A recipe to make The Market at Larimer Square's spring fling cake at home

DENVER — When The Market at Larimer Square announced they were closing, we heard from many of you lamenting the loss of what some called "the perfect cake."

The Spring Fling cake was a work of beauty. It had three layers of zucchini-filled, spongey white cake with a light, airy frosting and hints of fruit between each layer. The top was an explosion of fresh fruit and beautiful color. 

But fortunately, you can still get a pretty close approximation of the beloved pastry at home.

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In May 2006, the home recipe was first published in the Rocky Mountain News. That's the version we tried out.

Start by baking the cake. While it's in the oven and cooling, you'll have plenty of time to both prepare the fruit and make the frosting.

The recipe says to bake the cake for between 50 and 70 minutes. For us, 55 minutes was perfect.

Be sure to give the cake at least an hour or two to cool before cutting the layers and spreading the frosting and fruit.   

We did not need as much fruit as the recipe called for in order to decorate the inside and top of the cake.

We also stuck to just two layers, but feel free to try for three if you're feeling particularly ambitious.

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The Market's Spring Fling Cake

as published in the Rocky Mountain News

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (for frosting)
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt

For the frosting:

• 3/4 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Fruit for the cake:

• 1 pint strawberries, cleaned, stemmed and sliced
• 4 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced
• 2 mangoes, peeled and sliced
• 1 pint blueberries

(Or whatever you like and is in season)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.° Grease and flour a 10-inch round cake pan.
2. In a stand mixer or large bowl, beat together shredded zucchini, eggs, sugar, oil, sour cream and 1/2 tablespoon vanilla. 
3. Combine all dry ingredients and add to the wet mixture. Continue to beat until well-combined. The batter should be fairly wet and easy to pour.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 50 to 70 minutes. It is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 
5. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and allow it to cool completely for a few hours.
6. While the cake is cooling, prepare the frosting. Beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. 
7. While continuing to beat, gradually add the powdered sugar. Keep mixing until it's all incorporated and smooth. 
8. In a separate bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks form.
9. Fold cream and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla into frosting. Be careful not to overmix.
10. Cut the cooled cake, making either two or three layers.
11. Spread a layer of frosting over each inner layer. Then add a layer of fruit on top of the frosting. Stack the layers of cake together.
12. Evenly frost the top of the cake (traditionally, the sides are not frosted). Arrange the fruit in circles all over the top of the cake.

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