BUTTERMILK CAKE w/MASCARPONE

By BobD

Ingredients

• 8 SERVINGS
• MASCARPONE-FILLED CAKE WITH SHERRIED BERRIES
• FOR CAKE
• 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
• FOR BERRIES
• 1/2 cup Fino (dry) Sherry
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 cups mixed berries, cut if large
• FOR CREAM
• 8 oz mascarpone (1 cup)
• 1 cup chilled heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• GARNISH: confectioners sugar

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from gourmet.com

Preparation

Step 1

MAKE CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350F 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.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

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.

Spread batter in cake pan, smoothing top. Rap pan on counter several times to eliminate air bubbles.

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:

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.

MAKE CREAM AND ASSEMBLE CAKE:

Beat mascarpone and cream with sugar in a large bowl using cleaned beaters until mixture just holds stiff peaks.

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.

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.