Snow on the Mountain - TNT

[Katie H]

We're having this for dessert tonight with our meal and I haven't posted the recipe so I thought it would be the fair thing to do. It doesn't really come under any of the defined categories of "Desserts, Sweets, Cookies & Candies," so I'm just going to post it in the overall category.

Let me warn you, it's very rich but soooooo yummy. I haven't met anyone who doesn't like it. And, best of all, it serves a lot of folks. Enjoy! We've had the pleasure of gobbling this up since I was a little girl.

SNOW ON THE MOUNTAIN
(Serves 12-16)

Cake:
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup finely cut dates
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Layers:
2 pints heavy cream
2 heaping Tbsp. powdered sugar
2 (11-oz.) cans mandarin oranges,well drained
4 large bananas, medium ripe
3 cups shredded sweetened coconut

In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs and sugar until light and lemon-colored. Fold in flour, baking powder and salt. Beat until well combined. Blend in dates and vanilla extract.
Pour into a 9- x 13-inch baking pan and bake in preheated 350º oven for about 25 minutes. Cool completely.

When cool, tear cake into bits with a fork while still in the pan. Gently even out cake bits on bottom of pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream with the powdered sugar until cream holds firm peaks. Set aside.

To assemble dessert, spread half the whipped cream over cake bits. Add a layer of sliced bananas, a layer of mandarin oranges and finish with a layer of the remaining half of the whipped cream. Liberally sprinkle with the coconut and press down lightly.

Cover and chill several hours or overnight. To serve, cut into squares. Keep refrigerated.

[PrincessFiona60]

Oh yum! Almost sounds like a trifle.

[Katie H]

All I can say is...it is AWESOME!

[SharonT]

Katie, I've made this dessert many times! I got the recipe about 20 years ago from a friend who said her family had made it for years. The cake is identical except I also put pecans in addition to the dates, and use fresh oranges. Then the torn up cake is layered alternately with the fruit on a large round platter, starting with a round bottom layer, about 12 inches in diameter. Smaller layers of fruit and cake bits are piled on, until they actually form a “mountain." Then of course whipped cream over all and coconut on top. We like to garnish around the sides of the mountain with date fans and orange slices. Jim calls it "the bombe." One of my favorite things... and I've never seen the recipe anywhere else until today! I never thought of assembling it any other way, but it would be easier to do in a 9x13 or in individual trifle bowls.