Before you get started, butter and line a bowl or pan with plastic wrap. The bowl/pan can be any size providing you have enough cake to line in it and on top.
For the pudding:
1 1/2 lbs frozen mixed berries 3/4 cups sugar
fresh heavy cream (about 2 cups)
about 1/2 cup sugar (or to taste)
1 tsp vanilla extract
fresh blueberries and raspberries to decorate top of cake (optional)
cake slices (I use leftover rum chocolate and rum yellow cake)
butter for greasing dish
cream cheese filling: (optional)
1-8oz softened cream cheese
1 stick butter
1/3 cup powder sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Put frozen fruit in pan and stir in sugar. Heat fruit gently, shaking the pan vigorously so the sugar dissolves but the fruit stays in tact. The fruit won't be hot but cool or slightly warm to the touch.
In the meantime, prepare the cream cheese filling by combining cream cheese and butter and beat until smooth. Then add powder sugar and vanilla and mix until you have a smooth consistency. Set aside.
Line the base of the bowl with slices of the cake. Make sure there are no holes but it is fully covered with cake. You can use whatever cake you like. Pour half of the cool berry mixture in bowl. Spoon the cream cheese filling and then add the rest of the fruit mixture. You can omit this part if you do not want the cream cheese filling and just pour all of the berry mixture into the bowl. Now top it with more cake (covering the berry mixture) pressing it down firmly with a plate that will cover the cake exactly. Weight it down by using can goods and chill overnight.
When ready to serve, whip heavy cream with sugar and vanilla and place aside. Here comes the tricky part....inverting the cake! Carefully take a rubber spatula and go along the sides of the lined cake to make sure that it will come out in one piece. Remember that the cake is filled with berries and have soaked up a fair amount of liquid from it.
Okay, take a platter and cover bowl and invert. Peel off plastic and if for whatever reason the cake starts to break up, just gently shape it back together and don't worry about the look because it will be covered with whip cream. Decorate with fresh berries.
When ready to serve, spoon on plate and indulge!! Enjoy!!