Ingredients:

  • 2.25 cups cake flour
  • 0.75 cup granulated cane sugar
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.75 cup whole milk
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 2 cups fresh raspberries
  • 2 cups fresh blueberries
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 8 oz mascarpone cheese
  • 0.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease three 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
  2. Cream the softened unsalted butter and granulated cane sugar until pale and fluffy.
  3. Incorporate eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and almond extracts.
  4. Sift in the cake flour, baking powder, and salt, alternating the addition with the room temperature whole milk.
  5. Pour batter evenly into the three pans and bake for 25–30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and edges are pale golden. Cool completely.
  6. In a small saucepan, simmer a handful of raspberries with lemon juice until broken down. Whisk in a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with water) and simmer until thickened.
  7. Fold in the remaining fresh raspberries and blueberries. Let the berry filling cool to room temperature.
  8. In a chilled bowl, beat chilled mascarpone and sifted powdered sugar until smooth.
  9. Slowly pour in ice-cold heavy whipping cream and vanilla bean paste. Whip on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
  10. Place one cake layer on a plate. Pipe a dam of mascarpone cream around the edge, fill the center with the berry mixture, and top with the next cake layer. Repeat and frost the exterior with the remaining cream.
  11. Chill the assembled cake for 4 hours before serving to ensure structural stability.