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Sugared Fruits

Sugared Fruits

Sugared fruits lend a dreamy, still-life aura to any cake—and, as we learned from Claire Ptak, they can be made in minutes.

  • Makes
    Makes enough to decorate a 9-inch cake

These sugared fruits are a stunning way to finish desserts such as Claire Ptak’s three-layer spice cake, lending the dessert a dreamy, still-life aura. They’re surprisingly easy to make and are best done at least an hour or up to a day in advance to give the coating time to set. Smallish, firm, sturdy fruits with skins that hold up well at room temperature work best; avoid berries, which are too soft and delicate. If you’re concerned about using raw egg, opt for pasteurized egg whites sold in the refrigerator section of the grocery store.

Ingredients
  • ½

    cup egg white

  • Whole firm fruits, such as fresh figs, grape clusters, cherries, small pears, plums, tangerines and kumquats, wiped dry if damp

  • White sugar, for sprinkling

  • A few bay leaves (optional)

Step 1

Place a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy. Have ready a bowlful of sugar for sprinkling.

Step 2

Working one at a time, brush a fruit with the thinnest coating possible of egg white. Holding the fruit over the bowl of sugar, sprinkle sugar onto the fruit, turning as needed, until completely covered on all sides. Work quickly to sugar all surfaces before the egg white begins to dry. Set the sugar-coated fruit on the prepared rack. Sugar the bay leaves in the same way.

Step 3

Let stand until the egg white is dry and the sugar is set, at least 1 hour, or for up to 24 hours.

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