family and memories that will never be forgotten. This dessert allowed me to truly open up and accept a new way of life through a difficult time in my adolescence. I know,I know, that seems like alot to ask from one simple cake, right? The reality is, learning how to make this sweet treat gave me a sense of belonging and kinship with my sudden new familial arrangement. When I think back to the first time I had this treat in my new home, I was scared but also, with one bite, still felt like I WAS home. One familiar bite gave me back everything I knew. This isn’t just a dessert to me, it’s a beautiful memory.

Torta Helada de Fresa

Torta helada roughly translates to “cold cake” which is essentially jello encapsulating fresh fruit and moist cake on the inside. This dessert really is very little to no hassle. You save time by using instant jello mix and instant cake mix (or you can make the cake yourself, but who really has the time). Once those are done it really is only a matter or putting it all together nicely. The layer on top (which can be seen in the pictures below) is jello in its regular, most well known form. It is solid jello with strawberries inside that jello layer. The second layer, and the layer surrounding the entire cake is also jello but with a different consistency. The light pink layer is whipped jello. What we did to achieve this consistency is combine frozen evaporated milk with regular jello when it is still in its liquid form and using a hand held mixer, whipped it till it got to this thick-like consistency. Once you have reached a level of consistency you are happy with, it is important to act fast and assemble the cake because whipped jello becomes unmanageable quite quickly after being done. After that you are pretty much done! It is honestly very simple but the outcome is amazing! Next time you are craving something sweet and refreshing, I hope you consider giving this torta helada a try!