Mascarpone-filled cake with peaches & berries

This is an outstanding cake. It is subtly sweet and fluffy. The fresh fruit is dreamy with just a touch of vinegar and sugar to bring out the seasonal flavor. The mascarpone whipped cream filling is to die for. I wrote on my printed copy of the recipe “Best whipped cream ever!” And it really is. The cake comes together easily, even though the instructions look long. Fresh fruit is such an easy and pretty cake topper, assembly is a cinch.

This is the third time I’ve made this for a birthday. I think I’m going to keep getting requests for it. There’s a reason the original recipe has 4 out of 4 forks on Epicurious and a plethora of rave reviews. I highly recommend this cake for any special occasion. Or if you’re just in the mood for cake.

Mascarpone-filled cake with peaches and berries
Recipe from Epicurious with a few modifications from Destination Belly
 
Serves 8
 
Ingredients
 
For cake:
2 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
 
For fruit:
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup sugar
4 cups mixed fruit, cut if large (I used peaches, blackberries, and blueberries)
 
For cream:
8 ounces mascarpone (1 cup)
1 cup chilled heavy cream
¼ cup sugar
 
Preparation
 
Make cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan (2 inches deep). Line bottom with a round of parchment paper, then butter parchment.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. With mixer at low speed, beat in buttermilk until just combined. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing after each addition until just combined.
4. Spread batter in cake pan, smoothing top. Rap pan on counter several times to eliminate air bubbles.
5. Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake to loosen, then invert onto a plate. Discard paper and reinvert cake onto rack to cool completely.

 
Macerate berries:

1. Put fruit in a bowl and gently stir in sugar and vinegar. Let stand 15 minutes.
   

 
Make cream and assemble cake:

1. Beat mascarpone and cream with sugar in a large bowl using cleaned beaters until mixture just holds stiff peaks.
2. Halve cake horizontally with a long serrated knife. Carefully remove top half and reserve. Put bottom half on a plate, then spread evenly with most of the cream and replace top half. Top with remaining cream and fruit. Serve with more fruit.
   

 
Cook’s notes:
Cake, without cream, can be baked 1 day ahead. Wrap in plastic wrap once cool and keep at room temperature. Berries can macerate at room temperature up to 2 hours.