Fruit pretzel cake

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

Step 2

Make the crust: grind the pretzels in a food processor until mostly broken down into fine crumbs, about 30 seconds. You should get 1⅓ cup of crumbs, but this could differ depending on the brand of pretzels. Adjust as needed.

Step 3

Add the melted butter and brown sugar to the pretzel crumbs and continue to process until combined, about 30 seconds.

Step 4

Transfer the crumb mixture to an 8x8-inch ungreased baking dish and spread it out evenly across the bottom, then take a flat-bottomed measuring cup and lightly pack the mixture down. (This helps the crust stay together, although you want to avoid packing it too much or the crust will be hard to cut.)

Step 5

Bake until fragrant and the edges are just starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes.

Step 6

Make the middle layer: beat the cream cheese, sugar, and sour cream in a medium bowl with electric beaters on high until the mixture is fluffy and the sugar dissolves, about 2 min.

Step 7

Add the whipping cream and mix on low until just combined, then turn the beaters up to high and continue beating until soft peaks form, about 30 to 45 seconds.

Step 8

Spread the cream mixture evenly over the cooled crust and refrigerate to set, about 30 minutes.

Step 9

Make the top layer: dissolve the jello in the boiling water. Stir in the cold water and chill the mixture in the fridge or freezer until it thickens slightly and resembles unbeaten egg whites, about 60 - 90 minutes in the fridge and 20 - 40 minutes in the freezer.

Step 10

Mix the fruit into the thickened jello and pour the mixture evenly over the cream layer, using a spatula to level it out.

Step 11

Refrigerate until jello is fully set, about 2 hours or overnight.

Step 12

Enjoy!