Cherry-Lemon Cream Jell-O Mold
- Total Time
- 30 minutes, plus at least 4 hours’ chilling
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1large (6-ounce) package lemon Jell-O
- 4cups boiling water
- 1(16-ounce) container sour cream
- Neutral cooking spray
- 2large (6-ounce) packages black cherry Jell-O, or use plain cherry or cranberry Jell-O
- 1quart sweet or tart cherry juice, or use cranberry juice (opt for less cloudy varieties)
- Fresh holly sprigs, bay leaves or edible flowers, for garnish
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
225 calories; 10 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 33 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 30 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 117 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Pour lemon mix into a medium bowl and add 2 cups boiling water. Stir until dissolved, then let cool until warm but not steaming hot, about 10 minutes. Gradually whisk in sour cream until smooth.
- Step 2
Spray a 10- or 12-cup mold or Bundt pan, preferably nonstick, very lightly with neutral cooking spray. Blot any extra oil with paper towels. Pour in lemon-sour cream mixture and refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.
- Step 3
About 15 minutes before lemon-sour cream mixture has set, pour cherry mix into a large bowl and add 2 cups boiling water. Stir until dissolved, then stir in cherry or cranberry juice. Make sure mixture has cooled to lukewarm at most before proceeding.
- Step 4
When lemon-sour cream mixture is set, gently ladle the cherry mixture over it. Don’t pour it on top, as the mixture breaks easily. Refrigerate again until completely set, at least 3 hours or overnight. (If you want to create multiple thinner layers of Jell-O, as seen in the picture here, instead of just one layer of each flavor, see Note.)
- Step 5
When ready to unmold, run the tip of a sharp knife around the edge of the pan to break the seal. Dip the bottom half of the mold in warm (not hot) water for 15 seconds. Place a serving plate over the top and flip to unmold. (If the mold doesn’t come out immediately, don’t shake it; try the warm water treatment again, 15 seconds at a time, until it comes out. If you leave the mold in the water for a longer time, it may start to melt.)
- Step 6
Just before serving, garnish, then slice, using a sharp knife and wiping the blade between slices.
- To create multiple thinner layers in the mold, refrigerate 1 hour after adding each layer, and whisk each remaining Jell-O mixture in its bowl well before ladling it into the mold or Bundt pan to form the next layer. Chill the completed mold at least 3 hours or overnight.
Private Notes
Comments
Three tries, three failures. 1. Couldn’t find mold, subbed in a trifle dish. This screwed up cooling time, led to runny mess. 2. Bought new mold but it was filled to the brim and sloshed on trip to fridge. Spooned out a cupful from top. Kitchen looked like a crime scene. Red jello never firmly set; lemon side crushed the red when overturned. 3. Cut quantities in half. Everything fit in mold, but the cherry side developed an eighth-inch barrier. Hard to cut. Reconsidering my life choices.
To unmold you can place jello in mold upside down on serving plate, flip and cover mold with a small wet towel that has been heated in the microwave and wrung out.
Unless you have a giant mold, you will need to halve this recipe. Mine turned out to fit perfectly with exactly half in my regular sized Bundt cake mold. I followed advice to add gelatin to the cherry and this turned out perfectly. Also looks cool. I might try adding yogurt to both flavors since it turns out so nice and creamy that way, though the clear red with the cloudy yellow does look really great. A delightful dessert.
This was a fun treat! It turned out perfect with the following tips, many taken from other comments- Disregard the instructions on the back of the jello boxes. For the red layer, I used a mix of cranberry and raspberry jello with cranberry juice. To make it more firm, I added one packet of Knox gelatin to the chilled cranberry juice, whisking it well, prior to adding it into the jello mix. The lemon layer was solid and did not need Knox. I served it with whipped cream. Next time, I may reverse the layers because I think it may be prettier for red to be on top.
Made this exactly according to recipe, two days ahead, so lots of chilling time. Came out absolutely perfect. Ingredients fit in my Bundt pan, both layers were firm, and it slid out neatly. It didn’t require any of the extra tips or modifications others mentioned, unless you count the extra time in the fridge. I think I’ll try it with green jello on top next time for an extra Chrismassy effect.
I grew up in the desert every night era. The fall back desert for my mother was what we called "Fluff". Prepare a regular sized box of lemon jello. Cool down a bit and stir in vanilla ice cream. Pour into a pan or bowl and refrigerate. Serve for dessert.