Blender Berries-and-Cream Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar (divided between cake and berry mixture)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 4 large eggs (room temperature)
• 0.75 cup whole milk
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter (melted and cooled slightly)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 cup mixed fresh berries (such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries; hulled or halved as needed)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 8 oz mascarpone cheese (chilled)
• 1.5 cup heavy cream (chilled)
• 0.5 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
• 1 tsp lemon zest (finely grated)

Steps

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

2. 2

   In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set the dry ingredients aside.

3. 3

   Add the eggs, milk, melted butter, vanilla, and half of the granulated sugar to a blender. Blend until smooth and lightly frothy, about 30 seconds.

4. 4

   Add the dry ingredients to the blender. Pulse just until the flour is incorporated; do not overmix, or the cake may become tough.

5. 5

   Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean.

6. 6

   Cool the cakes in their pans for 10 minutes. Turn them out onto wire racks, peel away the parchment, and cool completely before assembling.

7. 7

   Place the berries in a bowl. Add the remaining granulated sugar and lemon juice, toss gently, and let stand until the berries release some juice, about 20 minutes.

8. 8

   In a large bowl, whisk the mascarpone, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and lemon zest until smooth and thick enough to spread. Stop as soon as soft, spreadable peaks form; do not overwhip the cream.

9. 9

   Place one cooled cake layer on a serving plate. Spread it with about half of the mascarpone cream.

10. 10

    Set the second cake layer on top. Spread the remaining mascarpone cream over the top of the cake.

11. 11

    Spoon the berries over the cream. Drizzle the juices from the berry mixture over the cake immediately before serving.

12. 12

    If the assembled cake has been refrigerated, let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before adding the berries and serving.

Notes

The source excerpt states that the cake layers keep for up to 24 hours at room temperature and that the berry mixture and mascarpone cream can be refrigerated up to 12 hours ahead. A cream-topped cake can be refrigerated uncovered for up to 6 hours; add the berries and juices just before serving. Do not overwhip the cream filling, or it will be too stiff to spread smoothly. Quantities and method beyond the visible excerpt were reconstructed from the dish description and are therefore low-confidence.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• cake
• baked
• berries
• make-ahead
• summer
• vegetarian