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This Berry Mascarpone Layer Cake has layers of fluffy vanilla cake, fresh berry filling and mascarpone whipped cream frosting! It’s light, fruity and perfect for spring!
Berry Mascarpone Layer Cake
I never really realized how much of an effect caffeine has until I stopped drinking it recently. As part of the IVF process, caffeine isn’t really recommended so I’ve been doing my best to not drink it. Since soda has less caffeine than coffee, I’ll have a little if I’m desperate. I’d rather have coffee though. 🙁 Much more yummy.
Point is though – the lack of a picker-upper is brutal! And the tiredness is making me crave a way to increase energy so now I just want to eat all the carbs and sugar, which I’m also avoiding. Sometimes I feel like I just can’t eat anything. It’s not a good situation. I’ve gotta find a way to muster up some energy!
My go-to move right now is to play some of my favorite music and dance around while working. Gets the blood flowing and pumps me up. 🙂 Yay for 90s music! That’s my era.
And this is my cake.
Boy, do I love this cake! Fresh berries are some of the best things ever and we’ve had them galore for the last month or so. I can’t get enough of them! Especially the blueberries and strawberries. I just want to eat a carton at a time. And I can eat fruit – yay! 🙂
How to Make Berry Mascarpone Layer Cake
This cake starts with a moist and easy vanilla cake. The batter is so easy to put together, you could simply use a whisk to combine everything if you wanted. I always love a good stand mixer – it takes the work out of it for you – but you could do it by hand. Just combine the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, then add them all together with a little water. Done! Plus, the ingredients are all nice and straight forward. Rock on.
Then there’s the berry filling. You could almost think of it as a homemade jam, but not quite as thick. I used an even mix of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, but you could use whatever combo you like. The berries are purred in a food processor, then cooked over heat with some sugar and cornstarch. The heat reduces the liquid a bit and the cornstarch helps thicken everything. Once it’s cooled, you’ve got the perfect berry filling!
The mascarpone whipped cream frosting is used both to add to the cake filling and to frost the cake. I love how light this frosting is! You basically make whipped cream and add mascarpone cheese to it. The mascarpone flavor is lighter than a more straight forward mascarpone frosting, but this version runs much less risk of getting a super soft mascarpone frosting. Just be sure to add the full amount of powdered sugar to make sure the frosting stays stable. It makes a great addition to the cake and keeps things light and fresh!
The final cake is perfect for spring, Easter and all through the summer! It was a huge hit!
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Read transcript
SHOP THE RECIPE
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Berry Mascarpone Layer Cake
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 26 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 11 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 Slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Berry Mascarpone Layer Cake has layers of fluffy vanilla cake, fresh berry filling and mascarpone whipped cream frosting! It’s light, fruity and perfect for spring!
Ingredients
VANILLA CAKE
- 2 1/2 cups (325g) all purpose flour
- 2 cups (414g) sugar
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (240ml) milk
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) water
BERRY FILLING
- 1 1/2 cup (240g) mixed berries (I used strawberries, blueberries and raspberries)
- 3 tbsp (45ml) water
- 3/4 cup (155g) sugar
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
WHIPPED MASCARPONE FROSTING
- 2 1/2 cups (600ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 1/2 cups (173g) powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 16 oz (452g) mascarpone cheese, chilled
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and prepare three 8 inch cake pans with non-stick baking spray and parchment paper in the bottom. These cakes can have a tendency to stick to the pans a bit, so I strongly recommend the parchment paper in the bottom.
2. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to a large mixer bowl and combine. Set aside.
3. Add the milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and eggs to a medium sized bowl and combine.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat until well combined.
5. Slowly add the water to the batter and mix on low speed until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well combined.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 24-28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
7. Remove the cakes from oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling. These cakes can have a tendency to stick to the pans a bit so jiggle them a bit to loosen from the sides of the pan before turning the cakes out to cool.
BERRY FILLING
8. To make the berry topping, add the berries and water to a food processor and puree until smooth. You should end up with about 2/3 cup puree.
9. Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Stir in the berry puree.
10. Cook over medium heat, stirring consistently until mixture thickens and comes to a boil, about 8-10 minutes.
11. Allow to boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat. Refrigerate and allow to cool completely.
FROSTING AND ASSEMBLY
12. Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until soft peaks form.
13. Add the mascarpone cheese to the whipped cream and whip until stiff peaks form. It will happen fairly quickly.
14. To assemble the cake, use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the top of the cakes.
15. Place the first layer of cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake round. Pipe a dam of frosting around the outside of the cake. I use Ateco tip 808 for the dam so that it’s tall.
16. Spread half of the berry filling evenly on top of the cake layer, inside the dam. It should fill the dam about half way full.
17. Add some additional mascarpone frosting to the top of the berry filling and spread into an even layer to fill in the remaining dam space.
18. Add the second layer of cake and repeat the filling layer with the remaining berry filling and additional mascarpone frosting.
19. Add the final layer of cake on top, then smooth out the frosting around the sides of the cake.
20. Frost the outside of the cake, then use an icing decorator (I use this Ateco Icing Smoother ) to add a striped pattern to the sides.
21. Finish off the cake with some swirls of frosting and fresh berries.
22. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve. Cake is best for 2-3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 678
- Sugar: 53 g
- Sodium: 216.6 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Carbohydrates: 74 g
- Protein: 8.7 g
- Cholesterol: 118.4 mg
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Enjoy!
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I love the recipe! Can I use cake flour instead of all purpose flour?
I haven’t ever tried it, so I’m not sure. It would probably be fine, it just may change the texture of the cake slightly.
So many great reviews for this cake! I’m looking forward to trying it. I just have one comment/question… I have never followed a cake recipe that calls for 1 cup of water in the batter – I would be more inclined to use whole milk, but wondering if that would change overall texture/taste at all?
My recommendation is usually I follow a recipe has written before changing it, so you see how it turns out as written. You can try using milk, but it will most likely give you a more dense cake.
Can I use silk brand coconut milk in place of regulär milk?
I haven’t ever tried coconut milk, so I can’t say from experience. It seems like it should work OK though.
Making this for dessert for Easter dinner as it looks like a delicious showstopper!.
2 1/2 cups seems like an awful lot of sugar. Would I be able to reduce the sugar to 1 cup?
Sugar adds moisture and affects the texture, as well as adding sweetness. You could try reducing it, but by that much might not give great results.
Hi, Would a person be able to substitute gluten free flour. There would be xanthum gum already in the flour.
I haven’t tried it, but I would think all purpose gluten free flour would be fine in the cake.
I am contemplating making this fabulous looking dessert for Easter Sunday and have a question about the frosting. Is it similar to American buttercream frosting? I am hesitant to make frosting with powdered sugar because it’s too sweet and heavy. I typically opt for Swiss Meringue buttercream instead. Thanks in advance for your help!
This whipped cream frosting is not like American buttercream, but more like a bit thicker whipped cream. It definitely is not too sweet.
I love this recipe!! Can I frese the jam for future use?
Glad you enjoy it! Sure, that should be fine.
Hello! I was wondering if we would be able to make this with 3 6 inch pans instead? & If you maybe knew what the temperature & cook time would be?
Thank you!
Yes, that should be fine. I would probably cut the recipe in half, unless you want a very tall cake. The temperature should be the same. Not sure of the bake time. Maybe 15-20 minutes?
Do you think this recipe could work to make cupcakes? And fill will the berry filling? I made this cake and it was a huge hit! But I would like to make it easier for kids to eat quickly!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Yes, you can make cupcakes. You can find the cake layers as cupcakes in these vanilla cupcakes. Then, yes, fill them with the berry filling and top with the mascarpone whipped cream.
Can I use frozen mixed berries? Will it change anything?
They just may not have quite as much flavor. It’s hard to say. Also, if they have added water, you’ll want to strain it.
I made this for my mom’s 75th birthday, it was amazing, some of us are cake lovers. This was loved by the “non-cake lovers” (whatever is wrong with them) and the “eat only chocolate desserts” people. Thanks for this amazing recipe, was easy to follow and tasted amazing.
Awesome! I’m so glad it was a hit!
I have made this recipe a couple of times, and it has become my family’s favorite cake. Thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe! I am planning to make this cake for a crowd of approximately 50 people, and I am wondering if I can bake it as a sheet cake and layer 3 pans together. I was thinking that a triple recipe might work. Have you ever used this recipe in that way? If so, do you have any pointers that can help me get it right the first time? Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoy it! I have not ever made it that way, but I think what you describe sounds like it would be OK.
Hello. Can I replace the oil with butter?
I haven’t tried it, but would not expect to get the same result.
I’m wondering if the whipped cream frosting can hold its shape for a day or two if you wanted to make ahead?
Absolutely. The mascarpone cheese and powdered sugar help keep it stable. It won’t ever wilt in the fridge once it’s in your cake.
Hi! I accidentally bought 9in cake pans. Do you think I can leave the recipe the same? Thank you!
You can use those. Your cake just won’t be as tall. Or you could do 1 1/2 recipes worth and make three full-sized layers.
Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe!! Got rave reviews.
Awesome! So glad to hear that!
My daughter shoos at an Italian shop in westchester New York, and she buys a cake just like this one already made that we all love . So happy to had found this recipe it is exactly it , I will try this week . Thank you
Fun! I hope you enjoy it!
How long will the filling keep in the fridge if not all used?
It should keep in the fridge for about a week.
Was the oven temperature for a regular or fan oven?
I use an electric convection oven on the bake setting.
Lindsay, I would like to know if you think I could use chiffon cake layers with the berry filling. I happen to have 3 layers in the freezer but I’m hesitating because I don’t know if chiffon cake is too flimsy to do the job. Thanks for posting this great recipe
That could vary a little based on the particular chiffon cake, but I’m guessing it would be fine.
This is the best vanilla cake and frosting I’ve ever made and eaten. Everyone LOVED IT! Super easy for anyone to whip together.
Awesome! I’m so glad it was a hit!
I followed the directions for this cake and while the frosting and fruit filling turned out great, the cake was too dense, and even though it tasted ok, it was inedible.
What are the ingredients using a 10in cake pan.
I would double the ingredients for the cake. I’m not sure if you would need to double the filling and whipped cream, but I would do at least one and a half recipes worth.
This is one of my favorite recipes. I was wondering if you think the cake would be stable if I increased the ingredients and make a 10 in cake. Also, if I use the cream for your vanilla cupcakes (same ingredients) could I store them fridges for 2 days?
I’m a little confused by your questions but I’m going to do my best. Yes, you could increase this for a 10 inch cake. I would double the cake recipe. And then I think you’re asking if you can use the mascarpone whipped cream on my vanilla cupcakes and the answer would be yes. They would store fine in the fridge for two days. They would be best airtight container. I hope that helps!
This is hands-down my favorite cake recipe, I’ve been making it for all family birthdays (including my own) for the past few years! The frosting is heaven-sent, there’s nothing like it. I’ve experimented with different fruit fillings – a combination of raspberry and strawberry has been my favorite so far!
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoy it!
I’m making this cake this evening, and making 2 batches of batter, and i’m going to do a 6inch (4 layers) on top to make it a 2tier cake. Hopefully it works. But does the frosting firm up like a normal buttercream does?
The frosting does not firm up like a normal buttercream. It is more like stabilized whipped cream.
How many cups of batter in this ?
I’m not sure. I’m sorry.
I have made this cake over & over , it is the best , everyone loves it
I’m so glad it’s been a hit!
This was delicious! Made for my husband’s birthday and everyone loved it. Going to make again for my friend’s birthday. Definitely adding this to my recipe book!
Awesome! I’m so glad it was a hit!
Can you use sunflower oil?
I’ve never used sunflower oil, but I think it would be fine.
I have made this recipe a half dozen times with rave results. Sometimes I add a little bit of fiori di sicilia in the cake. I also like to separate my compotes so I have reds and blues separate for a patriotic wink. The icing is a perfect balance and better option than the cloyingly sweet American buttercream. Sorry can’t share a pic here ….
So glad you enjoy it!
Hi Lindsay!
I notice that you only use veg oil in this cake and not butter. Most of your other recipes call for butter and oil. Do you have a reason why you do not use butter in this one?
It’s just a different recipe option. I have several vanilla cake/cupcakes with different pros and cons.
I’ve made this cake several times as it is a family favorite. I do a buttercream frosting instead. The trouble I have had is the top layer will slide and not stay up. I have started to make it as a 2-layer cake and use the remaining batter as cupcakes. Any idea why the cake might be slipping? I could use dowels to hold in place but it seems like that is not necessary with the directions!
I’m glad you enjoy it! Are you piping a dam around the edges of the cake before you add the filling? If you are and the frosting is stiff enough, it shouldn’t move around. I hope that helps!
This cake is absolutely wonderful! Curious, can I use butter in place of the oil?
So glad you enjoyed it! I haven’t actually tried butter, so I’m not sure. It might bake and be fine, but it will change the texture of the cake.
i have not yet tried out this recipe but i am curious if fresh berries and frozen berries would have a different taste to this cake
It really depends on the berries. Even fresh berries sometimes don’t taste that great. If the berries are good, the filling should be good. The thing to be aware of with frozen berries is it there is usually excess water. I’d recommend thawing them and removing the excess liquid first.
I made this cake for my Bunco babes when I hosted last night. Fantastic recipe! Everyone loved it. Hard to find a good white cake recipe. Of course the frosting and berry filling is to die for. This will certainly become one in my repertoire.
Awesome! So glad it was a hit!
Second time making this amazing cake. Everyone says it’s the best cake they’ve ever had.
I’m so glad it’s been a hit!
I made this cake for my granddaughter’s birthday. The cake part was horrible tasting. The berry filling and marscapone frosting were amazing. I ended up making a different 3 layer cake recipe. I will definitely make the berry filling and frosting again. My family said to triple the berry filling next time.
Hi what size cake tins did you use?
Three 8 inch cake pans.
can you use 9 inch pans can’t find 8 inch
Sure, your cake just won’t be as tall. If you want to use 9 inch pans and maintain the height, do one and a half recipes worth.
Hi!!! I am baking this cake right now and I am not sure which type of sugar should I use.
It’s regular granulated sugar.
Just made this recipe and it came out great! It tastes great and was most definitely worth the effort. The only issue I had was that the cake was a little hard to stack as it was a bit sticky, but that may be because I replaced the milk with oat milk. Overall this is a fantastic recipe!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Can the frosting be made earlier and sit in the fridge?! I’ve made this cake twice now and it turns out really good but the frosting starts to soften on me and I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong? Any suggestions would be appreciated!
This frosting isn’t ideal to make ahead. Because it’s a whipped cream, it will deflate if it gets stirred up again after sitting a while. I make it fresh, right before adding it to the cake.
Made cupcakes with this recipe for work since it’s easier than cake. HUGE hit! So good!
Awesome! Glad they were a hit!
Hi, This cake looks fabulous! Is there any issues with the raspberry seeds? Can you strain them out? Thanks!
You can strain them out, if you like.
Can I use cake flour instead of all purpose flour?
I imagine that would be fine. I haven’t tried it to say for sure.
Can you make this ahead of time? I was thinking that I could make cakes and freeze them and make the frosting and refrigerated that. I am only making it 5 days ahead of time. Have you ever done that?
The cakes would be fine to freeze. Just wrap them well and then thaw them in the fridge. The whipped frosting should be made right before you use it or it will deflate and soften when you stir it up again.
This is my favorite frosting recipe! Have you ever tried adding cocoa powder to it? Was thinking of trying that for a chocolate cake.
So glad you enjoy it! Here is my mascarpone whipped cream recipe as it’s own post and and it includes the chocolate version. I hope that helps!
Can I make this the day before serving?
Definitely! Just store it in the fridge and serve cool, but not cold.
I am wondering if I can substitute the sugar for Stevia/Monk fruit without it hurting the structural integrity of this dessert.
I’m really not sure. I haven’t tried that type of sweetener in this cake.
This is my daughter’s favorite cake but this year I need to convert to cupcakes any suggestions?
You can find the cake recipe as cupcakes in these vanilla cupcakes. I’d probably fill the cupcakes with the berry filling and then frost with the whipped frosting. I hope that helps!
I made this cake . Was so good!
Moist and delicious everyone loved it
I’m so glad it was a hit!
I was asked last minute to do a wedding cake and this turned out so good! Light & fluffy frosting. I got so many compliments! Definitely going into my saved file
I’m so glad you were happy with it!
I love the Berry Mascarpone Layer Cake so much. I want to try and make cupcakes and fill with the jelly. What temperature and length of time would you recommend for cupcakes.
So glad you enjoy it! I actually have the cake layers as vanilla cupcakes and you can follow that recipe and those instructions, if you’d like.
I’m so excited to try making this cake! Would using frozen berries work?
Frozen berries should be fine, I would just thaw them out and get rid of the excess moisture.
This recipe is a total WOW!!! It is stunning, and it is delicious. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This is my favorite cake. I love the flavor’s and the texture. The frosting is so good, not too sweet, it’s the best I ever had.
I’m so glad to hear you enjoy it!
I love this recipe! Similar to a gentilly cake that our local rouses makes but even better. I added almond flavoring to the cake and I must admit it’s my family’s new favorite. Not overly sweet but the fresh fruit keeps it very moist. Made it for Easter dinner this year at my sisters request.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Loved it! I usually don’t like frosting too much but this one is perfect, light and creamy but not overly sweet. I added a little less powdered sugar. One of my new favorite cakes
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Do you think it would still taste good if the only berry used was raspberries? I’m severely allergic to blueberries ( anaphylactic), and don’t like raspberries and strawberries mixed together but enjoy them separately.. the cake sounds delicious and I want to make it with raspberries, but am hesitant
For sure! If you like raspberries, go for it! It would still be great.
I made this cake and I’m getting ready to put it all together. My question is, do you have to keep the cake stored in the fridge afterwards?
Yes, you should store the cake in the fridge.
How long does the frosting stay set? I’ve made the berry sauce and the cake. Im wondering if I can assemble it tonight. It will be served tomorrow evening.
As long as you use the whipped cream right away on the cake and then store it in the fridge, it will be fine. You just don’t want to make it and leave it in a bowl or something and then try to frost a cake with it later because then it will deflate.
Going to make this to celebrate my son’s 2 months. For layers: how sweet they end up? Would cutting down sugar work?
It would be difficult for me to describe how sweet they are because that’s going to vary by personal opinion. I don’t think they are overly sweet. If you reduce the amount of sugar, keep in mind that the sugar not only sweetens it but also adds moisture and affects the texture of the cake.
This cake looks amazing. I am making it for my son’s birthday
Made this today can’t wait to try it! I did have to remake the berry filling as I kinda burned the first round! But I am a beginner as I wanted to take up a new hobby and I always love baking! Can’t wait to try it for a party tomorrow!
Awesome! I hope you enjoy it!
I made this cake a couple of years ago and it was about the best cake I’ve ever had. Do you have information on adapting the recipe for cupcakes? Specifically how many it would make and bake time and temperature. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it! You can find it as cupcakes in this vanilla cupcakes recipe.
Can you put the fillings inside of a fondant cake ?
I don’t know a whole lot about working with fondant, but I don’t see why not.
Hi! We always love this cake! Can we make the cake layers the day before and store it to frost the day after or will it be dry? How should we store it if so?
Yes, you can make them the day before. I’d recommend storing them at room temperature in an air tight container.
I love this recipe and it is my go to for birthdays! My last two times the cake layers have been very dense. They look kind of unbaked or dense when cut to serve. What am i doing wrong?
People have reported this before and I have never been able to figure out why it happens. Are you using the same oven or is anything different? I’m not sure why you would have not had trouble before but are having trouble now other than some kind of change like that.
When you refrigerate the cake do you cover it with anything?
I would recommend covering it. If you have room in your fridge for a cake carrier, that’d be ideal.
I love this recipe especially the frosting. I’ve used it on many different cakes. However, it says to set the frosting in the fridge. Every time I do it the whipped frosting collapses and completely loses its texture … I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong.
Yes, you can set the frosting in the fridge for a few minutes while you layer the cake together, or you can leave it at room temperature. But you don’t want to store the frosting for a long period of time and then try to use it. It will deflate if it sits too long and you try to stir up again and use it. It needs to be used shortly after being made, then it can stay in place and it won’t deflate or wilt or anything.
Oh this is an amazing recipe! Made it for a friend’s birthday and now everyone else wants it as their birthday cake too! Thank You!
So glad it was a hit!
How can I make this cake into chocolate
I’d use this chocolate cake.
Hi Lindsay,
I would like to make this cake with rectangular tins, 23x30cm (around 9.06×11.8inches) for my daughter’s birthday.
Should use 2 tins or 3?
Double the recipe?
How long should they cook in the oven?
I really appreciate your input and time.
You shouldn’t need to double the recipe. The number of pans would depend on how many layers you want. 2 or 3 should be fine. I’m really not sure of the bake time at that size and with multiple layers. I’m guessing that if you did 2 layers, it’d be around 20 minutes, give or take. If you do 3 layers, it’d be a bit less. I hope that helps!
This was our wedding cake because we loved it so much
What a great compliment! So glad you enjoyed it!
I love this recipe. I am looking to make it as a 9×13…is that possible?
How many days in advance can I make this and have it sit in the fridge for? Would it be better to freeze it? Can you even freeze a whole cake like that and still taste good after it thaws
I often make cakes the day before I serve them, so that would be totally fine. You could maybe stretch it one more day but I probably wouldn’t do more than that. I don’t typically recommend freezing full cakes, in part because when they thaw, condensation can form and it’s hard to know how that will affect the texture of your cake and fillings. But plenty of people do it, so you could certainly try it. If you do try it, I would recommend thawing the cake completely in the fridge.
I’ve made this cake several times and is always amazing. My question – Is it possible to make this cake as the bottom tier to a 3-tier cake?
So glad you enjoy it! As for tiered cakes, I would think it’d be fine as long as it’s properly doweled, but I don’t really make tiered cakes, so maybe there’s something I’m not considering.
I have a lot on plate throwing a 50th wedding anniversary for my parents a few days after Christmas. Could I use a jam, jelly, or preserves instead of making the fresh berries?
You can, but I really find the flavor to be very different. I think it would be fine to make the filling ahead of time and freeze it, if that would be helpful.
Can I make the berry filling ahead of time? How long will it stay good in the fridge?
Yes, it should be fine stored in the fridge for up to a week.
Can I reduce the amount of sugar in the cake?
I mean yes, but it’ll probably change the results, depending on how much you reduce it. Sugar not only adds sweetness but it also adds moisture and affects the texture of the cake.
any suggestions to how to covert this recipe to a three tiered wedding cake? I volunteered to make this delicious cake and now I’m trying to figure out the amount of ingredients.
I’m not sure what size cake tiers you want. If you’re doing a 6 inch, 8 inch and 10 inch – you could cut the recipe in half for a 6 inch, use this recipe for the 8 inch and then double it for the 10 inch.
I love the frosting recipe! Unfortunately, the store here has quit carrying mascarpone cream cheese. Could I use regular cream cheese instead?
Yes, you can.
Dear Lindsay,
Could you please tell me how tall is this 3-layered cake?
Thank you,
Marie
It should be 3 1/2 to 4 inches tall once everything is layered and done.
Thank you for your reply Lindsay.
By the way, I have only two 9-inch spring form pans. Do I need to adjust the measurements?
I will try to make this and give you an update on how it turns out.
You could make just two layers, but your cake won’t be as tall. You could try one and a half recipes worth if you’d like it to be taller. Also, keep in mind that this is a very thin cake batter. If your cake pans leak at all, the better may leak out.
Hi Lindsay,
I am excited to make this a birthday cake for my son. Did you ever try to colour the frosting? Any tips, how to not spoil it, if you I should try to do that? Thank you.
It’s basically whipped cream, and you can certainly color it. You just have to be careful with whipped cream because if you over mix it, it can start to deflate. So if you want to color it, definitely use gel icing color. If you’re looking for really vibrant colors you’re not going to want to have to add a little bit of color at a time because you will deflate the frosting over each addition. I would try to get it right after one or two additions of color and fold it gently. I hope that helps.
Thank you so much for the tip. I will be making this only in December, but will for sure let you know, how it went.
Hi Lindsay. If I use 2 9” baking pans, how long should I bake it for? I will be making this on the 22nd of this month for my friend’s birthday.
The baking time should actually be similar. Even though they are larger pans, they will have about the same thickness of batter in each. If you’d still like to have a taller cake, you could try one and a half recipes worth in three 9 inch pans.
I was asked to make a cake for a coworkers surprise bridal shower. Since it was eight in the morning, I didn’t wanna have a chocolate cake. I started browsing and thought this might sound light and good. It definitely was both. It got such rave reviews I had people asking me to make it for their birthday (some even months and months away!) thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe! I will make it again!
Awesome! So glad to hear that!
Not sure what I did maybe mixed batter too long , the cakes didn’t rise and the frosting came out too thin!
The cake recipe for some reason seems to give some people trouble. You can try reducing the amount of water in the cake and that seems to help. As for the frosting, it’s basically just whipped cream. When whipped properly it should be fine. Just be sure to use heavy whipping cream and not just whipping cream and don’t over mix the mascarpone cheese because that can make it too soft and a little liquidy.
I am going to make this on the weekend- excited!
Can I bake cake one at a time so will the batter stand in fudge? Also can I freeze the cakes only wrapped separately for 1 week and make frosting the day before assembly?
It’s not ideal to make them all separately, but it should be fine. As long as you’re baking them one right after the other you don’t need to refrigerate the batter. yes, you can wrap the cake layers well and freeze them and then thaw them in the fridge before using them.
Oh. My. Gosh! This is so so so good!
The frosting is creamy and not overly sweet which is a perfect balance for the sweet filling. I used 2 boxed white cake mixes in lieu of homemade cakes (I know, I know – homemade is better. I have a gluten allergy, and boxed cake mix puts less flour in the air saving me from a reaction).
I made this as a gift, so I can only vouch for the parts I could taste, but if they are any indication, I’m sure the cake is just as divine!
So glad you were happy with it!
Can I use frozen fruit?
That should be fine. Theres usually extra water in frozen fruit though, so I would either thaw the fruit and remove pat it dry or you may need to cook the filling a touch longer.
Just made this recipe for a birthday. Everyone loved it. It is a wonderful recipe. I’m sure it will be a frequently requested cake.
I’m so glad it was a hit!
More than delicious. Easy to follow instructions. Everyone just loved it. Thank you!
I’ve made this and it was amazing!!! I tagged you on my IG page. I was wondering if I could make cupcakes with this recipe?
So glad you enjoyed it! Cupcakes should be fine. I’m not sure if you’ll need more filling or not to fill all the cupcakes. This much cake batter would make about 24 cupcakes.
HUGE hit!! I’ve made this many times now, even for my own birthday cake! Love it 🙂
I have made this cake probably a dozen times since I found the recipe, and it’s a winner every time! The amount and types of fruit vary depending on what I have, etc, but it’s loved and devoured immediately! Such a delicious cake – and it looks spectacular!!!
So glad it’s been a hit!
Hi!
Can you make this can in 3 layer 6” version? If so what would be the bake time? 🙂
Sure. I’d cut the recipe in half. Bake time may be 15-20 minutes.
I have made this cake many times! It is a favorite of family and friends! I would like to use the cake recipe and frosting recipe for cupcakes. Has anyone ever tried making cupcakes with the cake recipe? Does it stick to the wrapper terribly? I would think I should bake them at the same temperature for about 20-25 minutes. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
So glad you enjoy it! You can find the cake layers as cupcakes here – https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/moist-vanilla-cupcakes/
Hi! I’m thinking about making this cake for my daughter’s 4th birthday. Will the cakes be okay if I were to make it the night before, let it cool, then wrap it with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge overnight then decorate the next morning? I’m trying not to do everything at once to make it less stressful 😅. Also, can I use light food coloring in the icing if I wanted to do something fun for her?
Yes, you can definitely make the cake layers a day ahead. I usually do. If you want to add color to the whipped cream, I would recommend gel icing color so that you don’t thin out the whipped cream.
Thank you for answering! I will remember that about the gel coloring. I forgot to ask one more thing. How can I bake this if I wanted to do a sheet pan option? With the amount of batter, what size sheet pan is best?
You could make it as a 9×13.
I made this for my sisters birthday. It was such a huge hit! It’s a little pricey but so well worth it! I’m making it Friday again for my friend. She requested it! Thanks so much for sharing it.
I’m so glad it was a hit!
Here’s my attempt! I don’t know how you get the icing so smooth but looks decent enough. https://imgur.com/a/BwOv2be
It looks great!!
Making this cake! Can I use 1% milk in this recipe?
Sure! I typically use 2%. The extra fat will help give you a fluffier cake. But 1% will be fine.
Hey!! I tried the recipe and loved it!! Only concern my cake turned a bit brown in color instead of the white in the pic. What could be the reason for it?
It’s a little tough to say. All brands vary a little bit and if one of yours was a little darker in color, your cake may have been a little darker.
Hi! I love the flavor of your cake recipe; however I think there is too much water in it and the cake bakes pretty flat and dense. I even reduced the amount of water to 2/3 cup (the second time) and it’s still not quite fluffy.
It’s a recipe that most people have great success with as is, but for some reason it gives some people trouble. I’d try it without the water if it’s giving you trouble.
I’ve made this cake twice on Memorial Day, it’s fabulous. To make it a bit patriotic, I use blueberry/blackberry on one layer and a strawberry/raspberry mix on the second.
Awesome! Glad you enjoy it!
I made this in a 6” 5 layer version. I tried 1/2 mascarpone frosting and 1/2 cream cheese. The mascarpone is definitely the better. It was a hot day and wasn’t as perfect looking as I wanted but the flavors were wonderful! It was impressive.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Would the berry filling bleed into the cake if it is assembled the day before serving?
I don’t usually have issues with that.
Hello, I would love to make this frosting but need to color it dark purple. Do you think it would work?
Yes, that should be fine.
With the fruit…. Did you use frozen fruit or fresh fruit?
I use fresh fruit, but frozen should be fine. I just might thaw it first.
I used frozen fruit. Just thaw and puree, no need to add water. It’s perfect!.
I make this as cupcakes. I use a corer and spoon the filling in the cupcakes, then pipe on the frosting. Everyone loves them!
Glad to hear they work well!
Love this cake. Would like to make it for a bridal shower. How much batter do I need for a 12×18 sheet pan and how long should I cook it for?
If you’re making it in a single thin layer like this cake, you should be able to use the cake recipe as is. Bake time should be similar to the sheet cake as well. https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/vanilla-sheet-cake/
I made this cake yesterday and it was devoured. The compote was delish! The frosting was so good, I had forgot to buy mascarpone and I look it up made it. (Cream Cheese, sour cream and whipping cream) I highly recommend this cake soooooo good!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Not sure what I did wrong but when dividing the cake mix into the 3 pans, my cakes only turned out a 1/2 inch thick… followed the directions to a T. Not sure how there wasn’t enough batter like mentioned in the recipe. Now having to fix this issue bc I can’t take this flimsy cake to Mother’s Day. 🤦🏽♀️🙄
My new favorite cake! It’s a hit at every event I bring it to! How would you do this in a cupcake?
Glad to hear that! You can find the vanilla cake in cupcake form here. I would probably fill the cupcakes with the berry filling and use the whipped cream on top. Alternatively, you could try something like these Berries and Cream Cupcakes.
When making this do you use granulated sugar or caster sugar? Might be different in US to UK, just want to ace this recipe
Granulated sugar. I hope you enjoy it!
I’ve made a fair number of cakes & desserts and my family agrees this is the best cake we’ve ever had. When we have friends over they assume it was from a bakery. This time I experimented a little and added some lemon zest & juice for a little zing in the frosting and was happy with the results.
So glad it’s been a hit!
I’ve made this recipe several times and absolutely love it!
Whenever I serve it people ask for the recipe which I’m happy to share.
So glad it’s a hit!
Hello,
If baking the cake 1 night in advance..and filling the layers/ completely decorating the cake. What do you recommend is the best way to store the cake to be eaten the next day for a party? Can I refrigerate it like that? Or will it cause the cake to become dry? Or should I put it in a regular cardboard cake box and then put it in the fridge?
Or when I finish baking the cake..wrap the layers with saran wrap and pre-mix the frosting and place the frosting in the fridge for next day and just assemble the cake next day morning of? Sorry for all the questions.
Thank you in advance!
You can frost the whole cake and put it together the day before. If you have a cardboard cake box or an airtight container, that would be best. But it would be fine without that for one night as well. I would not make the frosting ahead of time and leave it in the fridge. It would deflate when you stir it up again the next day prior to using it.
Wow! What an amazingly easy cake. Super moist and tasty. The filling is so yummy not to mention the mascarpone filling/frosting, delicious. Love, love this cake – super easy to make. So worth it! Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe
So glad you enjoyed it!
I made this cake few years ago and it was delicious, everyone in the family loved it. This time I won’t have time to do it in the morning, so can i assemble the whole cake and do the whole frosting the night before to have it the next day? thx
sorry also can I replace the water for buttermilk in the cake batter? would it make it more moist and fluffy?
I haven’t tried replacing the water with milk. Not sure if it’d make it any better or not, but you could try it.
Glad you enjoyed it! Yes, you can do the whole thing the night before. You may just want to hold off on adding the fresh fruit on top until the morning so that it looks fresh.
Hi! Could you use frozen berries instead of fresh for the filling? Thanks!
Sure, you just may want to thaw them first.
Thanks for the recipe! I plan to make this next week, but I was surprised to see ‘1 cup (240ml) water’ in the recipe for the sponge – I’ve never added water to sponge before, only milk. Is the water needed?
The water adds moisture to the cake without adding additional fat to make it heavier. I have a couple cakes that use water and they are all excellent, but you could try replacing it with milk if you prefer.
Can the cake be made in a 9 by 13 pan? Then split that in half?
That should be fine.
Can I use Jam in replace of the berries? If so do I need to add anything extra to the jam?
You could, but I do think the homemade filling is quite a bit better.
I made this cake this past weekend and it was absolutely delicious! Unfortunately, when I assembled the layers the cake fell to pieces. The cake was room temperature, icing was cold, and berry filling was cold. Any idea what the problem may be?
Felt a pieces in what way? Did the cakes split in half? Or did the layers slide all over the place? They’re different problems that create those different issues.
I’ve made this several times and everyone loves it. This time I would like to make the berry filling ahead of time . Any ideas how far in advance it can be made?
It should be fine to be made 2-3 days in advance. Glad you’ve enjoyed it!
Hi. I have have made this 3 times now. Absolutely delicious!! Would like to make into cupcakes this time. Any pointers??
Glad you’ve enjoyed it! You could consider doing something like these cupcakes.
Probably THE best cake recipe ever. I have made this recipe many times and it is always a huge hit. I’ve made it as 6” cakes, 8” cakes and 9” cakes and always so so good. And I absolutely LOVE the whipped mascarpone cream. If you are looking for a light and fresh cake, this is it!! Thanks Lindsay
So glad you’ve enjoyed it!
Hello! When using 9 inch, did you use 2 pans?
I’d recommend two 9 inch pans.
I followed the recipe to a T but unfortunately the cake came out stodgy and thin
Hi! I love this recipe and was wondering if I were to make it into cupcakes would the recipe need to change at all?
The cake batter would make 24 cupcakes, but I’m not sure you’d have enough filling, depending on how much you use in each. And you may not need all of the whipped cream.
These berries and cream cupcakes are a little bit different, but you could try something like that as well.
Hi Lindsay, I made the cake following your directions. It was really good, frosting & berry jam very yummy. My cake didn’t seem to have a good vanilla flavor; I used Cooks organic pure vanilla extract. Can you tell me what I could do to get more of a vanilla flavor? Thank you.
You could try adding some additional vanilla extract or some thing like vanilla bean paste. The rest of the cake ingredients are pretty standard so I’m not really sure what more you could do beyond that. Glad you enjoyed it overall!
This cake was very well received! Moist, not too sweet, light and fresh! The cream frosting is a little soft at first; however after an hour or two in the fridge, if firmed up nicely. Overall I would make it again, maybe add a lemon flavour to the cake, and use stiffener in the cream frosting.
I made it and it ran all over… What did I do wrong…
What ran all over? The whipped cream? The cakes when you baked them?
This was brilliant! I used half the sugar for the batter and absolutely no water, and it turn out a very good sponge! I also halved the sugar for the other 2 layers, and did not puree just smashed the fruits. Also, I added a bit of rose water to the mascarpone, and it really did good to it!
It is delicious!
I’m an avid baker and this recipe just didn’t work for me. The batter was so runny and the layers came out thin. I couldn’t continue to the layering part and ended up using another recipe. Not sure where I went wrong.
Are the cake layers thin? How many cups of batter does this recipe make? I want to make enough batter for two 6 inch cake layers.
When I make a 6 inch cake, I typically cut the recipe in half, so I would recommend that.
I cannot wait to make this beautiful cake. 🍰
I have been making this cake for a few years now. It has become my sister-in-laws and my mom’s birthday cake. They request it every time. It is so impressive and it tastes amazing.
So glad to hear that!
This cake was so amazing I’m making it again for my family! Question though, can you use frozen fruit? What do you think?
Glad you enjoyed it! Frozen fruit should be fine. Just that it and pat it dry first.
What brand of heavy whipping cream did you use? I used the Canadian one which is 35% and
it wasn’t as sturdy as yours. Please help. Taste is amazing though but I want to pipe flowers on top and side of cake.
I actually use a store brand here called Publix.
Just made this cake! It’s delicious! I have a lot of extra frosting. Can I freeze it?
Glad you enjoyed it! Whipped cream won’t thaw very well, I’m sorry.
Want to make this for a birthday cake. Your thoughts on making the frosting ahead of time and storing in the refrigerator for a day or two until ready to frost?
Since it’s a whipped cream, I’d make it right before you need it. Whipped cream will last well when sitting in the fridge, but tends to deflate if you mess with/stir it again.
Hello I would like to make this for my daughters birthday. However, an 8″ cake will not serve 13 ppl that I need cake for. If I make a sheet cake should I do 2 full recipes do you think? I going to skip the berries as my daughter does not care for them and just use the icing. Do you think double the icing or probably not quite? Please give me your educated guess. Thank you
What size sheet cake do you mean? A 9×13?
Hi, Lindsay! How do you make the whipped mascarpone so smooth on the cake?
Here’s my frosting a cake tutorial. The only difference is that with a whipped cream frosting such as on this cake, you won’t use a paper towel.
I made this recipe using a 9×13 pan and was delicious
Hi planning to bake this but, I only have a 9″pan would that work?
Sure, but I might only do two cake layer. Three might be quite thin.
I have tried it, thanks so much for the advice. This made our 9th Anniversarry more than special
Can you freeze this cake?
I don’t typically recommend freezing fully cakes whole, but you could try it.
I’ve made this cake twice. Followed the directions to the T and it came out perfect both times. So light and refreshing. The cake layers don’t get real fluffy and high but the 3 layers turn out perfect when all put together. I’m not very good at decorating cakes so I just kinda throw it together and it still looks beautiful. My favorite cake, by far.
I have baked ALL kinds of cakes..this cake is so so good. My husband isn’t a huge sweets person so if he’s in love, it’s a big deal. I did add some cream cheese to the frosting to give it a little tang. When it’s really cold the texture is so soft and delicate it’s almost like a cheese cake. So good!
This was a very good and pretty cake. Everyone loved it. Came out perfect! I was thinking of making it again, but thought about coloring the frosting this time…do you think that could work? A little gel food color with the mascarpone frosting?
Glad you enjoyed it! And gel color should be OK as long as you aren’t over mixing the whipped cream and deflating it.
Hi, I would really want to try this recipe. I am worried about the mascarpone frosting. I want to bake it for my son’s bday and for an hour and a half it might be outside of the refrigerator as we are doing it in a play area. Will the mascarpone icing melt if it is outside for long? I wanted to frost small stars on the cake. Is it a good idea to make this frosting? Can I use fondant on top of this frosting ?
I haven’t tried fondant on a whipped cream based frosting, so I’m not sure. As for sitting out, as long as you’re indoors, it should be fine.
Yummy yummy in my tummy!
This is my first time using mascarpone frosting and I think it’s going to become very popular! So good and perfect for my friends birthday cake!Thank you x
My cake didn’t rise. I made it twice. The frosting never thickened. The whole recipe was a disaster except the filling.
For the berry filling: you must, must, MUST dissolve the cornstarch in water first unless you want a messy gloppy filling with undissolveable hard particles of cornstarch in it. I was surprised when the recipe didn’t say to do that, but figured it would work as written. Wrong.
Omg YUM! The cake was so moist and the perfect density!! The fruit part was a little sweet but it works since the frosting isn’t super sweet. I used blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries!
Your berry filling and mascarpone frosting is my go to! It’s so versatile and works well with both vanilla or chocolate sponge cakes.
However just a question on the berry filling, how long will it keep in the fridge? I always have too much berry filling left over and it’s such a waste to throw it out straight away.
So glad you enjoy it! The filling should be fine for 5 to 7 days in the fridge.
I just made this recipe and it was amazing. I followed the directions exactly. The cake was so moister and everything was light and delicious. I tend to over cook cakes so I pulled mine out at 24 mins and it was literally perfect. Thank you!
Hi! I love this cake so much, I’ve made it on numerous occasions. Thanks for a great recipe! I do have a couple of questions, would it hold up as a 2 tiered cake? And also, how long am I able to leave the cake out with the frosting on it? I want to make this for my wedding cake but not sure if it will work. Thanks!
Hi,
Wanting to make this cake today and super excited, but was wondering if anyone has substituted the all purpose flour for gluten free flour.
Love this cake recipe. Any ideas of what would need to be different if I switched the flour for a gluten free all purpose 1to1 flour? Thanks!
I think most people have success just using a one to one gluten-free flour without any changes.
My cakes didn’t rise 🙁
Hi wondering can I turn it into cupcakes?
Thank you
Yes, that should be fine.
can i freeze the frosted cake?
I’m going to make this cake but I don’t have a food processor or blender for the berries. What’s the next best thing? Thanks!
The next best thing is probably to just mash them the best you can.
Hello, I’m excited to make this cake. I wanted to use it as the inside of a unicorn cake for my daughters birthday. I was wondering if I can use 6 inch cake pans to get more height? and what kind of icing would you recommend for making rosettes on the cake, it seems this one wouldn’t be firm enough?
You could try 6 inch pans. I just don’t really use them typically.And I’d recommend a regular vanilla buttercream.
Thank you so much!!
Hello. May I ask: Are the measurements as listed under the “1x” scale enough for 3 layers (3 cake tins?) Thank you.
Yes. The 1x is one full recipe. 2x would be doubling it.
If I wanted to make this a chocolate cake, how much cocoa powder would I add to it and would I need to make any modifications to the rest of the recipe?
This was a complete disaster. I consider myself amateur baker and this recipe ended in a complete fail. Beyond all the cost of the ingredients (mascarpone cheese and berries are not cheap) and the wasted time (working full time while parenting two kids below 5), I’m gutted that it’s my husband’s birthday tomorrow and I don’t have a cake! The instructions are generic and not mentioning how long the layers need to be chilled for etc. very disappointed
This cake tasted amazing, but the top layer skid off the base of the cake and feel apart. I was so devastated showing up to my nieces graduation looking the way it did. Everyone laughed about it, but I was so upset. I’ve never had that happen before with any other cake I’ve made. I don’t know why it did that, and I don’t know how to prevent it in the future. I don’t know if it was the frosting, since it was softer. It never got hard like a buttercream does. My brother in law wants it for his birthday next month and I’m afraid to make it again.
I wanted to know how long can the batter be out for? My oven won’t fit that many cake pans in my oven so I wanted to know how long the batter can be out for and should I put it in the fridge?
I haven’t really tested it to see how long you can let it sit for. But if you have to bake one pan at a time, it should be fine. I would not refrigerate it.
This is the 3rd of your cake recipes I have tried and honestly they have been life changing! I always struggled with cakes but not anymore, it’s a fool proof recipe in my option which is also super easy to follow! I have just served this cake at a baby shower and it was a huge hit. The sponge is so so easy to make and I used your chantilly cream frosting in stead which is so tasty! Highly recommend! I swapped out the milk for buttermilk and I cheated and used store bought jam instead but it worked like a dream 😍 I also used half cake flour / half all purpose flour because that’s what I had and it worked brilliantly! I made it on Thursday and crumb coated it before serving on Saturday with a fresh layer of frosting and it was still super fresh, soft and fluffy!
I’m so glad to hear that!
hey, can i use caster sugar and self raising flour instead?
I’m not sure about caster sugar, but I would think that should be fine. Self rising flour though will not work.
Absolutely delicious! I bake a lot and I was really nervous about how thin the cake batter was, but I trusted the recipe and the layers came out so light and so fluffy. After mixing the icing, I popped it in their fridge raider for about 15 minutes and then woke it up with another 20 seconds in my standing mixer. That really helped the icing form those perfect stiff peaks that make it easy for piping. My whole family was amazed. I ended up making another batch and turning at cupcakes for my neighbors and those were also a hit. I followed the recipe to a T except I changed the jam in the middle to be a blackberry orange jam.
Can I use self rising flour instead of all purpose flour and leave out the baking powder?
Sorry, no.
The icing recipe seems so simple, yet mine is extremely runny. Why could this be?
You are right that it is quite simple. It is just whipped cream with mascarpone cheese in it. But if it’s runny, my first questions would be if you’re sure that you used heavy whipping cream and not another kind of cream? And then to be sure that your mascarpone cheese wasn’t too warm. If it gets too warm or is whipped too much, it can actually break down and get watery.
Can you substitute frozen berries for the jam? Finding quality fresh fruit in my area is a challenge.
You can, but I’d recommend thawing and patting them dry first to get rid of excess water.
I’ve made this cake twice now (my mothers birthday and Easter dinner with my in laws) and it was a huge hit at both events! My husband said it was the best cake I’ve ever made, and his father was still talking about the cake a few days after Easter!! It is very easy to make but the few different components (cake, berry filling, non traditional icing) make it seem like a fancier cake. It’s not overly sweet which is great for dessert after a big family dinner, and a huge hit with adults who don’t want a super sweet buttercream icing. This one has been added to my recipe box!!
Hello! I plan on making this cake for my family on Easter. I would like to do a speckled egg cake design on the frosting and was wondering if the mascarpone frosting would work instead of a sturdier buttercream. Im afraid of the speckled bleeding on a softer frosting. Any advice would be great appreciated!! Thanks.
I’ve honestly never tried it, so I’m not sure.
It says to put the frosting in the fridge. For how long? Also, once I take it out of the fridge, do I have to thaw it, or can I use it right away?
It’s really just until you’re ready to use it. If you’re going to use it pretty quickly, you can leave it on the counter. You don’t want to leave it in the fridge for too long though, just while prepping for the next step.
Hi, I really want to try this recipe out!! I’m wondering can you use 1 large cake tin and split the sponge or is it better to use three individual cake tins? Thanks, Can’t wait to try!!
No, one large tin will result in a dense and over baked cake.
This was the frosting on our wedding cake 30 years ago
I would like to update you on this recipe. I found your website about three or four years ago. I was looking for a cake with berries for Mother’s Day. I have been making this cake ever since. It is a huge hit whenever I serve it. It looks beautiful and it tastes amazing. We are foodies, and my sister-in-law, who is very particular, has asked for this cake every year since for her birthday. Now my teenage daughter who always asked for my chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, is asking for this. Thank you so much! I also, love your strawberry poke cake.
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for sharing!
I tried this recipe for my daughters 3rd birthday and it is simply awesome. I didn’t change a thing except use frozen berries for the filling which is just delicious even on toast. Love the recipe I think it’s a must try. Thanks for sharing this
Made this cake and the chocolate peanut butter for my mother in laws 90th. Loved by all, since we drove 2 hours used your vanilla buttercream frosting. Made the vanilla cake twice, had an issue with one of the 8 inch pans not rising on one side. Otherwise followed your directions and was perfect
So glad you enjoyed them both!
Love this recipe and want to try it. Thinking of using frozen berries for the filling will I have increase the cornstarch
If you thaw them and pat them dry first, then no.
I have made this cake 4 times in the last few years and each time, I’m amazed at how delicious it is. The flavors go so well together and the texture of the cake is perfection. I’m thinking next time, I’m going to use almond extract where ever it calls for vanilla. 🤤😋 thank you!!
This recipe looks beautiful and there are so many varied comments that I had to give it a try to see how it went.
I made the cake as specified in the recipe. It was super easy but very thin batter so I was pretty skeptical. I did spoon the flour instead of scooping as well. I baked it in large cupcake tins and it was fine. Slightly dense for a cupcake but for a three layer cake it would be perfect. I did add a little lemon zest to the batter for half of them and that was also delicious!
The berry filling was easy and good. I used frozen berries so just thawed them first. The filling set up a little thick but that is completely dependent on how juicy the fruit is. I piped the filling into the middle of the cupcakes once they cooled.
The frosting was very easy as well. I made it exactly to the recipe. I was not familiar with mascarpone cheese so had to try it. It was very light and fluffy and the flavor is fantastic! If you leave it at warm temperature it will get soft pretty quickly so something to consider if you’re displaying at a party.
Overall it was delicious and beautiful. Would definitely make again
So glad you enjoyed it!
This cake is OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! It is so delicious. I made it for the first time and served it to family. The berry filling and the mascarpone cream is so delightful. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Can I add nutella to the frosting?
I’ve never tried to add Nutella to whipped cream before, but you could try it. It could be a little heavy for the whipped cream if you add a lot.
I made this cake and followed the recipe exactly. It was the best cake I ever made and I could not stop eating it. My family loved it! I will make it again!
My mom loves to bake in her free time and has been wanting to try a cake like this for some time. She followed the directions exactly as stated and the end result was PERFECT! Initially she was super hesitant bc she read a lot of comments saying they had an unsuccessful bake or the frosting wasn’t right. Her cakes came out as they should as well as he frosting. Everything was a total success as she just decided to keep to following to the recipe as exactly stated and didn’t rush the process. The cake not only looked beautiful but tasted so unbelievably delicious. This is definitely a keeper.
I’m not sure what I did wrong with making this cake, I followed the directions to a T, I’ve made plenty of cakes… this one did not turn out for at all.
The cakes barely rose up, and the mascarpone frosting never turned into hard peaks enough for me to decorate the cake.
I’m sorry to hear that. I know some people have had issues with those cake layers before and I’ve never been able to figure out why. As for the whipped cream, mascarpone cheese can be finicky so if you want to make sure it’s not too warm when you use it or it won’t firm back up well and will get fairly liquidy. It’s possible that that could’ve affected your whipped cream.
If you would like to try different vanilla cake layers, this cake is a big hit it is my go to for a vanilla. https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/moist-vanilla-layer-cake/
Hi I’ve just bought three 10″x3″ cake tins, would you recommend to doubling this recipe and extend cooking time as I need to make a larger cake. Many thanks
I haven’t really done 10 inch cakes, so I’m not sure. I would think doubling would be OK.
Can you use frozen berries instead of fresh?!
That should be fine. Just thaw them and pat them dry.
Awesome recipe !
I have made it many times over the last year.
I used fresh berries and I have made it with frozen berries.
The cake turned out awesome every single time so I’m puzzled over why some people had issues with the recipe.
The frosting is my all time favorite. It’s perfect.
Thank you for this recipe ❣️
So glad you’ve enjoyed it!
Hi Lindsay, I have fresh fruit to make the filling for my mom birthday . However her birthday is not until December. Can you freeze the filling, if so for how long. Thank you.
Can you freeze the filling? If so, how long?
Hi, I’m going to attempt this recipe today and i was wondering, is it possible to make the frosting ahead of time and leave in fridge? Will the texture/integrity be compromised if I do that?
This frosting is best made just before using.
Hi, I wanted to know if I could substitute the whipped cream icing for a swiss meringue buttercream. Do you think it will taste good together?
I’ve really only had SMB buttercream a couple times and it was a while ago. It’s hard for me to say how it’d be together.
I made this a few years ago and now requested to make it.
For tweaks…. I use box of vanilla cake but add some lemon zest and very little juice to add extra flavor. I use a jar of Bonne Maman jam Four Fruits as my filler.
Everyone loves it-even my mom who says she hates cheese.
I’m in the midst of making this cake now. They are indeed quite soft but smell wonderful. My concern is the fruit filling. I saw someone else addressed this in a comment about the ratio of corn starch in the filling. I used 2 cups of fruit, more than the recipe states, and with that much corn starch it was so thick I had to thin it with another 1/2 cup+ of water. Now that it is cooled and out of the fridge, it’s really quite firm. Should that be 3 TEASPOONS and NOT tablespoons? Thanks!
Hello Lindsay,
I like to know if I can use a 8×3 inches for all three layers instead of using a 3 8inches pan. Thank you!
Do you mean adding all the batter to one pan at the same time to bake it? I wouldn’t suggest that. The cake will turn out dense and bake unevenly.
My cake and berry filling were fine.
I just have problems with the icing,
It’s too runny, what can I do to fix this problem.
It’s hard to say without being there to see it. Did you whip it long enough? Are you using a hand mixer or stand? Are you using a HEAVY whipping cream? Was it nice and cold when you whipped it? Did you maybe over whip it?
Yes, I followed all your instructions
I used my kitchen aid mixer
Heavy cream was cold
I actually put my bowl and attachment in the freezer just before.
I started over and this time I added whip it to my mix, all went well
I’m not familiar with whit whip it, but I’m glad it worked!
Hi! If I’m looking to make a 3-layer 10-inch Cake? Would I double or triple this recipe? What baking time would you suggest? Thanks!
I’d like to make this as a 6 inch cake- do you have recommendations for cooking time of the cakes to fit 6 inch pans? Thanks so much! Looks delicious!
I don’t really use 6 inch pans, so I’m not sure. I’m sorry.
I making a sheet cake and would like to know how long to cook it and would I double the recipe? Thank you. I hope this is a moist cake. Making this for a teacher that is retiring this year! Thank you so much
Angie
Are you doing a 9×13 cake? If so, check out this vanilla cake, which is this cake as a 9×13.
For the berry filling, is there anything else I can use instead of the corn starch? I just realized I was out. Thanks!
You could try using flour but you’ll want to use a little more to replace it.
I made 2 out of the 3 components to this cake. The berry filling and the frosting. I read many of the comments but didn’t feel comfortable using the sponge recipe so I used one that I’ve made before. In that recipe it calls for just vanilla but I also added almond extract because I wanted an almond sponge. As for the filling and frosting? Both came out beautifully. I will admit I was worried about the frosting. Because so many people had issues with it yes, I was nervous. Here’s what I did. First off, at the time of making the frosting it was 80 degrees in my house. I did chill my bowl and beater for a few hrs. I also sifted the powdered sugar onto a piece of parchment paper. Once I placed the cream and vanilla into the bowl that’s when I took out the mascarpone. Before I turned on my mixer I grabbed a spoon and lightly worked over the cheese just to loosen it up a bit. Then I began to beat the cream and slowly pour the sugar in. Once it almost hit soft peaks I ran a spatula through it then continued beating till I got soft peaks. Doing that step ensured that all of the sugar and cream was fully incorporated. Then I added the cheese, turned my mixer to its highest speed. I stopped the mixer before it got to full stiff peaks so I could once again use my spatula to make sure everything was incorporated. I turned it back on and in about 30 seconds it was done. I couldn’t believe how light and fluffy the frosting came out. Don’t get me wrong. I love the texture and taste but next time I make the frosting I’m either going to add about 1/4 cup of sugar or add 1/2 tsp to a full tsp of vanilla extract just so there’s a bit more flavor. I haven’t had a slice yet. I know, crazy right? LOL But there’s a good reason for that craziness. I plan to share this beauty with my sisters. Today one sister will be dropping by to pick up most of the cake and tonight I’ll finally be able to enjoy my slice. Thanks for such an amazing frosting and jam recipe!! I haven’t added the fresh berries yet (didn’t want the bleeding to happen before my sister arrived) but my cake looks so beautiful. I’m not good at decorating either but that frosting made doing a crumb coat, a final icing and piping some basic decor so easy. Sorry for the novel but I just wanted to share my experience with the hope that it can be of some help to someone down the line. Happy baking…..
Hello – Would it work to not fully puree the berries and leave some chunks/diced strawberries in the berry filling? Also – could I reduce the amount of sugar in the Berry Filling to ~ 2 TBSP? I don’t like overly sweet fillings but I wanted to make sure reducing the sugar won’t affect the consistency too much? Thank you!
You could leave some chunks in there, but you’ll have less liquid and it might not make as much filling. As for the sugar – it doesn’t just add sweetness. When sugar melts, it’s liquid, so it adds moisture and volume as well. You can reduce it but you’d probably want to reduce the cornstarch too, as you won’t have as much liquid or filling.
Just a side note, the butter and flour method for the pan also works with this recipe:)
I am making this cake for my mother for her birthday and I have had a lot of issues with making cakes and not having enough frosting to use as a filling and also a frosting for the whole cake so I want to make sure that the recipe for the frosting is going to be enough to fill the cake like the video showed because I liked how you used the thick layers. I’m sure there is but I want to make sure.
I’m typically accused of having too much frosting in my recipes, so I’m thinking it should be fine.
Thank you for your awesome recipes and tutorials! Can I use this frosting under a fondant covered cake? Or will the whipped frosting be too soft? I’m making a cake for a friend and he likes this flavor combination.
I’m thinking the frosting would likely be too soft.
I bake quite I bit and by far this cake is the best cake I have ever made/had. It’s not too sweet, and is the perfect cake for spring or summer. I added freshly squeezed lemon juice in the berry topping.
For the icing, I didn’t have any mascarpone cheese, so I used the mascarpone substitute recipe. Its 16oz. cream cheese and 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream. I blended it separately before adding to the whipped cream . Came out fantastic!!
5 star recipe!!
Hello!
Can I make this cake in two 9 inch pans? earlier comments says to reduce fruit filling to half. How about frosting.. should I adjust for 2 layers? Finally, can fruit be reduced whole with sugar instead of puree and eliminate cornstarch? Thank you very much in advance!
Made this cake 3x’s. One for a birthday…but I never baked it before so I baked an extra one for myself and to share. It was such a big hit that I baked it a third time! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
So glad to hear it was a hit!
Is it possible to make the mascarpone frosting ahead of time?
Because it’s basically a whipped cream, I wouldn’t recommend it. It will hold up very well once you frost it onto the cake, but trying to stir it up again after it sits might leave you with a deflated whipped cream.
Hi Lindsey! I love this recipe. I’ve made it a few times and it’s always a huge hit. I’m making it again for my friends 50th bday. I’m wondering if I make it Friday will it still be fresh looking and tasting for Sunday if kept in the refrigerator.
Thanks
Kim
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe! It should look fresh still, I just might add the fresh fruit on the cake the day you serve it so that that looks fresh.
Hi, Lindsay. I made this cake recipe for a co-worker’s birthday. She loves fruit, so this was the perfect cake for her. Not only was the cake flavorful and moist, but the filling was really delicious and the mascarpone frosting was light tasting and perfect. Thank you for another great recipe! My favorite is your chocolate pumpkin cheesecake, my second is your oreo cake, and this cake is my third favorite. Thank you for sharing!!! 😋🎂👍👍
Wonderful! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed everything!
I’ve made this a couple of times and it’s been a huge hit. I’m curious if you’ve turned then into cupcakes and if so, how you’d cook them?
I’m glad to hear it’s a hit! I haven’t personally made it as cupcakes, but it would work. I’d fill the cupcake liners about halfway and bake them for probably 15 to 18 minutes depending on your oven. I’m not sure exactly how many cupcakes the filling would fill. You should get about 24 cupcakes so you may need more filling.
Hi Lindsay 🙂
For the berry filling can i use frozen berries? I don’t have access to fresh ones.
And if i do, does it change the recipe?
Thanks!!
Frozen berries should be fine and shouldn’t change anything. I would just thaw them and pat them dry first.
Thanks! And if I want to make it a geode cake. The frosting is stiff enough to hold the candied rocks?
I’m not sure about that. It’s basically a whipped cream, so buttercream might be better for something like that.
Hi Lindsay!
So… I really love this cake. So much so that the sponge has become my go-to for all vanilla layer cakes. But I’ve been having issues with it. The edges of the cake are light, fluffy and perfect, but as the layers cool, the centers become very dense and almost gummy. I am really not sure what the issue is, as I’ve tried several solutions.
-I am not over-mixing. I have tried the recipe many times, both mixing by hand and with a stand mixer and I mix only until everything is combined.
-I am not under-baking. The toothpick comes out clean and the top of the cake springs back like it should.
I LOVE the flavor of this cake, so I’m really hoping I can figure out what’s going wrong. I’ve probably made it at least 25 times, and it’s been so many times now that I can’t remember if it ever DIDN’T turn out with the dense center.
Thanks in advance!
Hard to know what to suggest. It sounds like it was probably turning out better before, so I’m really not sure why it would be having trouble now. One thing that can cause layers to fall in the center while cooling is having too much baking soda or baking powder, so maybe double check those or even try reducing it by 1/2 a teaspoon and see if it helps.
Did you resolve the problem Nicole? I have exact same issue with this cake….I love the flavour, but it looks uncooked underneath (in the centre). I’ve baked it maybe 30 times, but now I’m selling my bakes & I can’t use this recipe unless I resolve this issue. Still has best flavour of any vanilla cake recipe I’ve tried. Very frustrating.
No, sadly, I didn’t ever figure it out. Had to find a new recipe 😢
I want to make this a day ahead of time. Do I keep it in the fridge or at room temp?
You’ll want to refrigerate it and then let it sit out for maybe 30 minutes or so before serving.
Lindsay, this may have been answered already but there are so many comments I don’t have the time to read through all of them! How far in advance can I make this cake and refrigerate it? I’ve already baked and frozen it but I want to be able to frost and refrigerate it as soon as possible so I can do everything else I need to do for TG! Thanks. 🙂 Trisha
Typically I’d suggest the day before. With Thanksgiving though, you could try to stretch it another day before beforehand.
Even though this is advertised as a spring/summer dessert, I intend to serve it on Thanksgiving as a break from the typically heavy Thanksgiving desserts. I would like to decorate it with some fall colors in the shape of leaves. Is the frosting strong enough to be piped that way or would I be better off just using regular store-bought cake frosting for the decorations? Thanks.
It’s hard to say for sure without knowing exactly what you’re planning on piping, but generally speaking this whipped cream should hold up pretty well to some basic piping. I would think it would stand up better than the store-bought frosting, which is actually very thin and not really pipeable in my opinion. I hope you enjoy it!
Actually some of the canned frostings are now light and fluffy but I just had a brainstorm and would like your opinion. Last fall I bought a set of pie plungers to decorate the top of my apple pie. https://www.surlatable.com/pie-plunger-set-of-4/PRO-5509773.html
If I filled them with the whipped cream frosting and put them in the freezer to set, do you think I would be able to have them form into the shapes so that I would be able to just release them onto the top of the cake with the plunger handle? If so, once they got to room temp do you think they would start to melt down and lose their shapes? What I am basically trying to do is to put decorations like those harvest shapes on the top of the cake. I figured I would color the whipped cream frosting in fall colors and use that for the decorations. Based on what I am trying to do in terms of decorating, do you have any thoughts, ideas, tips? Thanks.
I haven’t used canned frosting in quite a while, but that’s good to hear.
As for the decorations, I’m honestly not sure. The decorations would probably hold their shape, but they may flatten out as they soften so to speak. So like, if it’s a leaf that’s kind of got a curl to it it’ll probably end up laying flat once it softens. The other thing to consider is that with whipped cream, color sometimes bleeds. I don’t know if that would be an issue or not.
Hi! I’ve made this recipe many times before and absolutely loved it. I was going to attempt a chantilly cake though and was wondering if you think I could substitute 8 oz of cream cheese for 8 oz of the mascarpone in this frosting recipe. I know it’s guesswork, but your guess would be way more educated than mine!
Yes cream cheese would work fine as a substitute for the mascarpone.
This is the best cake I have ever made! It is definitely a go to for me and apparently for my friends as well. I took it for a beach trip last year and my girlfriends requested a repeat this year! I’m a little torn because that triple lemon cake looks amazing! It may win for this trip.
I’m so glad it was a hit!
The cake was delicious!! I used 9” pans and it worked fine. The texture was like shortcake and I absolutely loved it combined with the filling. The only issue I ran into was the frosting was way too thin. I had to add cornstarch and at least another cup of powdered sugar to get it thick enough. I will definitely make again but maybe cut the milk and heavy whipped cream in half.
I’m glad you enjoyed it. As for the frosting, I’m wondering if it had to do with the temperature of the mascarpone cheese. If it gets too warm, it really thins out and can be hard to thicken back up.
Hi Lindsay! What would be the baking time for using 9inch cake pans instead of 8inch? Also, same baking temperature?
The baking temperature doesn’t change. I’m not exactly sure of the baking time because I didn’t make it as a 9 inch, but you might want to check them around 18 to 20 minutes and add more time if you need it.
soooo good, and easy to make
My husband made a request for me to duplicate our June 19th wedding cake. We had almond flavor yellow cake with marionberry jam and crème fraîche filling with butterceam frosting. So I googled the basic ingredients and found this recipe. I followed your recipe as stated except changed almond for the vanilla. It turned out beautifully….it’s Setting up in the fridge as I write this and can’t wait to taste it!
How fun! I’m so glad it worked out well!
I made this for our daughter and son-in-law’s baby shower cake last year for about 70 people. It was so good, they’ve requested it for his first birthday party cake this weekend. When I made this cake last year, I received so many compliments and requests for the recipe! I had to admit it was one of the best cakes I’ve ever had. I only had 9″ cake pans, so I 1 1/2 times the recipe and it turned out great! I ended up using strawberries, Thank you for such a fantastic cake recipe!
Awesome! So glad to hear that!
Do u eat this cake at room temperature or straight from the fridge ? Thanks
You could really do it either way. I tend to like to let cakes sit out for maybe an hour before serving so that they aren’t so cold and firm, but that’s a personal preference.
I made this today as a dry run for a 4th of July party. So happy I did. Honestly, did not like this cake at all. The method of adding wet to dry is unusual & resulted in uneven mixing & incorporation of wet & dry. The batter was very thin. I did not like the texture of the cake & the edges became brown & crunchy before the cake fully cooked even at the instructed temperature. I had no issues with sticking. With regard to the frosting, I whipped the mascarpone with the sugar for a few minutes & slowly added the cream to incorporate- no separation or lumps. I prefer a chunkier, fresher fruit filling but I believe in making a recipe as written the first time & tweaking later if desired. I wish I hadn’t as the filling was too gloppy for my taste. It was pretty but I would not make it again.
I have made this cake three seperate times for birthday party’s. There’s never anything left. Everyone loves it!! Thank you so much for the recipe!!
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks Kelsey!
I LOVE this cake. I was worried because the batter was very watery. My icing turned out a little soft, not sure if I beat it too much. It was still delicious. This cake is the best. It has a light spongy texture and is so moist! I bought the book as well and I can’t wait to try out more cakes.
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks Jennifer!
This cake looks awesome and I’m planning to try it next week. Do you think it’s possible to use food coloring for the frosting? I would like for the frosting to be light pink.
Yes you can add gel icing color. You just want to be careful not to overwork the whipped cream. Use a gentle folding motion to incorporate it or add it while it’s being whipped.
Want to make this cake and was wondering if the frosting is sturdy enough to pipe rosettes around the cake?
Yes it should be fine for piping rosettes.
Would you recommend the mascarpone icing to pipe a whole cake?
What do you mean by pipe a whole cake? It certainly holds up well frosting a cake and I would think it would be fine piping designs. If you’re also piping on the sides of the cake, I would think it would be fine but it might depend a little bit on how intricate the piping would be. It is whipped cream and it does break down eventually if it stays in a piping bag for too long or gets overworked.
I’ve made this recipe 3 times already and it has been a huge hit every time! I want to make this into a 2 tier cake, and was wondering if you think any differences would need to be considered to bake this as a 6 in layer cake to be stacked on top of the 8 inch.
I’m so glad it’s been such a hit! For a six-inch cake if you want it to be the same height as the 8 inch, you’ll probably want to reduce the amount of batter a little bit and potentially adjust the baking time. I haven’t done 6 inch cakes though so I’m not sure exactly how much.
Ok! Yah, I figured I wouldn’t use all the batter to bake the 6in cakes, but will still make the recipe the same to not mess up the ratios. And I will make sure to check for doneness early on! I’ll let you know how it turns out! 🙂 Thanks for the feedback!
Hi! I haven’t made this cake but I plan to this week…I saw that you told another reader you don’t bring the cold ingredients to room temperature….is that true???? And it works like that? I was reading the recipe and thought maybe you forgot to mention it lol
It’s true! But you certainly can do that.
I’ve made this recipe several times now and my oldest son has declared this to be the cake he wants me to make him for his upcoming 40th birthday along with his favorite meal of grilled marinated chicken on focaccia bread. His wife has asked me to make this cake for a bridal shower she is hosting for her niece. My husband & grandson loved it too.
I’m so glad to hear it’s been a hit!
I just made this cake on Saturday and it was absolutely amazing 👌🏽😋I had so many complements!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Thanks
Claudia
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This was so good!!! I made it for Easter & it was a hit! I even goofed up the recipe a bit. I accidentally added the water to the wet batter instead of at the end & it still turned out great! The cake was moist! Filling & icing were delicious!!! It was easier to make this cake than I thought it would be! I will make this again! Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Lindsay, cake looks amazing, will be making it today, fingers crossed it doesn’t come out dense like others have said. Can I substitute sunflower oil for the vegetable oil? Also, can I add less powdered sugar so the frosting would be less sweet? Thanks
I haven’t tried the sunflower oil, but I assume it’d be fine. As for the powdered sugar, you could reduce it a little bit. Just be aware that it also adds some volume to the frosting, so you’ll end up with a little less to work with.
Hi Lindsay ! I have several questions. Do the cold ingredients have to come to room temperature first ? I always struggle knowing if I can use ingredients straight from the fridge or if I should wait.
I am also considering using frozen berries but am concerned about water content.
What is your advice?
I often do what you aren’t supposed to do and use cold ingredients. 🙂 So unless it says to use it at room temperature, I don’t. As for frozen berries, it should be ok. Just thaw them first and drain the water.
can i substitute buttermilk in place of milk. If not does the milk need to be whole?
I haven’t tried buttermilk with this cake to know for sure. I used 2% milk, but whole should be fine.
Can I substitute cake flour in place of all purpose flour?
I haven’t tried it with this particular recipe, so I’m not sure.
what lacked in looks (my own amateur decorating skills are to blame) was made up for in flavour. loved it and will make it again as soon as i burn off what i’ve eaten today
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
First cake from scratch I ever made. Thank you for the delicious recipe. My family love it and appreciate it very much!
Awesome! I’m so glad!
just made this cake today and is so fluffy and moist! I am wondering though.. as I let my cake layers cool the tops and bottoms of the layers became sticky and soggy-is.. do you have any idea why that’s happening? is that normal?
Mine too. I just made it and it does seem dense.
Such a great recipe! And so simple! And that frosting is to die for, never tasted any frosting I like better!
Wonderful! So glad to hear it!
Have you ever tried this recipe with a chocolate cake instead of vanilla? I’ve got a friend who loves chocolate and raspberry, but I want to still be able to to do a little decorating on the exterior. Thanks!
Absolutely a 10! I and my partner work in the bakery for a school district, and she has had a dessert catering business for years. I made her this cake today for her birthday, and everyone LOVED this cake, including her! That is quite a compliment coming from bakers. Next time I will follow my instinct and room temp my cheese, as we both think this is what caused the little lumps even after whipping my frosting. But wow this is my new favorite cake. By the way I did only make two layers
So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks Cynthia!
I’m looking to use the filling in a cake I’m making for Valentines Day (using 2 layers I froze when I make a 3 layer cake but just needed 1 layer). I wanted to make it with all strawberries. Do you think that would work? Also, how far ahead can you make the fruit filling? I’d like to make it a day or two ahead and then keep it in the fridge. Any issues you see with that? Thanks!
PS This recipe was recommended by a FB group I’m in. She loves the filling and recommended I try this one!
Yes, all strawberries would work and you could definitely make the filling 2 or 3 days ahead. I hope you enjoy it!
I had the dense Cale problem too but it was moist which is hard to achieve at this high altitude. Aside from the heaviness of the cake I thought the flavor was great and the edges did get a little crisp but not a lot. I used aluminum cake pans and it wasn’t overly brown. It’s possible the cake cooked too fast. I know the altitude does mess with baking so that is likely the problem. I’m going to try the cake recipe with butter next. The fruit jam turned out great with the amount of cornstarch I like sweet things so the sugar content was fine with me. The frosting was delicious too I used a little less than 16oz of cream cheese with it.
Dense cake my phone keeps correcting me to Cale.
This cake is amazing!!! My husband doesn’t show much emotion, but he is still raving about this cake. My mother (who is 80) said it was the best cake she ever had. I followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfect. I’m new to baking and this recipe has given me the confidence to keep on baking. Thank you!
That’s wonderful! I’m so glad you all enjoyed! 🙂
Can yo use light olive oil instead of vegetable oil?
Thanks
That should be fine.
I made this for my daughter’s 15th birthday. She loves berries so it was perfect. My whole family absolutely LOVED this cake. It was so fresh tasting. The sponge itself is surprisingly moist. We are not frosting people, but it was delicious. We cleaned our plates. Thank you for this recipe. It will become our go-to fancy cake recipe.
That’s awesome! I’m so glad you all enjoyed!
Hi, I got only one mold, so can the cake wait for the other cake baked? Then only continue with the second and third layer of cake?
I think that should be fine.
If I could give it 6 stars, I would. This was pure heaven!!!
Wonderful! Glad it was a hit!
My husband made it, and took it to a party last night. The hostess said “That cake, in my opinion, is the best I have ever tasted! Please do not lose that recipe.”
That’s awesome! I’m so glad it was a hit!
Hello! Baking your recipe as I type ???? Just wondering if I wanted to use less sugar in the frosting, can I use dry milk to help stabilize it? Thanks!
I haven’t tried it. It could alter the texture and taste of the frosting.
Hi! The cake looks really good. Will this work for a tres leches cake?
I really haven’t made a tres leeches cake, but I think this cake base should work fine.
I made this cake (with a box mix) this week for my 12 year old son’s birthday and it was a hit. My husband doesn’t usually like the cakes I make with American buttercream (everyone else’s favorite). But I used your mascarpone cream and fruit filling before topping it with the buttercream and he really liked it! Thanks for the recipe! I’ll be making it again! 🙂
That’s awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed!
This looks amazing! I’m thinking about making this for my birthday in a few days. I was wondering if I had to cut the recipe if I use 6in round pans? Maybe if I use 4 6in pans it would be ok but I don’t want to make it too tall.
I honestly haven’t made any 6 inch cakes, so I’m not sure how to advise. I’m sorry!
I tried this cake for my daughter’s birthday as she loves mascarpone cheese. It turned out to be awesome. I tried icing first time as well. Only change I made in recipe was to use my go to eggless vanilla cake recipe as we don’t use eggs.
Totally in love. Made it again for a cousin’s birthday. Love the recipe.
Wonderful! So glad you’ve enjoyed it!
This cake was phenomenal! I made it with 9 inch pans because that was all I had, which made a wider and thinner round cake, BUT that was to be expected. I made no changes to the actual recipe and everyone LOVED it and RAVED about it! The cake was devoured in minutes. It was my first layer cake and i will be making it again for sure!! I will be making more of your recipes in the future! So happy i found your website!
Awesome! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! 🙂
Hi! I’m hoping to make this cake this weekend for a special event but want the cake a bit taller. If I 1 1/2 the recipe and made it into 3 8 in layers that it would mess with the consistency of the cake?
Possibly. I’m not entirely sure. That amount might still be fine. Often if the layers get too thick, they can end up dense.
I have made this amazing cake several times. Everyone loves it!!!
I am now going to make it for my Niece’s wedding. Wondering if you have any tips on slicing it so I get clean pieces?
Also, 1 time I was doing the frosting and i think i whipped it too long……any tips for knowing the perfect time to add the mascarpone? Or can it be fixed if it happens again?
Thank you!!!!
I’m so glad to hear that! Clean slices is hard to say – the filling is naturally going to kind of move around during slicing.
What happened when you whipped too long? I typically add the mascarpone when I notice that the whipping cream is starting to hold it’s shape but isn’t really thick yet.
I am not a baker! And have never had success with cakes from scratch. But I bit the bullet and made this…..with great success. OK, it didn’t look perfect as pictured but it was fantastic. The cake itself was so light and moist. The directions were easy to follow. At the end of the day, I FELT like a master chef! Thank you for sharing!
I”m so glad you enjoyed the cake!
I have not tried the recipe for the cake thus giving it only a 4 star. However, the berry jam ( I use strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry) and the mascarpone frosting was a really good combo. I made a white sour cream almond cake to go along with the berry filling and the mascarpone frosting and it was a hit! The frosting is not overly sweet so it didn’t overpower the sweetness of the cake while the berry jam gives a hint of tartness making it all comes beautifully together. You just want to keep the whole cake to yourself.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the filling and frosting!
OMG! You’re site is amazing. I love the detailed videos. It’s very inspiring. May I ask what set up do you use to record your videos and edit them? Thanks for everything sweet!
Thanks Jenna! Gosh, it’s hard to explain the whole set up and I haven’t been doing my more recent videos myself. But I usually have a camera on the side angle and one overhead. I use Canon 6D cameras with a 100mm lens on the side and 24-70mm lens overhead. I edit with Adobe Premiere.
Hi! I was wondering if this cake could hold up with fondant covering it? It’s looks and sound delicious!
I’m really not sure. I haven’t used fondant much lately. It’s a fairly moist cake. If I were to cover it in fondant, I’d probably use ganache underneath.
I cut my 3 cakes into 2 layers each and then doubled the filling as well as the icing. This made for prettier presentation, very yummy cake!
Sounds delicious! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I was wondering what the difference is between mascarpone and cream cheese? If it would be an equal match to use cream cheese
The cheeses have different textures and flavors. You can use cream cheese here though, if you like. Just use the same amount.
I would like to make this for Easter, so I’m hoping you’re able to get back to me quickly. (Late notice, so if you can’t, I understand.) I would like to do just raspberries and a lemon icing. How would you change the icing recipe to account for lemon juice and some lemon zest? Or should I just do extract instead of the vanilla? Thank you so much & have a wonderful Easter holiday!
Hi Lindsay,
I love your blog and your recipes are just fabulous. I am not a cake/baking kind of person but I decided to take the plunge and try out this berry mascarpone layer cake. I am actually in the process of making it. I followed the recipe to the letter but my vanilla cake is very dense and I am wondering what I did wrong. I was wondering if the lean milk i used might have affected the result. It’s 0.4% fat, should the water be cold or lukewarm?
I’ll appreciate your feedback so I can do it better next time and get that light airy result.
Hi Marvis! I’m so glad to hear you enjoy the site! I’m sorry you had trouble with the cake layers. It seems that some people have trouble with it while others don’t and it doesn’t seem to be an issue I can recreate, so I’m not sure what’s causing it. I wouldn’t think the milk or water temperature should make a significant difference. I’ve used warm and cold water before. I typically use 2% milk.
Hi! I can’t wait to bake this cake. I am doing a test cake this weekend prior to my son’s party. The venue he’s having the party at does not have a fridge. Do you think the icing will hold up ok if the cake sits out 1-2 hours before serving? Thanks so much in advance. 😉
Is the venue inside? If so, then it should be fine. If it’s outside, I probably wouldn’t take the chance.
Hi Lindsay!
I made this cake for a friend’s birthday this week. I had never made it before so I was a little worried about the outcome. Everyone loved it! Even my husband raved about it! I was so proud and happy! Thank you for all your wonderful recipes!
Angelica
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks Angelica!
Do you use hot water for the cake recipe?
You can use whatever temperature water.
I never leave a comment but for this I must!! Made this cake over the weekend and I must say AMAZING!!! Cake was moist and frosting was light and delicious!!! I am so glad I stumbled over this website:) thank you for posting such a great recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Oh to be able to bake like this. I bet I’d have red fruit stains on everything but the cake. You are fabulous and make it look so easy.
I made this yesterday and followed the recipe precisely, except that I had difficulty finding marscapone so I used cream cheese. It was DELICIOUS! We loved it. The berry filling is the best part. I used 1 cup of raspberries and 1/2 cup of strawberries. It was divine!
I didn’t have any issues with my cake. It was moist, light, and cooked perfectly. I sprayed my 8 inch cake pans with an olive oil spray (because I didn’t have baking spray) and I put parchment paper in the bottom of the cake pan. They came out just fine! My icing was a little lumpy but it tasted wonderful. Next time I’ll put the cream cheese or marscapone in the bowl first and mix it by itself to get some of the lumps out and then I’ll add the other ingredients. I think that would help.
I will be saving the recipe and making this again. The flavor was great! The berry filing makes it really special.
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it!
looking delicious!!! Nice Foodography also!!
Love this cake! My family’s favorite. How long will the berry filing be good for after it’s been made and refrigerated?
I’m so glad to hear that! I haven’t tested it to be sure, but I’d think it’d be fine for at least a week or two.
I just made this cake, and I was so excited, but it just didn’t turn out. Okay, so my cakes did, but the frosting was a complete goopy mess. I even added extra powdered sugar to try to thicken it, and nothing. THe cakes just kept sliding off each other after attempting to frost and fill. Any ideas? It all went in the trash. Super bummed.
I would check out this post that talks about that whipped cream frosting specifically. It sounds like the mascarpone cheese might have been too warm.
I made this cake for my sisters birthday. Wow! This was so good. I got so many compliments on the cake. Best frosting I have ever made.
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks Angela!
what is the purpose of having the water and the milk? Can additional milk be substituted for the water?
Milk has fat that water doesn’t have. Water adds moisture without the additional heaviness of more fat. If you swap out the water for milk, you will change the texture of the cake. But you can do it, if you like.
Thanks for the response. That helps me to understand! Will try recipe as written. Thanks again.
I love to make cakes from scratch. I have been searching for a moist yellow cake, that doesn’t dry out as soon as it cools, as well a a whipped icing that holds up. I made this cake and have to say it was everything I hoped it would be. Super moist yellow cake and a hearty whipped frosting that doesn’t mush out when layered. Love, love, love this recipe!!!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Going to make half that batter for 12 cupcakes. How many mins at what temp?
You can find the cupcake version of this recipe here.
This cake was so good!!! I’ll be making it again for sure. Question – if I made the cake in a 9×13 pan, how long should I bake for?
I believe it’d be around 30 minutes.
Hi Lindsay! Me and my daughter had something similar when we ate at an Italian restaurant. It was a Triple Berry Tiramisu. The restaurant has since closed but I have never forgotten how yummy the tiramisu was. Your cake sounds very similar to what we had so I want to try it this summer. So I’m a fan of mayo cakes. I make all of my cakes with 1 cup of mayo. What are your thoughts on replacing the vegetable oil with mayo in this particular cake?
I honestly haven’t ever made a cake with mayo, so I really can’t say. It’s something I should probably try at some point.
Hi! This recipe reads like a dream for my husband’s birthday cake. I was wondering if I halved the recipe, what size cake pan do you recommend using?
I’m not really sure – maybe a 6 inch?
This looks delicious, I can’t wait to try it! Could I use frozen berries and leave out the water for the filling? Or would it make the sauce too runny?
You could try frozen – just be sure to pat them dry to remove water, as you mentioned.
I made this for Mother’s Day and it came out fantastic. Thanks Lindsay!
So glad to hear it!
I made this for my son’s birthday party and it was a huge success! This is honestly one of the best cakes I have ever made and the frosting is my new favorite! Thank you so much for sharing it!
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed it!
Hi! If I wanted to make 1 10″ cake and 2 9″ inch, can you tell me how to adjust the recipe?
I’m really not sure how much batter you’d need off the top of my head.
This is my first comment on a Blog site – but this cake requires a comment! Absolutely DELICIOUS cake – followed directions to a tee, and it turned out just amazing. I made it for a friends birthday and it was so popular that it was asked for again for my sisters birthday, and my daughter just asked for it for her birthday! I have never made this type of frosting before, but it is a new favorite. If you want folks praising your bakery skills you need to make this cake! Thank you for making me look good!!
Wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
the recipe didnt call for baking soda. is it correct? water mean boiling water or room temperature ones?
Yes, it’s correct. Room temperature water.
With so many reviews, you may not want anymore, but I just have to let you know… I LOVE this cake! I made this for my husband’s birthday. He’s so good in allowing me to try something new for his birthday, and this is what he chose. The cake was nice and moist and had a great crumb, which I was kind of surprised about, because the recipe calls for regular AP flour, instead of cake flour. The cakes domed so beautifully when they were baked. I also loved how easy and fast the cake was to prepare. For the filling, I only used raspberries and strawberries, since my husband isn’t a fan of blueberries. The recipe didn’t say to strain the seeds, but I did anyway (in your pictures it looked as if you did). After following the recipe, I had more than 2/3 cup of puree, but I used all of it, and it thickened just fine, and turned out great. The frosting is delish! I love that it’s a combination of a “cream cheese”-like frosting and a whipped cream frosting. It wasn’t overly sweet, and it’s great to pipe with. I’m just so pleased with how well this cake turned out and how delicious it was. Thanks so much for sharing this great recipe!
I also need to add that I used whole milk. I also used mascarpone straight from the fridge, and it whipped up just fine. I greased my pans, put down a circle of parchment on the bottom, greased the paper, and floured them. I had no problems with the cakes sticking to the pans. And I didn’t find the cakes too sticky to work with either.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing your experience!
Hello! Could cream cheese be substituted for the mascarpone as it is hard to find where I am and pricey? Thanks!
Yes, it can.
Hiya – I just baked this cake and I have a few questions if you’re still looking at this post .
First off, I got a ton of compliments on it – the sponge texture was very light and fluffy, which was exactly what I was after and taste-wise it was perfect, although I think I added a bit too much salt – my fault!
The filling was just lovely – mine turned out a bit lumpy but I think I overwhipped it and I think my mascarpone may have been too warm. The one issue I had was that the cake was quite difficult to work with – it was sticky in the pans, as you said, so I lined with baking paper. It came out of the pans fine but when I peeled off the paper it ‘clung’ to the paper and in some cases the paper pulled off chunks of sponge. When it came to icing I found the icing pulled off some of the sponge as well. Do you have any advice to prevent this in future? I was thinking a crumb coat for the icing troubles, but for the baking paper removal do you have any advice? I tried to do it really gently and slowly but I’m wondering if something else could help!
When you say baking paper, do you mean parchment paper? I find that works best. You could try also spraying it with baking spray. I don’t remember having that issue with the icing and crumbs, but definitely a crumb coat would be a good way to prevent that in the future.
So glad you enjoyed the cake!
I just baked this cake, delicious, it turned out perfect like your pictured cake, this is a keeper, baked it in celebration of our granddaughter number 12 birthday on Easter Sunday!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I must say that I used my trusty white cake recipe for the berry mascarpone layer cake. That being said the frosting is devine and will be my new go to. It pipes beautifully and isn’t too sweet. The berry filling…delicious. My family loved the cake and can’t wait for me to make it again.
So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
This frosting was perfection and probably the easiest I have ever made. I have been looking for a stabilized whipped cream frosting forever and none of them stack up to this one. Could you play around with this recipe and make a chocolate version? Then share?
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! For a chocolate version, you can sub some of the powdered sugar for cocoa powder. I’d try 1/2 a cup, or a touch more, depending on how chocolatey you want it.
I made the frosting today to put on my coconut cream cupcakes and it was absolutely perfect. I followed the recipe exactly as written, used cheap mascarpone from Walmart, used a kitchenaid to whisk it, and it wasn’t lumpy or grainy, it was perfect. Didn’t chill the mixing bowl or whisk either, and it tasted wonderful. 5 stars!!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for replying, I’m going to give this one a try!
Making this for this weekend! What kind of milk did you use?
I use 2% milk. Enjoy!
Hi Lindsay,
This cake looks amazing! I would love to make it for a special family birthday coming up. Do you think it would work if I replaced the vanilla extract with lemon juice in the cake and icing recipes and added a little lemon zest? Thanks.
The cake would probably not bake correctly with lemon juice added. If you’d like a lemon cake, I’d try using the layers in this cake.
And also with the cream cheese .. if I use it instead of mascarpone cheese .. can I make it 3 days early and refrigerate it until I serve it?
Hey can I make cake like 3 days before the major event like if I get it ready on Wednesday and serve on Saturday? Will it be hold tyre icing and taste?
That far in advance would probably be a little more than I’d suggest for it to be optimally fresh, but it should be ok.
I’ve just made it and I loved it!! Very easy and jummy
Glad to hear it!
I’m on a low carb diet, what would be the conversion to make it gluten free with almond flour or coconut flour?
I’m really not sure. I don’t really work with those flours in cake. You may be able to find something helpful on this site, which is all low carb.
Today I have the cakes baked to serve 50 for a party. The cream is whipped up and ready to apply and I have lemon curd to fill the layers too. But Im really worried about humidity! It rained last night and is still pretty drizzly. I am concerned about frosting, filling and transporting these cakes in such weather. I froze my cakes for easier assembly and am thinking I might just assemble them early in the morning and then quickly get them to the event before they can thaw. Ive had cakes melt in intense summer heat, but rain is something I dont have to cope with very often in southern California. Any thoughts?
Hmm, yea I’m not sure. I don’t do events really. The frosting would definitely be sensitive to heat and probably humidity, being a whipped frosting. You might consider a regular buttercream, to be safe.
This is a great recipe, used it many times in the USA with no issues, though I can get all the ingredients and I do not substitute ingredients. Making home made mascarpone is not like commercial made cheese. The home made version will be softer. I wonder if those having trouble might try some softened, unflavored gelatin to help stabilize the whipped cream. Keep in mind that heavy cream works best, 36% fat or more. Thanks for sharing this recipe, its very similar to a local restaurant’s lemon berry cream cake and I just love it. Lindsay, you have the patience of a saint to answer all these questions.
All great suggestions and notes! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake, Michelle!
Lindsay
Your mascarpone frosting says the ingredients need to be cold/chilled. I’ve seen others say it needs to be at room temperature. What difference does it make?
The heavy whipping cream definitely needs to be cold to whip properly. The mascarpone cheese is usually best when it still has a bit of chill to it. If it gets too warm (which depending on your “room temperature”, it could), it’ll be too soft and won’t firm back up properly. I hope that helps!
Hi Lindsay! Greetings from Indonesia!
Thanks for the recipe! I’ve tried this it and really love it. The cake is so moist and soft. I would like to make it again with less sweet taste. Just want to ask you if I want to lessen 1/3 of ths sugar, what ingredient should I compensate it to? Please advise ya.
Thank you,
Faika
There’s not really a good substitute for sugar that I know of. I’m not sure that it would have the best effect to reduce it. It could alter the texture and moisture of the cake.
how do your cakes bake? Do they dome like some do, ……………do you use baking strips around your pans at all………….
I just baked this cake and my layers came out about 1.5cm thick which I thought was rather thin. Is that about right or did I go wrong somewhere ?
I’ve made this cake a few times and it’s a hit every Time! Love everything about it❤️. I just have one quick question. Will it hold up under fondant? Thanks!
So glad you’ve enjoyed it! Not sure about fondant – haven’t tried it.
I love this cake!! Have made it a couple of times. Is it possible to place small raindrop cutouts of fondant to the side of this cake with this whipped frosting?
I’m glad you enjoy it! I would think the raindrops would be fine. They should stick.
Hi Lindsay,
I’m new to your page and am so excited I found this cake! I want to make it with two nine inch pans but do you think I could do a second layer of the berry filling underneath the top layer of frosting? Can’t wait to try, it looks delicious and beautiful!
Katya
The 9 inch layers should be fine. Not sure about the berry filling underneath the frosting. It might be hard to spread the frosting on top. You could add the second layer of filling on top of the frosting, in the center of the swirls though.
I MADE THIS… TWICE! O….M….G it was incredible both times. It looks intimidating but really it is quite simple and worth the work. The vanilla cake is the best ever. So moist and filled with flavor. I have some tips; For the jam I cooked it only for 5 minutes on medium heat, I found that 10 minutes was too long and it made the jam too thick, that i wasn’t evenable to spread it. Also, if you would like to do light frosting, I personally halved the recipe. This gives you the perfect amount to fill the cake as well as pipe some designs but you won’t be able to frost the sides. Another tip is I added fresh sliced strawberries on top of each jam layer to add an extra bite. I also felt it needed the freshness, made it even better.
The frosting is by far the best frosting I have ever tasted and the easiest i have ever made! It was just perfect. Thank you so much Lindsay!! 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Can I use recipe( homemeda vanilla cake mix) under fondant cake? Or do you have any other good vanilla cake recipe which works under fondant.Thanx
I would think it’d be fine under fondant.
Hi Lindsay, is it correct to use 8″ x 3 cake pans, The really thin ones? i.e. the mixture fills the pan’s all the way to the top to almost over flowing? Height of pan’s is only 0.75 inches. https://www.wilton.com/easy-layers-8-inch-round-cake-pan-set/2105-0188.html
the cakes are in the oven now and mixture has spilt all over the bottom of the oven.
I’m not familiar with that particular set of pans. The 8×3 pans I’ve used before are 8 inches around and 3 inches tall, which is plenty tall for this cake. I’m sorry for the overflow – that’s a pain!
Hi, Lindsay. I’ve made other recipes from you. My favorite was the chocolate pumpkin cheesecake, which is to DIE FOR! I’m not sure if the Reeses Cupcakes are yours, but it tastes better than a real Reeses. I made this cake for a coworker’s birthday and she loved it! The only thing different that I did was instead of the 2 cups of sugar in the cake, I only put in 2/3rds cup. I also added 1/4 cup instead of 3/4 sugar. My co-worker doesn’t like a lot of sugar and likes fruit. The frosting I didn’t change a thing. It was so light and really compliments the fruit. Was delicious! Thank you for sharing such wonderful recipes. My co-worker loved the cake, too. I did itg all in 1 day. Wish I knew how to send you the picture of the cake. Looks great. ????
Hi, I was wondering if I was to make 4 layers, will the cake be stable and hold up if I prepare it 2 days in advance ? Are the layers a very light sponge which can’t withstand too much weight and Is the mascarpone frosting stable enough ? Would switching to a Swiss butter meringue frosting be a good idea?
The layers might be a touch thin at 4 layers, but overall the cake should hold up. I have found the frosting to be stable in the fridge, but you could certainly use a SMB to be safe.
What size coupler do you use for the 808 tip?
I don’t actually use a coupler for that tip. Just add it to a bag.
I made this cake today. It was delicious.
Hi, just wanted to say that your recipes are amazing and very easy to follow. Thank you so much for this platform.
I’m so glad you enjoy them!
I just took this out of the oven, so can only comment on the cake. I doubled the recipe, put most in a long Wilton loaf pan and a cup or so in a reg loaf pan — couldn’t resist, I had to taste the little one. I love this cake! It is unlike any recipe I’ve ever made and I love the texture and the flavor. It is not “Betty Crocker”-like fluffy, but a firm, you-know-it’s-homemade texture. I plan to slice the long loaf into layers and follow your recipe for the fruit filling and the icing. Thank you!!
Took the completed cake to a family Thanksgiving and it was, by far, the favorite!! It truly is one of the most delicious cakes I’ve ever made. I’m making another for a Christmas party. So good!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Made this cake (2 of them as I had a large crowd) for my Dad’s birthday celebration. I received so many compliments on the cake. Everyone loved it! Thank you.
So glad to hear everyone loved it! Thanks Julie!
Hi Lindsay, I’ve made this cake a few months ago and it was so good. I’m planning on making a berry vanilla 3-tiered cake for January, and thought of this cake. Would you think the cake would hold up? Thanks.
I haven’t made a tiered cake in quite a while and haven’t tried it with this cake, but I’d imagine that if things are well doweled and supported, it should be fine.
Made it few times! So easy and delicious! Absolutely hit! My friends love it and think I am so good in baking ???? But the cake is so easy to make! Thank you so much for the recipe! I am going to make it again today with my friend’s daughter ❤️
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed it!
I wonder if I can use the cake as my base cake for a rainbow cake? Thanks 🙂
I would think it’d be fine.
Will this make enough frosting and filling to cover a 3 layer 10″ cake… or should I double it?
Thank you!
Depends on how have handed you are with frosting. It might be fine, or you might need a little more.
I tried the sponge for the Mascarpone Berry cake a couple of times but ended up with an undercooked middle both times. The cakes sank as soon as they came out of the oven. What am i doing wrong? Also I find it a bit too sweet. Is it ok to reduce the sugar?
A few people seem to have had that issue with the cakes sinking. I honestly have no idea why. It’s never happened for me, so it’s tough for me to troubleshoot it. It could be anything from elevation or oven type to something having to do with ingredients. I’mm sorry I’m not more help. If you’d like to try an alternative vanilla cake, the recipe for the cake layers in this cake are a great option.
Can the frosting be made in advance? I’m talking about a few hours and chilled?
I think it’s best when fresh and can loose a bit of it’s consistency when stirred again, but you could do it.
You are amazing……I’m trying to learn how to bake..lol How do you get your cake rounds so light and fluffy? I have messed up plenty cake mix ..Hahaha Always overcooked or undercooked. Is there a certain pan recommended to bake in? Thank you for your time. Lady(beginner)
I made this cake for my daughters birthday it was amazing ???? Everyone loved it, I made chocolate cupcakes aswell because I thought kids would prefer them more and grown ups will go for the cake but everyone wanted a piece from the yummy cake????♥️ Thank you for the recipe I can’t wait to try another recipe from your blog
I found this cake on Pinterest and I just finished making it! Your recipe was easy to follow and your video made it even easier. I’m looking forward to eating it this evening at my mother-in-laws birthday dinner. AND, I can’t wait to make more of your fabulous recipes!
Thanks Kim! So glad you enjoyed it!
Just wondering if this freezes well. Need to make a cake with a mirror glaze in October and this looks perfect. but I need it to freeze well. So does this recipe freeze well? like does the sponge stay nice and not go dry or soggy?
I would imagine that’s somewhat a matter of opinion. I think it freezes fine, but if you’re looking for something specific, you might want to try it out.
Made this cake (with a different frosting) for my sister’s birthday today and it was a huge hit! People loved it. I followed the cake and berry recipes to a T except I didn’t have any 8 inch pans on hand so used 9 inch. I do think 8 inch would have been better because the cake was a little dense and there was just generally more cake to go around (which who says is a bad thing ;). The berry filling was amazing, but I made the minor mistake of not pureeing the berries completely and next time I may strain the seeds out. Overall great recipe – thank you!
The vegetable oil in the cake threw me off a bit. I wanted to say that I would choose a butter cake for next time, but the cake was so darn good! The berry compote and mascarpone whipped cream are spot on!
I just made this for my son’s 12th birthday and it was a hit! I used raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and a few strawberries for the filling and decorated the top with everything except the strawberries (since my husband doesn’t like them).
I did find that my layers were quite thin and with barely any dome, but then I realized belatedly that my pans were 9″ instead of 8″, so that helps explain it. They did have a dense, moist and almost doughy consistency similar to thick pancakes, rather than the lighter sponge you seem to produce — but I’m wondering if perhaps the people who’ve been experiencing this problem are all, like me, Canadian? If so, the difference in density is probably because our all-purpose flour has more protein in it than the US all-purpose. So Canadian bakers might be able to solve the problem by using Cake & Pastry flour instead.
The other difference I noticed was that my icing was more of a whipped-cream consistency than the thick, frosting-like stuff shown in the video. Could this be a result of not whipping the cream enough before adding the mascarpone?
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Helpful suggestions regarding the flour – thank you! I don’t know why some people are having trouble, but I imagine it’s some difference like that.
The thinner whipped cream is hard to say from a distance. Did you add the full amount of powdered sugar? I use it to help stabilize the frosting. Also, I think that a stand mixer produces a firmer whipped cream than a hand mixer, which could be it as well, depending on which you used.
I used the full amount of sugar and also a stand mixer, so not sure where I went wrong there. Maybe my mascarpone wasn’t as thick as the brand you used, hard to say. Still a great recipe, though!
I just made this cake for my sister and brother-in-laws 50th anniversary. It is amazing! A real show stopper. Thanks for the great recipe and easy to follow directions.
Hi Lindsay!
I love your work, I bake with your recipes often and it’s always a huge success 🙂 However, in my country layer cakes are made with sponge cake that doesn’t contain any fat or liquid, just eggs and flour and I don’t like it 🙂 What vanilla cake would you recommend from your recipes that is both moist and really really soft, like melt in your mouth? I am deciding between berry mascarpone or fresh berry vanilla cake or white chocolate raspberry. I’d love your suggestion which one I should try out 🙂 Thank you!
Hai, is it ok to only use two berries, blueberry and strawberry for the fillings?
i have a few pointers after making this cake. Firstly, the filling was amazing, it came out perfect, I used frozen berries that were thawed out since the real berries are hard to find where I live.
The frosting was also really good. I used cream cheese since the cheese is impossible to find where I live. But I would recommend whipping out the cream cheese before you incorporate it with the whipped cream because it leaves lumps in the whipped cream.
Andddd the cake….. I don’t like this cake recipe at all. I was contemplating on using this cake recipe after reading the ingredients because it just didn’t sound right. And boy was I right. After reading comments that the cake tasted so good, I decided to give it the try. What scared me the most was all the liquids. It’s just too much liquids for a cake. My cake didn’t rise at all, so I had little “stingy” cake layers. My baking powder was good so it was not that it was expired. I think the over powerment of liquids is what caused it to not rise. After seeing them not rise I decided maybe the quality in this cake is the taste. Nope. After I assembled my cake and decided to taste it, not even the goodness of the frosting and filling can help it. It doesn’t taste good at all.
So, I do want to try to make this again, just using a different cake recipe
This cake was incredible!!! The cake was so light, moist and delicious- not at all heavy or dense or even too sweet. This will definitely become my new vanilla cake recipe for any cake that I make in the future. The berry filling was also so delicious! And the frosting was unbelievable!! The perfect amount of sweetness and also light and so flavorful. Such an unexpected texture and taste with the mascarpone. People were freaking out at how amazing this cake was and so was I! Will definitely make again! Thank you!!
Wonderful! I’m glad it was a hit!
I LOVE the icing for this recipe! I made it for the second time this weekend and it tastes like vanilla ice cream, but is so light and fluffy, AND it’s easy to work with. I was delighted to find Trader Joe’s has mascarpone for only $2.99 for 8 oz compared to $6.99 at our regular grocery store. It’s great to know I can make this icing all the time now without spending $14 on delicious cheese!
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed it! Great deal on the mascarpone too!
You truly have a gift. I have made this cake twice. It is so light and the texture is perfect. Absolutely delicious!
The first time the layers came out thin due to using 9″ pans. Duh! if recipe calls for 8″ pans this will happen. This time I increased recipe by 1/2 truly pleased with layers.
My husband won’t stop talking about it and refuses to share with others LOL! I’m sure it would be out of this world if I were to use mascarpone cheese instead of cream cheese but there was a cost factor.
Keep the recipes flowing. Amazing recipe!!!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks Monique!
This cake was amazing! This was easy and the cake turned out so light! Certainly a “keeper”! I don’t have 8 inch pans so I used 2 -9 inch and baked it for 26 minutes. I’m going to try this with a peach filling and add 1/2/almond flavoring of all vanilla. My family loved it!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I’m planning on making this cake for a baby shower this weekend. Can I use a frozen Berry medley for the fruit filling, or would you suggest sticking to fresh fruit?
Thanks!
People seem to have had success with frozen berries. Just thaw them out and pat them dry of extra moisture.
Baking a 2 tier cake with this recipe….yup! It’s that good (made this cake as is 3 times already!!)! I’ll Do the first tier as 8 inch cakes. Would this cake work for 6 inch cakes and would baking time change?
I haven’t made a 6 inch, but I imagine it’d be fine. Not sure of the bake time.
Hi! I’m making this for my mom’s birthday and I was wondering if you can use neufchatel cheese instead of the mascarpone cheese? Does it make a difference in the frosting. Thank you
I haven’t actually worked with neufchâtel cheese to be able to say for sure. I would think it’d be ok though.
Made it today with my 4 year old. Amazing.
I made this today – I made the berry sauce with just strawberries and it came out delicious! And I made a chocolate mascarpone icing modified from yours, also delicious!
However, my cake came out short and dense and overly moist – we even did a second batch with my husband making it and same issue. Any idea what would cause that? The second time we left it in the oven a little longer to see if it would help it rise more, but nothing.
We’re avid bakers, and It was a delicious cake just sad that it didn’t turn out.
Hi, can I use frozen berries?
Some people have said they’ve used them and had success. You’d want to thaw them and pat them dry to try and get rid of excess moisture.
I just want you to know that I used your recipe to make a Vanilla Naked Cake with strawberry filling and regular Buttercream. I made the recipe two times because it only makes 2-8″ at a time. Both times the cakes came out fluffy and light. I read everyone post and many said, their cakes were dense. Again, I repeat…I did the recipe two times and it came out with the same texture. If I may, you can delete if you like. But, I made sure all my ingredients were at room temperature. Mixed till I didn’t see any eggs, 2 minutes, then added the hot water. Once I completed that step. I stopped the mixture and then hand mixed all the batter that was at the bottom. It came together creamy but loose. I hope this helps many!! To you the creator of this delicious recipe….THANK YOU!!????????????????????????????May God Bless You abundantly for sharing His Word and recipes!
Nina
Made this for 4th of July. Sooooo good. Came out perfect. You have totally redeemed my experiences with blogger recipes. Just had 2 major disasters with 2 different sites, so I was nervous for this recipe ???? but it was perfect. I’ll be trying more of yours in the future.
I read some people had trouble with the cake so I used a boxed French vanilla cake instead of trying to make that part. I doubled the filling and icing but stayed true to your recipe and this was one of the best cakes I’ve eaten!! Thanks for your recipe my family loved it!! I may just make that filling to eat by itself sometimes it was soo good!! 🙂
So I made this for a 4th of July cookout. I actually baked the cakes about a month ago and froze them, this worked out so great , I just took them out and made the compote the night before the party and on the day I just had to do the frosting and assembly. I’m not a layer cake baker at all this might be my 2nd shot at that , but it came out great everyone loved it!!! Thanks I will defiantly do this again . Leah O.
Hi,
I made this for Mother’s Day and it was a huge hit!! I want to make it again, but I want to use two 6 inch cake pans… how would I alter the cake recipe?
I haven’t done it in a 6 inch before. If you’re still using three cake layers, you’d need to increase the baking time a bit.
Have you ever tried using frozen berries for the filling instead of fresh? Also wondering g if you’ve ever tried adding a bit of lemon extract to the frosting? Thanks!
I also saw that you mentioned psalm 25:1 as an especially meaningful verse right now, and that is also one for me! The version I use is slightly different, “to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul, in you I trust O my God.”
As I was praying through an issue I felt the Lord give me this verse. When I feel the disappointment and doubt of a circumstance creeping in I lift this up as a breath prayer. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, it’s a wonderful verse when fear, doubt or anxiety creeps in. 🙂
I haven’t, but I think some others may have and it turned out ok. Just be sure to pat them dry of liquid. I haven’t tried the lemon extract, but it sounds tasty.
Hi Lindsay,
It’s looks so delicious . Is this cake flavor , filling and frosting will be good for sheet cakes( 1/4 or 1/2 sheet)? TIA
I believe I’ve had someone share a photo somewhere (maybe on fb) of this cake that they’d made as a larger cake. I think it was a 9×13. I haven’t done it myself, but it seems like it should work fine. Though might need to make some adjustments – like maybe more filling?
I made this cake for Mother’s day and it was a hit! I had never made a layered cake and thanks to your site I am hooked! Everyone was very impressed with this cake (even though mine was lumpy and uneven without the proper icing tools compared to yours). I just might have to make some purchases soon! Can’t wait to try another cake from your blog for Father’s Day this weekend!
Should the mascropone cheese be chilled or room temp? Im nervous chilled will result in lumps! Thanks!
I would say chilled. The trouble with room temperature is that if it gets too soft, it can get watery and it doesn’t recover well. If you want to let it sit out for 5 or 10 minutes though, it should be ok.
This cake was absolutely delicious and went in a few minutes….it is totally wedding worthy! I was a little nervous that the batter seemed watery but it wound up being the tastiest vanilla cake I’ve ever eaten. Great job!
Wonderful – so glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks Danielle!
Love this recipe, made it first time and the cake turned out very flat and dense but very tasty. I talked to a few people and they said it’s from over mixing the batter. Making another cake, this time I will add the water to the egg mixture instead of your method of mixing water into the already combined batter and use a spatula to mix with instead of mixer, I hope it turns out better this time.
I made the cake, this evening, but my layers are much thinner than what you have pictured. I bake, often, and have never had a cake with such thin layers:( I followed the recipe exactly as you posted. Any thoughts?
The positive note is that it smells delicious!
Hmmm, I’m really not sure. I’m sorry!
Hello,
Eventhoug the cake looks fantastic! However I would reduce the ammount of sugar in half. I think the batter and the frosting are too sweet.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi! This cake looks delicious and I would love to make it for my grandparents’ 50th Anniversary party… It needs to feed about 20 people and I was going to make it in a 11×11 Wilton square pan… I want to make the cake two layers and was just wondering if you thought I should double this recipe to make a bigger, two-layer square cake in that 11×11 pan. I also would like to add that this is by far my favorite website for baking recipes, you are amazing!! Thank you so much!!
Thank you, Justine! I’m so glad you enjoy the site. I’m thinking that doubling it would probably be best. I hope you enjoy it!
Do you think this would work as a semi naked cake? Is the frosting pretty dense? I would like to make is for my daughters bday party this weekend.
Yes, I think it’d be fine. My frosting was plenty firm.
Question can this cake be substituted with cake flour if so what’s the ratio ..Also I have baked a lot of cakes with baking powered, but never 3 tsp is this correct for this cake?
The recipe is correct as written. I haven’t tried using cake flour, so I don’t know how it’d turn out.
My son made this cake for my birthday today and it was fabulous! Everyone loved it!
So glad to hear it was enjoyed!
I made this for Mother’s Day and everybody loved it! Thank you! How can I share a picture of it?
Wonderful! So glad to hear it! You could always email it to me, or share it on instagram and tag me if you use it. Unfortunately there isn’t a way to add photos in the comments.
Hi Lindsay
I tried this cake and it was 50% a disaster. The cake portion was not very nice at all. I had to bin it and use another recipe which was also not to my liking (I am willing to conceed that I was having a very off baking day). With that said, The icing and the compote were absolutely beautiful and I will for sure make them again.
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
I’m glad you enjoyed the filling and frosting. As for the cake, I truly don’t know why some are having trouble. I’ve had so many people have success and share photos of the final cake with me that I know the recipe itself is fine. Perhaps there’s a difference in elevation or climate that is making a difference for people? If you’d like to try out an alternative cake and see how it works for you, these vanilla cake layers are also great.
Hello, I want to adapt this recipe to make a pineapple cake. So I will substitute berries for pineapple. I stead of water is it worth using pineapple juice? The fat content shouldn’t change? I m just not sure whether to go half and half or use full cup of juice instead of water. Any advice?
I would try the pineapple juice. It should be fine.
Oh my! This looks so incredibly delicious. I’m so making this for Mother’s Day. I also have one side question: where did you get that beautiful cake stand? I totally love it!
The cake stand is from Home Goods. 🙂
Hi Lindsay!
i’m going to try and make this cake for my mom for mother’s day but want to try and make it in advance. Would it be okay to bake the cakes one day, and then freeze them overnight and then take them out and assemble the cake the next day? Thanks so much for such an amazing recipe, i can’t wait to try it out!
Sorry for the delay! For future use, if you are just making the cakes one day ahead, you shouldn’t need to freeze them. They’d be fine in a well sealed container (like a cake carrier).
Hi Lindsay! It is so interesting cake and I want to make it perfect. I have some problem with cake layers. I just baked it 3 times and it went to garbage. Maybe it is so a lot of liquid or not enough of flour because my layers are always like raw. I bake longer as you put time, and I just know my oven well because I bake cakes very often. I never baked layer with a lot of water and milk. Where do you think is problem? Thanks.
I honestly don’t really understand why people are having this problem. I’m not sure how the cake is under baked if it’s been baking long enough. Since I can’t recreate the problem, it’s really hard for me to say. Feel free to email a photo of your result. Maybe looking at it will help me understand better? I only know that the measurements are correct and I’ve never had a problem. I really wish I knew what the answer was. I’m sorry.
Hello,
So I do have a client wants a not so sweet frosting for his cupcakes. do you think the mascarpone will be good on cupcakes?
Btw I made this berries and mascarpone with my rainbow cake and it was a blast!
Thank you!
Yes, I think it would be fine on cupcakes depending on what he wants. You could also consider a swiss meringue buttercream (which I don’t currently have a recipe for).
DON’T ADD WATER TO THE BATTER
I baked this a second time as the first time it came out like dense pancakes, so I only put a couple of tablespoons of water to the batter as it already had the perfect consistency anyway with the oil and eggs, and it worked. Water is not needed. Just makes the batter thin and the cake comes out like a pancake.
Made the cake …beautiful to look at and delicious to eat!! Thanks for the receipe!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Can you tell me what kind of tip you used to pipe the frosting? And will the cake recipe make enough for all 3 layers or is it just for one layer?
Yes, the recipe is enough for all 3 layers in the cake. I used Ateco tip 808 for the swirls on top.
How long will this cake last with or without refrigeration
It’ll hold up pretty well for several hours, I’d expect.
Lindsay did you use hot water or room temperature?
Either is fine. I’d initially specified hot, but either way is fine. It won’t affect anything.
This cake was really good, perfect for spring! I was making it for someone else, so I couldn’t taste a piece, but I had small spoonfuls of frosting, filling, and batter along the way. I do have a couple questions though. First, the filling seemed a little sweet for me, but that’s just a personal preference since I like berry fillings a little tart. Should I just omit some of the sugar next time? Also, I had some trouble with the frosting not spreading evenly and clumping. Do you think I mixed it too long?
Same issue here, plus the cake was a little bit on the dense side, but still yummy????❤️
I’m glad you were happy with it overall! Yes, you could just decrease the sugar in the filling a bit, if you prefer. As for the clumping, I could only assume that it was from the mascarpone cheese. I usually just add it to the whipped cream cold, but if you have trouble, maybe try letting it come closer to room temperature. Just be careful – if mascarpone gets too warm or soft, it can be hard to get it to firm up again.
Lindsay, I’m going to make this cake for my grandmas birthday. I don’t have mascarpone cheese so I was planning on making a whipped vanilla buttercream instead. Will that be all right with the berries and cake. Thanks so much!
Yes, that should be fine. Hope you enjoy it!
If I use 9×13 pan do I have to double the recipe? Thank you. I will make it for my cousin’s 18th birthday.
Thank you so much
No, this recipe will work for a 9×13.
It looks so good! Can we make the mascarpone filling with chocolate? It’s my daughters birthday and I would like to bake one but she only likes chocolate!
Thank you!
That should be fine. Just reduce the powdered sugar a bit and replace it with cocoa. Maybe 1/4 or half a cup, depending on who strong you want the chocolate.
I made the cake and used 9inch pans and my layers also came out kind of thin, but what I was wondering was, Is the cake batter supposed to be such a thin consistency? Mine seemed so thin and watery that I ended up mixing in about 1/2 cup more flour before adding to pans, might explain why my layers were flavorful yet dense, not fluffy and airy as described.
Yes, it’s a very thin batter. Adding extra flour would definitely throw it off. I used 8 inch pans, so 9 inch would definitely be thinner cakes.
I decided to make this cake for my son’s birthday. Followed directions exactly, however I also did not have 8″ cake pans and used 9″ instead. The cake was thin, did not rise, and was so dense it was almost like cookie dough. Not edible. The berry filling – seemed to me that 3 tablespoons cornstarch was way too much for the amount of puree called for in the recipe and sure enough, the final product of berry filling was very thick and when cooled was more like solid jello rather than spreadable. By the time I got to the frosting, I decided to only make half a batch just in case it didn’t come out good since by this time I had lost confidence in the entire recipe. The frosting however was the only thing that came out well. Bottom line, I went to the bakery to buy a cake. I will keep searching for a tried and true vanilla/yellow cake recipe.
I am an experienced baker and this cake has more than 1 component that does not work. The cake itself comes out flat and dense. And yes, I followed the instructions to a “T”.
Is baking soda missing ? The fruit puree is way too sweet. I cut it with lemon juice.
I will remake the white cake using a different recipe.
Very disappointed
I’m sorry you were disappointed, but I can assure you that the entire cake does work. I’ve made all the components of it many times without problem.
I have made this cake two time and both times there were air bubbles when I cut the domes off. Any suggestions. The cake it self is delicious.
Air bubbles are pretty normal. The air in the batter/cake is what helps it rise and be fluffy. I know some cakes have a tighter structure, but this one doesn’t. Hopefully you’re still able to enjoy it!
HOw long do I let the icing chill? I made it about a half hour ago.
It depends a little on your frosting. If the mascarpone was cold when added, it should be good to go and may not even need to be refrigerated. If it’s soft, you might need to. Sorry if that isn’t terribly helpful.
Hi Lindsay!
Im going to make this cake for a birthday party but I dont have 8 inch pans, I was thinking about making it in 3 9.5inch pans instead (24cm). Would that work do u think?
Greetings from Sweden!
I think it would make fairly thin 9 inch layers. You might want to use 1 1/2 recipes worth for a full 9 inch cake.
While this cake tasted delicious when covered in frosting and layered with fruit filling, the cakes came out sort of “wet” and dense and without a real dome. I did not make any substitutions except for using frozen berries which I thawed before pureeing. The batter was much thinner than I am used to in a cake batter. Unless you have other suggestions, I may try this again with less or maybe no water at all. 2 cups of liquid plus oil just seems like too much liquid.
It is a very thin batter. Did you test the cakes with a toothpick before removing them from the oven to make sure they were done? I use a toothpick and stick it in the center. There should just be a few moist crumbs sticking to it when the cake is ready.
Oh my gosh! This cake is phenomenal! The cake layers baked up moist and delicious! The mixed berry jam filling is delicious and perfect. The marscapone whipped cream frosting turned out great too! Thank you for this recipe! ❤️????❤️
If using this recipe to make cupcakes, how do you fill the cupcakes with the grit filling?
Hi
!
I made this cake last Sunday for my birthday/Easter, and it was a success !
My grandma asked which bakery it came from and didn’t believe me when I told her I baked it, and my dad got a second slice (when he usually won’t finish the 1st slice !). I’m keeping the berry filling and frosting recipes on hand 😉
I did have an issue with the cake batter being very runny, though, so the cakes took longer to fully bake and looked a little underbaked. No one talks about this in the comments, so I’m guessing I was the problem, ha ! I weighed every ingredients and used the ml measurements, so maybe it came from there ? :/
Ok, I’m off now to bake cupcakes to use the leftover frosting 🙂
Hi 🙂
I have made this last week. I followed the recipe exactly. The cake banter looked just like your in the video. But it turned out very dense and doughy. Any idea where I made a mistake? Thank you. I loved the flavor and would absolutely make this again. Thanks
Eva
I made this for friends last weekend… none was left! It came out wonderfully. I had no issue with sticking, at all.
I am making it for this Friday for my daughter’s small reception after her wedding. There are only 10 people. There will have to be a tweak of lactose free milk and I’m going to make an amoretto ‘buttercream’ with Earth Balance butter. Should be good!
Thanks so much!
So glad to hear it was a hit! Thanks Jeananne!
Hello!
I’ve been desperately trying to find a really good vanilla recipe that uses veg oil instead of butter and this ones sounds yummy! I’ve tried COUNTLESS recipes and all of them end up tasting like flour 🙁 I mean no sweetness to it.
I tried this one last night and I feel like I’m still struggling with that. I read somewhere about measuring the flour wrong because I was using my measuring cup to measure the flour so I now have a new batch in the oven that I measured “correctly”. Hoping it comes out good! Any suggestions???
Also… tried the berry recipe also and it is phenominal! I mixed it with some of my buttercream recipe and it was YUM!!
Thanks for sharing! ❤️
Yes, measuring the flour accurately is very important. I include measurement in grams because I actually weight it just to be sure. A food scale can be purchased for relatively inexpensive, if you’d like to try it. Usually you can find one at Target or similar places.
Made this for Easter and it was amazing! I made two changes however. I added lemon zest to the cake batter and I used a mixed berry jam for the filling. The sweet and the sour played off so nicely. Highly recommend and definitely a new family favorite!
I loved this cake recipe! I like to experiment with cake recipes (cake, fruit spread, mascarpone frosting). Could you make cupcakes using these original ingredients in the cake in some way? I find it’s easier to serve individual cakes…
I would think so. You could use the berry puree as a filling – maybe add a little whipped cream to it or something to give it some volume?
Beautiful cake. Just wanted to say that i made this as a trifle instead. Omitted the berry puree.
I just baked the cakes as mentioned. Made the frosting as is. Diced cake in bite size pieces. Then layered them in the trifle bowl using blueberries,raspberries, and sliced strawberries in between cake pieces and delicious mascarpone frosting. Everyone at Easter Dinner Raved.
Thanks
Great idea! Glad it was a hit!
Awesome cake. Highly recommended. I realized I had 9 1/2 inch pans not 8 “. Worked anyway. Everyone loved it not a piece was left!
I saw the video for this on Facebook, and I knew it would be perfect for Easter. I’ve never attempted something like this before, but it turned out great! A few things: I couldn’t find 8″ pans, so I used 9″ and baked for 22 min. The layers were kind of thin, but they worked. I was kind of worried that there wouldn’t be enough Berry filling, so I used two cups of berries and adjusted the water, sugar, and cornstarch accordingly. I liked having the weighted measurements on there, but I think the one for the heavy whipping cream may be off. My scale showed 2.5 cups as being 578mL. I didn’t want to try to get to the 720 and ruin things, so I just did 2.5c. That was easily the best frosting I’ve ever made. Wow! I did notice, and this is probably a matter of preference, but I feel like the flavors shined through better after sitting out a little than just out of the fridge. I had Berry filling and frosting left over (which is not a complaint 😉 ).
Lindsay,
After letting the cake set up in the refrigerator, I then added the fruit, it worked just fine. We had it for Easter and we got awesome reviews. Great recipe. Thank you for your input and advice.
My layers did not come out as thick. Would you know why?
So, I made this cake this morning. Hoping it tastes better than it looks! The frosting flavor is heavenly, but how the hell did you get it to that consistency? My frosting is very light and fluffy, so I just couldn’t get it to be smooth like that – what is your secret?
I’m not sure where the issue is. My frosting is also light and fluffy. It’s basically whipped cream with powdered sugar for stabilization and sweetness and some cream cheese for flavor (and also a stabilizer).
Hi! My frosting is very light and difficult to frost with. How long do you leave it in the fridge before frosting the cake? Do you think putting it in the freezer for a quick 10 minutes to firm it up would work? Thanks!
You shouldn’t even need to refrigerate it for it to be ok to use. If your mascarpone cheese was too warm though, that could make it difficult. You could certainly try refrigerating it for about 10 minutes. It won’t hurt it.
OMG, this looks so yummy. Wish I can make this beautiful looking cake.
It’s the perfect Easter cake! Recipe was easy for me to follow, I am not a great baker, but maybe I am now!!! The only trouble I had was trimming the cake dome off cakes, lacking skills, filled in with heavenly marscapone icing!!! It is the best frosting I have ever made! Proud to be serving this for family gathering! Beautiful!
Awesome! So glad you’re happy with it!
Hi there! I only have two 9 inch pans. Would you recommend splitting the dough evenly between the two pans or still splitting it 3 ways and baking 2 first and then a third once the first are done? Thanks!
I think either way would be fine.
I ended up doing 2 9 inch layers. Everyone loved the cake!! It was professional quality! Thanks for a fantastic recipe. Happy Easter!
How long would you adjust the baking time based on 3 x 9 in cakes, considering the sponges will be thinner?
Lindsay,
I also googled how to make the mascarpone cheese. My icing also seems soft. I used all the powdered sugar the recipe called for, could I add more powdered sugar to make it more stable? Is there a certain amount of time that the icing should be refrigerated? Thank you so much.. This cake reminds me of one my grandmother used to get from the bakery on SPECIAL occasions.
I have no experience with homemade mascarpone, but just looked it up to see. I don’t know what the final result is like, but it could be a factor. You can try adding more powdered sugar, it shouldn’t hurt it. In the future, another option would be to swap it out with cream cheese if the homemade mascarpone doesn’t result in the best frosting.
I hope you enjoy it!
I used store bought mascarpone and my frosting never really got firm. I even added extra powdered sugar based on the recommendations here in the comments. Might be that my German products don’t have enough fat in them. I dirty iced and put everything in the freezer. Waiting till the last minute to do the final frosting and decorating.
My cake did not come out fluffy. It was kind of dense. I made it twice to be sure of the result.
Is there something I can do to make it fluffy? You use two eggs. Most recipes call for three
Any reason?
The amount of eggs used is entirely dependent on the other ingredients in a recipe. I’m not sure why it’d be dense. It could be some difference in our ovens? I’m really not sure.
Kavita,
I made this cake today and I too was surprised at the density of all three layers. I can best describe it as a dense, toothesome, shortbread cake. I was not expecting the density at all. No fluffiness or spring to any of the layers. It is not necessarily a detraction, just a surprise. Here is what concerned me: I knew that my baking powder was expired, so I chucked it in anyway. That, mixed with elevation in Germany…is probably why I ended up with a three-layer pound cake.
The berry compote and icing are GREAT!
I’m sorry the cake didn’t turn out quite right. It definitely shouldn’t be dense or shortbread-like.
Is this a cake you can make and freeze. Then thaw out the cake layers and assemble with frosting and the berry filling at a later date?
That should be fine.
I made the cake two weekends ago too and it came out dense. Followed the recipe to a T. Had to to set the oven timer for five more minutes three more times. Still came out like a lump.
Just curious if you are measuring your flour correctly? A tablespoon extra of flour will make your cake dense.
When you measure flour, you always spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then level off with a knife. Never scoop the measuring cup into the flour and level off. A VERY useful tip I learned through my other blogging friends
My cake also turned out dense and wondering why it happened. Perhaps there is too much liquid in the recipe?
I truly don’t know why some are having trouble. I’ve had so many people have success and share photos of the final cake with me that I know the recipe itself is fine. Perhaps there’s a difference in elevation or climate that is making a difference for you? You could certainly try leaving out some liquid. Perhaps it’ll make a difference.
I grew up in the UK and my mom could not use American cake recipes with success, and we figured out it was a difference in the flour there than in US. Everything came out very dense. So if anyone is making this in a country outside the US, the ingredients may not correspond exactly. Thought this might help!
Is this the berry chantilly from Whole Foods?
I haven’t ever had that cake. It sounds like it must be similar, but the recipe isn’t the same. I don’t know what their recipe is.
No its the Chantilly from Publix.
It sounds like there are two very similar cakes out there – one from Publix and one from Whole Foods. This recipe must be similar to both. 🙂
Hi ,i made this recipe although i wasnt sure on cake as it seemed dense and not light and spongy.i checked with a toothpick before taking out oven not sure what went wrong.It was still edible the berry filling and mascarpone frosting tasted lovely.Maybe one day i will attempt the cake again.
I baked the cake according to the directions, but when I tried to cut off the domes, it was so moist it just kind of crumpled up on itself. The cakes all came out pretty even so I didn’t try it on any of the others. I’m wondering if I just didn’t bake it long enough. One other thing, I’m using a gluten-free flour. I’ve been using it (cup for cup) for years without any issues. Could it be related to that? Or just add extra baking time? I appreciate any help you can give me.
Did the cake seem undercooked? If not, I wouldn’t think you’d need to bake it longer. I haven’t used gluten free flour before, but I do know that gluten is a binder and if things were kind of falling apart, it is possible that the flour had something to do with it. I can’t say for sure though, having not ever worked with that kind of flour.
I see some have made a 9 x 13….So, then do I slice the 9 x 13 in half and fill?
You certainly could do it that way. Here’s instructions for this cake as a 9×13.
Lindsay the link is broken. Can you link to the 9×13 cake again?
I updated that link and here it is again. Thanks!
Can I use frozen fruit. And I cannot get that cheese here in Puerto Rico. How else can I use a frosting. Recipe?
Frozen fruit should be ok, just be sure to defrost it and pat it dry. You can replace the mascarpone with cream cheese.
This cake was delicious! I made it true to the recipe, which is rare for me, and it came out moist and delicious. The frosting was delightful. The layers all paired well with one another.
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks Ren!
This cake is so, so gorgeous! I’m a little confused by the yield. What size cake does this recipe make? And do you know how many cupcakes that would translate to? Thank you!
It’s an 8 inch cake, about 3-4 inches tall. It would be about 24 cupcakes.
Thank you so much! I used this as the base for my niece’s birthday cake, and it was a hit. So versatile and delicious!
No, it isn’t 3-4 inches tall. Each of the three layers is over an inch then there is the filling and the top icing. It’s about five inches tall.
This looks gorgeous AND delicious! I’m thinking of making a 12″ round version for a reception for 30+ guests. Can you tell me if the frosting makes just enough for the version above, so I would definitely want to double it for the double sized cake, or if makes excess already and I could pare that back a bit? It doesn’t sound like an excessively large batch, but sometimes I’m in shock at how much extra frosting a recipe will make. Thanks!!
(if you have any other thoughts on attempting this – like if the layers are extremely fragile and might not hold up well to being made that large, by all means, let me know that as well.)
Gosh, I feel like what what is “enough” frosting varies by person. I am more heavy handed at frosting and I did use all of the frosting for the cake. You may want to just test it out and see what your preference is.
This is definitely a moist cake. I have made it as a 9×13 and it was fine. I’m not sure about larger than that.
Would frozen berries be okay?
They should be. Just defrost them and pat them dry first.
Looks good ❤️
I made this cake over the weekend. Twice (cuz it was so good the first time I had to share at work).. but my local store was out of the cheese so I googled how to make it. The frosting came out “soft” even after keeping it in the fridge all day before putting it on the cake. Is this typical? I tried to make the cute swirls to put a strawberry on top and they just squished down… Is this because I make the Mascarpone cheese or do I need to put more sugar maybe? Is there a trick Im missing?
When you say you googled how to make it, do you mean you made mascarpone cheese at home? If so, perhaps the consistency of the cheese had something to do with the frosting result? If you can’t find mascarpone in the future, you can use cream cheese instead. Also, be sure to use the full amount of powdered sugar in the frosting – it is a stabilizer.
Would the cake be okay if made a day ahead of time? I see the recipe says “best for 2-3 days” but I’m wondering how well the frosting and berry filling holds up? Thanks!
Yes, definitely. The filling is very stable and as long as you add the full amount of powdered sugar (it stabilizes the frosting), it should be fine. If you’re concerned, you could even add a touch more powdered sugar to make it a bit thicker. I had mine in the fridge for a couple days and it was great.
I made this cake for dinner guests this past weekend. It was a hit! They said it was beautiful AND tasted wonderful. Everything comes together easily. The frosting was a pleasure to work with, tasty, and balanced out the sweetness of the cake. The filing was yummy, too (much spoon licking there!). Thank you!!!
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Tammy!
Just wondering if this cake will hold up if made a day ahead of time? How stable is the frosting? Thanks!
Yep, as long as you use all the powdered sugar (which stabilizes it), it should be fine. Mine help up perfectly for several days.
Thoughts on coconut oil in place of the vegetable oil??
Hard to say without trying it. I haven’t tried it.
I made this cake and it came out delicious. It was light, flavorful and moist. It was well-balanced with tartness and sweetness. The mascarpone frosting was also very flavorful except I did have some small pieces of mascarpone that didn’t seem to fully mix in. I scooped it directly out of the container so im not sure if i should have stirred it beforehand. However, I would definitely make this again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Maybe try whipping the frosting a little longer to try and get rid of the lumps? I also added mine directly out of the container. There could be differences between brands though. Another option would be to let it soften just a bit. Not too much though, since mascarpone can get too soft very easily.
Can almond milk be substituted?
I haven’t tried it. It should be fine, but almond milk has different a fat content than regular milk, so it will alter the texture a bit.
I used almond milk both times when I made this. Nobody even knew and the cake held up just fine ☺
Great to know! Thanks Leanne!
Hi! I have made this cake before and absolutely love it. I want to make it for my niece’s third birthday. Can I make the cake into two layers that are approx 9 x 13 each? I would double the recipe if need be but just want to know if anyone has made it this way and got good results?
It bakes well as a 9×13. You don’t necessarily need to double it, unless you want a quite tall cake. I’m glad to hear you enjoy it!
Is there a way to save the videos for future and also to send them to a friend who isnt on FB?
I’m not sure that there would be a way to save them outside of Facebook. I do have a page where you can find the posts/recipes with videos and will soon have a video gallery where you can view them all and that should include some options for viewing your favorites.
Can I use cake flour instead of regular flour?
I haven’t tried it before with this particular cake. I’m guessing it’d be fine, but can’t say for sure.
The recipe says 2.5. cups or 325g of flour. The sugar is only 2 cups yet 414g? Is there an error on the quantities?
Nope, it’s correct. Flour and sugar weight differently.
Looks awesome and sounds delicious! Will try it this month and post the results! Thank you.
The cake is beautiful and i wanna make this soon! 🙂
Can you pls tell me where did you get that scraper? Thank you!
Thank you – I hope you enjoy it! You can find the icing smoother here.
Hi, I’ve made this cake several times and loved it. This time, I was wondering if I could do half cream cheese, half mascarpone cheese for the frosting. Do you think it’d work?
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Yes half cream cheese and half mascarpone cheese should work just fine.
For some reason, my cake layers didn’t rise..I definitely put in the baking powder, so not sure what was up. It was delicious nonetheless.
The recipe for the cake layers of this cake sometimes just don’t seem to work for people and I’m not really sure why. If you’d like to try a different recipe for the vanilla layers, check out my moist vanilla cake. https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/moist-vanilla-layer-cake/
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I only have 9 inch pans. Do I need to change anything?
You just won’t have as tall of a cake. I might just do two cake layers so they aren’t too thin.
Can I use melted butter instead of vegetable oil in this recipe? Can use buttermilk for the milk part of the recipe?
I don’t think the butter would produce the same result, but you could try it. I also haven’t tried the buttermilk. If you’d prefer a butter-based cake, you could try the cake layers from this cake.
Hi Lindsay,
I made this cake for my son’s birthday & people loved it! Planning to do the same cake this year too. Do u know if I can stick fondant decorations to the sides of this cake? Any tips on how to stick them?
Also I can planning to do a tier cake this time. 6 inch tier over a 8 inch tier. Do u know how I should downsize the recipe for a 6 inch?
Thanks
Ramya
Fondant decorations should stick to whipped cream just fine. As long as they’re not too bulky or heavy. As for the smaller size, I don’t really make any 6 inch cakes so I’m not sure. I’m sorry!
Would love to make this cake but only have 1x 10″ cake tin. Could you please tell me, would I be able to double the recipe and make it in one 10″ cake tin, then slice it into 3 layers. Also any idea of cooking time. Many thanks
I haven’t made a 10 inch, so I’m not sure about that size. Also, I wouldn’t bake all the batter at once. It usually ends up being dense and unevenly cooked. You’d want to bake at least two separate layers.
Beautiful cake. I was wondering: I really enjoy tall cakes. Do you know how tall or how many cups of batter your recipe makes? Can this recipe be easily doubled? Thank You.
This cake should be around 3.5 inches tall. I haven’t doubled it before, but I’d think it’d be ok.
I actually measured the batter to make sure my 3 layers were even; and it makes roughly 6 cups.
Hello I can cook the cake in one go and the cut after? Because I am only one mold I can cook one by one the three cake the preparation will always be good?
Ii wouldn’t suggest one big layer. You could get by with two though.
Hello I can cook this cake in a mold instead of three and the cut after? I am only one mold so the preparation of your cake can wait for the other cake cook if I made 3 cupcake?
I wouldn’t suggest baking it all in one pan. I’d do at least two layers.
I absolutely LOVE all of your cake recipes!! So far I’ve made this (it was amazing!) and I’ve made your Nutella Cake that everyone went crazy over! I look forward to making more and more of your desserts!! I was wondering instead of milk could you use buttermilk in this recipe? Does it change the taste or texture? I will be making this for Easter today! So excited!
Hi Lindsay!
This cake looks absolutely gorgeous! i’m planning to make this particular cake for my birthday since berries are in season in California! I was just wondering if you measured your ingredients by weight when you made this cake or any recipe of yours in general. Also, is there any mascorpne cheese alternative cause it seems like the stores near me don’t sell them :/ I’m a long time subsciber and can’t wait for your new recipes!
P.S. The videos that you make are short and easy to watch! You should start a youtube channel to upload these fantastic videos 🙂
From,
Katelyn
Yes, I always weight my ingredients for the ones where weight is indicated. You can substitute cream cheese for the mascarpone, if you’d like.
Thanks for subscribing! I’m so glad you enjoy everything! I will soon have a custom video gallery that will function much like youtube. Stay tuned – I’ll announce it when it’s live. 🙂
Hi! Can I make the cake ahead of time? Like I’ll bake it Thursday and then frost Friday and serve Saturday. I am afraid the cake will not be fresh by Saturday. I usually make this Thursday and serve Friday. Thank you!
Wow Lindsay! What a gorgeous cake! How ever do you keep your cake layers from getting too brown? I love just how light they came out! What’s your secret? I love your book, by the way. Best wishes with your IVF!
I don’t usually have an issue with browning. They’ll get a little golden on the sides, but that’s pretty normal. I don’t do anything special. I do use light colored pans. Darker pans can produce more browning.
I’m so glad you enjoy the book! And thank you for the good wishes! 🙂
The recipe calls for one cup of water when adding to the batter slowly it’s still looks a little watery is that expected
Yes, it’s a fairly thin cake batter.
Hi! I can replace mil for buttermilk?
That should be fine.
Looks soooo good! Have you ever made the cake batter into cupcakes? Just curious how they would be might just have to try it out 🙂
Yep! You can find the cupcake recipe here. 🙂
Hi Linsey!
Can I make the cake and leave it outside for the night? I don’t want it to get the fridge smell and dry out!
Nadia
I wouldn’t suggest it with this cake. The filling and the frosting should be refrigerated, especially the frosting.
This is my 2nd time making this cake. The first was a year-and-a-half ago for my daughter and her husband’s wedding cakes which was amazing. I’ve already have a posted picture of them. This morning I made a two layer 9-inch cake with the recipe for their birthdays because his is Christmas and hers is January 3rd. The cake turned out beautiful one more time.
Such a gorgeous cake! I can’t wait to make it! The cake recipe reminds me of your moist vanilla cupcake recipe, which I LOVE so much.
Yes – same recipe in cake form. 🙂 I hope you enjoy it!
I tried.. I don’t know what happened but my frosting curdled as I mixed it. I’m going to use as a filling over fruit but will make another type of frosting to cover cake. I tried to frost a piece of the cake I had cut off top and the frosting slid off my knife. Help. I followed recipe to a T. Before I added the cheese it was making nice soft peaks. When I started mixing it after it looked like cottage cheese without the limps. Very tasty though. I used vanilla bean paste and it is yummy.
Did you give it a stir with a spatula after mixing? It can look a little lumpy or so when mixing, but should be fine. Sounds like it may have been a little thin – did you use the full amount of powdered sugar? Also, not sure if you used a hand mixer or stand, but I find the stand produces a firmer whipped cream frosting.
Good day Lindsay what is the purpose of the water can I just use 2 cups of milk, I don’t get the water part
Water and milk have different fat contents. You could try using just milk, but it will change the texture of the cake.
Does it matter which % milk should be used then?
I used 2% milk.
What size pan did you use?
Three 8 inch pans
I would like to make this cake but square instead of round, Would I need to make any changes in the recipe?
Square pans should be fine. I would make sure they are about the same size as the 8 inch cake pans. I hope you enjoy!
I just made this cake for Mother’s Day and it was a huge success! Beautiful cake, there wasn’t a piece left after the party was over. Great recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I made this cake for Easter and my family of 7 inhaled it! Making it, again, today just because 😀
So glad you enjoyed it!
I love this cake, so tasty..have baked it many times. I find it a bit hit and miss…Sometimes even when baked much longer, the top is golden, but the base of the cake still seems slightly stodgy/uncooked. Sadly, I can only tell this once cake is cooled and removed from tin. I tried your other vanilla cake recipe, but prefer the taste & texture of this one when it works out. Do you think it might help to reduce amount of water in recipe? Also batter is so thin, it often runs out the bottom of my tins…even when tightly lined. I’d love to get this recipe more reliable….any helping appreciated.
I wish I knew exactly why it was hit and miss for people. I’ve never been able to recreate the issue to test it. I’m sorry! You could try reducing the water, but I do believe that would change the final texture of the cake a bit.
All components were good but the frosting never got thick enough..it ended up sliding around and the whole thing turned out to be a big mess..I cut it up and made a trifle..very disappointing since I spent my whole day trying to make this perfectly ..I also think there tablespoons of cornstarch in the berries is too much..I had to thin it with alot of water to make work..my husband said it tasted great as a trifle I think I picked too hot of a day to try and make whipped cream frosting.
Hi! This recipe looks delicious and I would like to try baking it. I am new to baking cakes, and was wondering if there was any way that I could convert this cake into a 2-layered, 9″ round baking pan cake. Should I use less fruit filling so that I can still have 2 layers of fruit filling? And if I don’t have a pipe thing for the top decorations, can I just leave it flat and add a few berries? Also wondering how I would have to adjust all of the ingredients… I could always use any remaining batter and frosting for cupcakes I suppose? Just asking for ideas and help please!
Thank you!
-Samantha
Yes you can make two 9 inch layers without adjusting ingredients, you would just need to increase the baking time. You may want to cut the filling in half since you only be able to get one layer of filling. And yes, you can decorate the top of the cake however you like. I hope you enjoy it!
Can you use fondant over this frosting?
I don’t really work with fondant at all these days, but I’m going to guess that whipped cream is going to be too soft to hold up well underneath it.
Unfortunately every single element of this recipe was a fail, even though I followed recipe to a t. The sponge was increadibly dense, almost raw like, eveb though I cooked it for nearly and hour, it was just not cooking through properly. Jam was ok though way too sweet and mascarpone cream icing was runny and never set. Eventualy I set it with gelatine overnight, so the cake looked ok, but the taste of the sponge was just wrong. Im not an experienced baker, so not sure what went wrong, perhaps more experienced bakers can use this recipe. I do not recommend it for someone like me, who needs to be instructed every step of a way
Hi, I’ve made this a few times….absolutely delicioys…..always receive many compliments on it. Thanks for the recipe. Could it be used to make cupcakes do you know?