Mixed Berry Filled Layer Cake with Whipped Mascarpone Frosting

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Today is my Mom’s birthday, a day that holds special significance for us. My mom (Sky’s Nanny), occupies a place of unparalleled importance in my life. Her unwavering support, boundless love, tireless work ethic, and unparalleled selflessness truly define her character. Each day, we are reminded of how fortunate we are to have her presence enriching our lives. This is why we’ve selected a cake that endeavors to mirror her remarkable qualities…my Mixed Berry Filled Layer Cake with Whipped Mascarpone Frosting, a creation that is ALMOST as amazing as she is!

If you’re looking for a show-stopping dessert that combines the freshness of mixed berries with the creamy indulgence of mascarpone cheese, then this recipe is the perfect choice! This mouthwatering cake features layers of moist vanilla cake filled with a luscious mixed berry filling and covered in a light and airy whipped mascarpone frosting. The combination of flavors and textures is simply divine, making this cake a true crowd-pleaser for any occasion. I won’t waste any more of your time telling you how amazing this cake is, because you really just need to taste it for yourself, so let’s dive into the ingredients!

To begin, let’s start with the star of the show: the mixed berry filling. To make your filling, you are going to need frozen mixed berries (you can use fresh berries if you’d prefer, but I like to use frozen berries to ensure the consistency of taste, as berries are frozen at the peak of their freshness, when they are ripe and delicious–there’s just too much variation of taste in fresh berries for me). You will also need water, sugar, and cornstarch for your filling,

For your vanilla cake, you will need flour, sugar, baking powder, Himalayan pink salt, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, eggs, and water.

To make your delicious whipped mascarpone frosting (and I mean DELICIOUS) you are are going to need chilled heavy whipping cream, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and chilled mascarpone cheese.

Mixed Berry Filling: You are going to want to make your mixed berry filling ahead of time so that you can get it in the refrigerator to cool completely prior to assembling your cake. To make your filling, add your thawed berries and water to a food processor or blender and puree them until they are smooth. Then, in a medium saucepan, add in your mixed berry puree, sugar, and cornstarch and whisk to combine them completely. Cook your mixture over medium heat, whisking continuously, until it comes to a boil and thickens to the consistency of a jam or jelly (this will vary depending on the type of stove you have and how quickly it heats up, but it will generally take between 5 and 8 minutes. Once your filling is thick enough to coat a spoon without running off of it easily, remove your saucepan from the heat. Transfer your filling to a small bowl. Cover it with a piece of plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface, covering it entirely to avoid a “skin” from forming on it. Transfer your bowl to the refrigerator to cool completely (about 2 hours). Your filling will thicken further upon cooling.

Vanilla Cake: To make your vanilla cake layers, begin by preheating your oven to 350°F and preparing three (8-inch) cake pans by greasing the sides and placing parchment paper rounds in the bottoms. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! As your cake layers cool, they will get very sticky, so they will not release from your pans easily without parchment paper rounds in the bottoms.

Next, in a medium bowl, combine your flour, sugar, baking powder and Himalayan pink salt, whisking gently to incorporate them completely and set your bowl aside. In a large bowl, add your milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and eggs, and beat with an electric hand mixer until fully combined; about 1 minute. Add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients and mix until mostly combined. Pour in your water and mix on low speed until all of your ingredients are completely incorporated. Scrape down the sides and scrape up bottom of your bowl to release any unmixed ingredients, and then beat your batter again on low to combine all your remaining ingredients thoroughly.

Divide your batter evenly into your prepared pans and bake for 24-28 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool your cakes completely.

After your filling and cake layers have cooled, it’s time to prepare your frosting.

Whipped Mascarpone Frosting: In a large bowl, beat your heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract on high until stiff peaks form. Add in your chilled mascarpone cheese and beat until fully incorporated. It is important to keep your mascarpone cheese chilled for this frosting so as to keep your frosting as firm as possible. Mascarpone cheese is a very smooth cheese that will incorporate beautifully into your whipped cream. After your frosting is whipped up, do yourself a favor and DO NOT TASTE IT. Otherwise, you most definitely will not have enough to assemble your cake. DO, however, lick the bowl clean after assembling your cake!!!

To Assemble the Cake: Run a silicone icing spatula or knife around the outer edge of your cake pan for your first layer to help release your cake and place it down on your cake pedestal or cardboard cake round. Using a serrated knife, remove the dome from your first layer so it is completely flat. Then, with a large piping bag, fitted with an Ateco 808 tip, pipe a dam of frosting around the outer edge of your cake and fill that dam with half of your mixed berry filling. Spread your filling evenly over your cake until it meets your frosting dam. Top your mixed berry filing with a layer of your frosting. Repeat these steps for your second and third cake layers, omitting the mixed berry filling on your top layer.

Finally, cover your entire cake with a thin crumb coat of frosting and then go back in and apply a thick final coating of frosting. To add a decorative touch to your cake, run a scalloped-edged scraper around the sides of the cake, creating a striped pattern. You can also use a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip to create swirls of frosting around the top edges of the cake and, for an extra touch of freshness, garnish the cake with fresh mixed berries, such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.

Once the cake is assembled and decorated, refrigerate it until ready to serve. This chilling time allows the flavors to meld together and the frosting to set, resulting in a perfectly indulgent and refreshing dessert.

Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or simply craving a delightful treat, my Mixed Berry Filled Layer Cake With Whipped Mascarpone Frosting is sure to impress. Each forkful offers a delightful combination of sweet and tangy flavors, moist cake layers, and creamy frosting. So go ahead, slice into this cake and savor the divine flavors of mixed berries and mascarpone cheese in every bite!