Mascarpone-Filled Cake with Sherried Berries |
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Prep Time: 45 Minutes Cook Time: 75 Minutes |
Ready In: 120 Minutes Servings: 8 |
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This light-as-can-be buttermilk cake has an easy sophistication, its Sherry-spiked berries harmonizing with the tangy cream. Ingredients:
2 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring) |
1 teaspoon baking powder |
1 teaspoon baking soda |
1/2 teaspoon salt |
1 stick unsalted butter, softened |
1 cup sugar |
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract |
2 large eggs |
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk |
1/2 cup fino (dry) sherry |
1/2 cup sugar |
4 cups mixed berries, cut if large |
8 ounces mascarpone (1 cup) |
1 cup chilled heavy cream |
1/4 cup sugar |
confectioners sugar |
Directions:
1. Make cake: 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.
6. Macerate berries: Bring Sherry and sugar to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Put berries in a bowl and pour hot syrup over them, gently tossing to coat. Let stand 15 minutes.
7. Make cream and assemble cake: Beat mascarpone and cream with sugar in a large bowl using cleaned beaters until mixture just holds stiff peaks.
8. Halve cake horizontally with a long serrated knife. Carefully remove top half and reserve. Put bottom half on a plate, then spread evenly with all of cream and replace top half. Serve with berries.
9. Cooks 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.
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