Description
A tender vanilla cake layered with dreamy mascarpone frosting and fresh berries. This homemade take on the classic New Orleans Gentilly cake is special enough to make everyone ask for the recipe.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Vanilla Cake
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup shortening
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspooon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 5 egg whites
Mascarpone Frosting
- 12 ounces Mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Filling and Garnish
- About 3 cups of fresh fruit, your choice. Berries work well.
Instructions
For Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare two 9-inch cake pans or three 8-inch pans; coat them with butter or shortening, then dust them with all-purpose flour.
- Cream together butter, shortening, and sugar in a large bowl on medium speed for 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula after each minute.
- For dry ingredients, sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate medium bowl.
- Add dry ingredients and milk alternately into the creamed mixture, mixing until well blended
- Stir in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, beat room temperature egg whites until stiff peaks form. You can do this either by hand with a whisk or with a whisk attachment on a stand mixer.
- Fold the eggs into the cake batter slowly and carefully, so as not to flatten the egg whites.
- Pour batter into cake pans.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven as soon as the batter is set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Keep your eye on it as it bakes because you don't want to overbake this cake.
- Cool the layers completely on a wire rack before frosting. This step is important - a warm cake will melt your mascarpone frosting right off.
For Frosting:
- Mix together in a large bowl Mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, beat heavy cream on medium-high speed until it holds a stiff peak.
- Fold the whipped cream into the Mascarpone mixture until well incorporated.
- Frost cake with an offset spatula, layering fresh fruit in between and on top of the cake.
Assemble the cake
- Place the first cake layer on your serving plate and spread a generous layer of mascarpone frosting on top.
- Add a layer of fruit over the frosting, then set the second cake layer on top.
- If using two layers, frost the outside of the cake and pile the remaining berries on top. If using three layers, spread frosting and fruit over the second layer just like the first, then place the third cake layer on top.
- Frost the entire outside of the cake and pile the remaining fresh fruit on top.
- Refrigerate for one hour before serving. It is well worth the wait!
Notes
- Whisking room-temperature egg whites makes them whip faster, trapping more air and resulting in greater volume.
- Do not skip chilling the assembled cake before serving. Once the cake is fully frosted and decorated, cover it loosely and refrigerate for at least one hour. This gives the mascarpone frosting time to firm up just enough so that every slice cuts cleanly and holds its shape.
- Slicing the cake with a serrated knife may help to get a cleaner cut.
- You can be as creative with this cake or cupcakes as you want. It's not only delicious but also appetizing to the eye.
- Do not overbeat the frosting, or it can become grainy.
- Make the cake layers a day ahead and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Store them at room temperature overnight. This actually improves the cake's texture and makes assembly day much easier and less stressful.
- The mascarpone frosting can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Just give it a quick beat before using it.
- Substitute or add to the berries with other fresh fruits, such as kiwis and peaches.
- The fresh berries on top are the crowning glory of this cake. It's your chance to be creative! Arrange them however you like - neat and organized or piled on in a gorgeous, abundant heap. Either way, it is going to be beautiful.
