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This Berry Mascarpone Layer Cake has layers of fluffy vanilla cake, fresh berry filling and mascarpone whipped cream frosting! It’s light, fruity and perfect for spring!
Berry Mascarpone Layer Cake
I never really realized how much of an effect caffeine has until I stopped drinking it recently. As part of the IVF process, caffeine isn’t really recommended so I’ve been doing my best to not drink it. Since soda has less caffeine than coffee, I’ll have a little if I’m desperate. I’d rather have coffee though. 🙁 Much more yummy.
Point is though – the lack of a picker-upper is brutal! And the tiredness is making me crave a way to increase energy so now I just want to eat all the carbs and sugar, which I’m also avoiding. Sometimes I feel like I just can’t eat anything. It’s not a good situation. I’ve gotta find a way to muster up some energy!
My go-to move right now is to play some of my favorite music and dance around while working. Gets the blood flowing and pumps me up. 🙂 Yay for 90s music! That’s my era.
And this is my cake.
Boy, do I love this cake! Fresh berries are some of the best things ever and we’ve had them galore for the last month or so. I can’t get enough of them! Especially the blueberries and strawberries. I just want to eat a carton at a time. And I can eat fruit – yay! 🙂
How to Make Berry Mascarpone Layer Cake
This cake starts with a moist and easy vanilla cake. The batter is so easy to put together, you could simply use a whisk to combine everything if you wanted. I always love a good stand mixer – it takes the work out of it for you – but you could do it by hand. Just combine the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, then add them all together with a little water. Done! Plus, the ingredients are all nice and straight forward. Rock on.
Then there’s the berry filling. You could almost think of it as a homemade jam, but not quite as thick. I used an even mix of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, but you could use whatever combo you like. The berries are purred in a food processor, then cooked over heat with some sugar and cornstarch. The heat reduces the liquid a bit and the cornstarch helps thicken everything. Once it’s cooled, you’ve got the perfect berry filling!
The mascarpone whipped cream frosting is used both to add to the cake filling and to frost the cake. I love how light this frosting is! You basically make whipped cream and add mascarpone cheese to it. The mascarpone flavor is lighter than a more straight forward mascarpone frosting, but this version runs much less risk of getting a super soft mascarpone frosting. Just be sure to add the full amount of powdered sugar to make sure the frosting stays stable. It makes a great addition to the cake and keeps things light and fresh!
The final cake is perfect for spring, Easter and all through the summer! It was a huge hit!
Watch How To Make It
SHOP THE RECIPE
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Berry Mascarpone Layer Cake
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 26 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 11 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 Slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Berry Mascarpone Layer Cake has layers of fluffy vanilla cake, fresh berry filling and mascarpone whipped cream frosting! It’s light, fruity and perfect for spring!
Ingredients
VANILLA CAKE
- 2 1/2 cups (325g) all purpose flour
- 2 cups (414g) sugar
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (240ml) milk
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) water
BERRY FILLING
- 1 1/2 cup (240g) mixed berries (I used strawberries, blueberries and raspberries)
- 3 tbsp (45ml) water
- 3/4 cup (155g) sugar
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
WHIPPED MASCARPONE FROSTING
- 2 1/2 cups (600ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 1/2 cups (173g) powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 16 oz (452g) mascarpone cheese, chilled
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and prepare three 8 inch cake pans with non-stick baking spray and parchment paper in the bottom. These cakes can have a tendency to stick to the pans a bit, so I strongly recommend the parchment paper in the bottom.
2. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to a large mixer bowl and combine. Set aside.
3. Add the milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and eggs to a medium sized bowl and combine.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat until well combined.
5. Slowly add the water to the batter and mix on low speed until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well combined.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 24-28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
7. Remove the cakes from oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling. These cakes can have a tendency to stick to the pans a bit so jiggle them a bit to loosen from the sides of the pan before turning the cakes out to cool.
BERRY FILLING
8. To make the berry topping, add the berries and water to a food processor and puree until smooth. You should end up with about 2/3 cup puree.
9. Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Stir in the berry puree.
10. Cook over medium heat, stirring consistently until mixture thickens and comes to a boil, about 8-10 minutes.
11. Allow to boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat. Refrigerate and allow to cool completely.
FROSTING AND ASSEMBLY
12. Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until soft peaks form.
13. Add the mascarpone cheese to the whipped cream and whip until stiff peaks form. It will happen fairly quickly.
14. To assemble the cake, use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the top of the cakes.
15. Place the first layer of cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake round. Pipe a dam of frosting around the outside of the cake. I use Ateco tip 808 for the dam so that it’s tall.
16. Spread half of the berry filling evenly on top of the cake layer, inside the dam. It should fill the dam about half way full.
17. Add some additional mascarpone frosting to the top of the berry filling and spread into an even layer to fill in the remaining dam space.
18. Add the second layer of cake and repeat the filling layer with the remaining berry filling and additional mascarpone frosting.
19. Add the final layer of cake on top, then smooth out the frosting around the sides of the cake.
20. Frost the outside of the cake, then use an icing decorator (I use this Ateco Icing Smoother ) to add a striped pattern to the sides.
21. Finish off the cake with some swirls of frosting and fresh berries.
22. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve. Cake is best for 2-3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 678
- Sugar: 53 g
- Sodium: 216.6 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Carbohydrates: 74 g
- Protein: 8.7 g
- Cholesterol: 118.4 mg
Enjoy!
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I made this for our daughter and son-in-law’s baby shower cake last year for about 70 people. It was so good, they’ve requested it for his first birthday party cake this weekend. When I made this cake last year, I received so many compliments and requests for the recipe! I had to admit it was one of the best cakes I’ve ever had. I only had 9″ cake pans, so I 1 1/2 times the recipe and it turned out great! I ended up using strawberries, Thank you for such a fantastic cake recipe!
Awesome! So glad to hear that!
Do u eat this cake at room temperature or straight from the fridge ? Thanks
You could really do it either way. I tend to like to let cakes sit out for maybe an hour before serving so that they aren’t so cold and firm, but that’s a personal preference.
I made this today as a dry run for a 4th of July party. So happy I did. Honestly, did not like this cake at all. The method of adding wet to dry is unusual & resulted in uneven mixing & incorporation of wet & dry. The batter was very thin. I did not like the texture of the cake & the edges became brown & crunchy before the cake fully cooked even at the instructed temperature. I had no issues with sticking. With regard to the frosting, I whipped the mascarpone with the sugar for a few minutes & slowly added the cream to incorporate- no separation or lumps. I prefer a chunkier, fresher fruit filling but I believe in making a recipe as written the first time & tweaking later if desired. I wish I hadn’t as the filling was too gloppy for my taste. It was pretty but I would not make it again.
I have made this cake three seperate times for birthday party’s. There’s never anything left. Everyone loves it!! Thank you so much for the recipe!!
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks Kelsey!
I LOVE this cake. I was worried because the batter was very watery. My icing turned out a little soft, not sure if I beat it too much. It was still delicious. This cake is the best. It has a light spongy texture and is so moist! I bought the book as well and I can’t wait to try out more cakes.
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks Jennifer!
This cake looks awesome and I’m planning to try it next week. Do you think it’s possible to use food coloring for the frosting? I would like for the frosting to be light pink.
Yes you can add gel icing color. You just want to be careful not to overwork the whipped cream. Use a gentle folding motion to incorporate it or add it while it’s being whipped.
Want to make this cake and was wondering if the frosting is sturdy enough to pipe rosettes around the cake?
Yes it should be fine for piping rosettes.
Would you recommend the mascarpone icing to pipe a whole cake?
What do you mean by pipe a whole cake? It certainly holds up well frosting a cake and I would think it would be fine piping designs. If you’re also piping on the sides of the cake, I would think it would be fine but it might depend a little bit on how intricate the piping would be. It is whipped cream and it does break down eventually if it stays in a piping bag for too long or gets overworked.
I’ve made this recipe 3 times already and it has been a huge hit every time! I want to make this into a 2 tier cake, and was wondering if you think any differences would need to be considered to bake this as a 6 in layer cake to be stacked on top of the 8 inch.
I’m so glad it’s been such a hit! For a six-inch cake if you want it to be the same height as the 8 inch, you’ll probably want to reduce the amount of batter a little bit and potentially adjust the baking time. I haven’t done 6 inch cakes though so I’m not sure exactly how much.
Ok! Yah, I figured I wouldn’t use all the batter to bake the 6in cakes, but will still make the recipe the same to not mess up the ratios. And I will make sure to check for doneness early on! I’ll let you know how it turns out! 🙂 Thanks for the feedback!
Hi! I haven’t made this cake but I plan to this week…I saw that you told another reader you don’t bring the cold ingredients to room temperature….is that true???? And it works like that? I was reading the recipe and thought maybe you forgot to mention it lol
It’s true! But you certainly can do that.
I’ve made this recipe several times now and my oldest son has declared this to be the cake he wants me to make him for his upcoming 40th birthday along with his favorite meal of grilled marinated chicken on focaccia bread. His wife has asked me to make this cake for a bridal shower she is hosting for her niece. My husband & grandson loved it too.
I’m so glad to hear it’s been a hit!
I just made this cake on Saturday and it was absolutely amazing 👌🏽😋I had so many complements!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Thanks
Claudia
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This was so good!!! I made it for Easter & it was a hit! I even goofed up the recipe a bit. I accidentally added the water to the wet batter instead of at the end & it still turned out great! The cake was moist! Filling & icing were delicious!!! It was easier to make this cake than I thought it would be! I will make this again! Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Lindsay, cake looks amazing, will be making it today, fingers crossed it doesn’t come out dense like others have said. Can I substitute sunflower oil for the vegetable oil? Also, can I add less powdered sugar so the frosting would be less sweet? Thanks
I haven’t tried the sunflower oil, but I assume it’d be fine. As for the powdered sugar, you could reduce it a little bit. Just be aware that it also adds some volume to the frosting, so you’ll end up with a little less to work with.
Hi Lindsay ! I have several questions. Do the cold ingredients have to come to room temperature first ? I always struggle knowing if I can use ingredients straight from the fridge or if I should wait.
I am also considering using frozen berries but am concerned about water content.
What is your advice?
I often do what you aren’t supposed to do and use cold ingredients. 🙂 So unless it says to use it at room temperature, I don’t. As for frozen berries, it should be ok. Just thaw them first and drain the water.
can i substitute buttermilk in place of milk. If not does the milk need to be whole?
I haven’t tried buttermilk with this cake to know for sure. I used 2% milk, but whole should be fine.