Biltmore Mascarpone Cake Recipes

NAKED VANILLA CAKE WITH MASCARPONE AND BERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 6-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper.
• Combine butter and sugar in a bowl and beat using an electric mixer until creamy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually sift in flour and continue mixing until batter is smooth. Add vanilla extract and whisk for an additional 2 minutes. Divide batter between the prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen. Invert carefully onto a serving plate or cooling rack. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• While cake is cooking beat cream, mascarpone cheese, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth, creamy, and thick. Cover bowl and refrigerate filling until cake is ready for decorating.
• Once cakes are cooled completely, carefully cut each in half horizontally to create 4 layers. Set aside a handful of raspberries and blackberries for garnish. Mix remaining raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries together in a bowl.
• Place 1 cake layer on a serving platter and cover with 1/3 of the mascarpone cream. Sprinkle 1/3 of the berries on top. Add the next cake layer and top with 1/3 of the mascarpone cream and 1/3 of the berries; repeat with remaining 2 layers, mascarpone cream, and berries. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and reserved blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Dust cake top with confectioners' sugar.

LEMON LAYER CAKE WITH LEMON CURD AND MASCARPONE

Steps:

• For lemon curd:
• Whisk first 4 ingredients in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk constantly until thickened and instant-read thermometer inserted into mixture registers 160°F, about 10 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Add butter; whisk until melted. Transfer 1 cup curd to small bowl for spreading on cake layers. Reserve remaining curd for filling. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of both curds. Chill overnight. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.)
• For cake:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Line bottom of two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides with parchment paper (do not grease pans or parchment). Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks and 7 tablespoons sugar in large bowl until mixture is very thick and slowly dissolving ribbons form when beaters are lifted, about 4 minutes. Using clean dry beaters, beat whites in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Add remaining 7 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff and glossy. Fold half of whites into yolk mixture, then sift half of flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt over and gently fold in until incorporated. Fold in remaining whites, then sift remaining flour over and fold in just until combined, being careful not to deflate batter.
• Divide batter between pans; smooth tops. Bake until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool in pans on racks.
• Run knife around edge of pans to loosen cakes. Invert cakes onto 9-inch-diameter cardboard rounds, tapping on work surface if necessary to release cakes. Cut each cake horizontally in half (layers will be thin). Peel off parchment.
• For syrup:
• Place sugar in small metal bowl. Add 1/2 cup boiling water; stir to dissolve sugar. Stir in lemon juice.
• For filling and frosting:
• Beat whipping cream and sugar in large bowl until peaks form. Add mascarpone to lemon curd in medium bowl; whisk until blended. Fold whipped cream into lemon-mascarpone mixture.
• Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Brush with 1/4 of syrup. Spread 1/4 cup lemon curd over, then 1 cup lemon-mascarpone filling. Top with second cake layer; brush with 1/4 of syrup and spread with 1/4 cup lemon curd and 1 cup lemon-mascarpone filling. Repeat with third cake layer, syrup, lemon curd, and filling. Top with fourth cake layer. Brush with remaining syrup, then spread remaining lemon curd over. Spoon 2 cups lemon-mascarpone filling into pastry bag fitted with 1/4-inch star tip (to be used for rosettes). Spread remaining lemon-mascarpone filling as a frosting over sides of cake. Pipe small rosettes of frosting over top of cake, covering completely. Cover cake with cake dome; refrigerate at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.
• *Italian cream cheese available at Italian markets and many supermarkets.