Fruit Salad Cheese Cake

I did this pudding for a Christmas eve family get together, and I can assure you it had a wow effect on every one!

1 sponge cake of 8 inch diameter and 1inch height
250ml cream
200g soft cheese
250g mascarpone cheese
1 tbsp gelatin powder
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp cherry brandy
1 punnet strawberries hulled and halved


For topping decoration
Sliced pineapple
Seedless grapes
Strawberries hulled and halved
Sliced kiwi
Deseeded tangerine segments
Cocktail cherries (stone removed)
1 tablespoon gelatin powder
1/2 cup hot water

Line the base of a springform cake tin 8inch diameter with baking paper. Pace the sponge on top. Heat 1/2 cup water and add sugar stir until dissolved, add cherry brandy and when cold use half of it to moisten the sponge cake. Line the halved strawberries around with cut side touching the side of cake tin. In a medium bowl mix together with a whisk, mascarpone, soft cheese cream and icing sugar until well combined. Dissolve the gelatin in two tablespoons hot water and add to the remaining syrup and cherry brandy mixture and stir well. Add this syrup to the cream cheese mixture and whisk well with hand until combined. Pour over sponge and cover strawberries completely. Tapping the cake tin twice on bench ensuring the mixture fills all gaps between strawberries. Chill for 1/2 hour or until you prepare the topping fruits.

Dissolve the gelatin in 1/2 cup water and set aside. Arrange fruits on top of cheese cake and brush gelatin mixture over fruits to give a nice glaze. Right before serving remove cake tin side and slide the cheesecake on a serving plate.