MASCARPONE-FILLED CAKE WITH SHERRIED BERRIES

MASCARPONE-FILLED CAKE WITH SHERRIED BERRIES image

Yield 8 to 12 people

Number Of Ingredients 18

for cake:
2 cups sifted cake flour (not self rising)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
for berries:
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups mixed berries
for cream:
8 oz mascarpone (1 cup)
1 cup chilled heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
Garnish: confectioners sugar

Steps:

Cake: Preheat oven to 350 F with rack in middle. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan, (2 inches deep). Line bottom with a round of parchment paper, then putter the parchment. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar with electric mixter until pale and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. With mixer at low speed beat in the , beat in buttermilk until just combined. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing after each addition until just combined. Spread batter in cake pan, smoothing top. Rap pan on counter several times to elimanate air bubbles. Bake until golden and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake to loosen, then invert onto plate. Discard paper adn reinvert cake onto rack to cool completely. Macerate berries: Bring sherry and sugar to a boil in small saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Put berries in a bowl and pour hot syrup over them, gently tossing to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes. Make Cream and Assemble Cake: Beat mascarpone and cream with sugar in large bowl using cleaned beaters until mixture is smooth and holds stiff peaks. Halve cake horixonally with serrated knife. Carefully remove the top half and reserve. Put bottom half a plate, then spread evenly with all of the cream and replace top half. Sprinkle powdered sugar over top and serve with berries..