For Cake:

Prepare 2 - 9"cake pans or 24 cupcakes for batter. Cream together butter, shortening and sugar in a large bowl for 3 minutes. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients and milk alternately into creamed mixture mixing until well blended. Stir in vanilla. In a separate bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into cake batter. Pour batter into desired cake pans or cupcake holders. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes for cake or 15-20 minutes for cupcakes. Remove from oven as soon as batter is set and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. You don't want to over bake this cake. Frost cake layers and top with fruit before adding next layer. Frost outside of layered cake and top with whole, fresh fruit to garnish. For cupcakes, make a hole with a decorating tip in the center and pipe cupcake with Mascarpone Frosting from the inside out. Pile the frosting high and top with fresh fruit of your choice.

For Frosting:

Mix together in a large bowl Mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla together. In a separate bowl beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold cream into Mascarpone mixture until well incorporated. Frost cake or cupcakes.