Lemon Berry Mascarpone Cake With Lemon Buttercream Frosting

In the past, layer cakes were a bit intimidating to me. Frosting the cake and decorating it so that it looks beautiful had been something I thought should be left to the professional bakers.

However, after making a few different desserts for birthdays and holidays, I decided my baking skills had improved and I needed to get passed this fear of layer cakes! And I must say this cake recipe turned out delicious and beautiful!

Blueberries and lemon are a wonderful dessert combination. This cake has such a lovely lemon flavor and a perfect moist texture thanks to the mascarpone cheese. It's bursting with sweet juicy blueberries in every bite.

Add the sweet, tangy lemon buttercream frosting for a dessert that is worthy for a special occasion. This is the perfect spring time dessert for graduations or birthdays. Or "wow" Mom with a special homemade dessert for Mother's Day! Whatever the occasion, this dessert will definitely be the main attraction.

mascarpone cheese- mascarpone cheese is a creamy sweet tasting cheese originating in Italy. It can be found in your local grocery store with the specialty cheeses. It is sold in a tub style container.

lemon juice -you will need zest and fresh lemon juice for this recipe so buy lemons and do not used bottled juice.

blueberries- I use fresh blueberries, but you can use frozen if you prefer. Do not defrost the frozen berries, just add straight to the batter.

Mascarpone is a cheese that originated in Italy. It is made from just 2 ingredients, heavy cream and citric acid. The result is a smooth creamy cheese texture similar to cream cheese, but with a sweeter taste. Because of its texture and flavor it works well when added to baked goods similarly to sour cream or cream cheese.

The first step to making your cake is to grease, flour and line the round cake pans. I like to use butter to generously grease the pans but you can also use cooking spray. Then cut out parchment paper to fit the bottom of your pans. If you are new to baking, check out the step-by-step guide on how to grease a cake pan.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set the flour mixture aside.

Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to mix until smooth. Add the tablespoon of lemon juice along with the lemon zest. With the mixer on low, alternately add half of the flour and milk to the wet ingredients and repeat with the remaining flour and milk. Continue mixing until just combined, about 20-30 seconds. Remove the paddle attachment and use a spatula scrape the sides of the mixer bowl to make sure all of the flour is thoroughly combined. The cake batter will be slightly thick. Add the blueberries and use the spatula to carefully stir into the batter.

Divide batter into the two prepared pans. Place the cake pans in the preheated oven on the middle rack. Set the timer for 35 minutes so that you can check the cake a few minutes before the recommended baking time.

I always test my baked goods with a toothpick sooner than suggested because all oven temperatures vary. Insert the toothpick or a cake tester in the center of the cake. When removed look for the toothpick to be clean and free of any crumb. If it is not then continue baking and check every 2-3 minutes.

When the cake has cooled start the lemon buttercream frosting. This frosting is light and lemony with the perfect flavor from the lemon juice and lemon zest. Using a stand mixer or a hand held electric mixer with either a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the room temperature butter until smooth and creamy. Add a cup of the powder sugar along with the lemon juice and lemon zest and continue mixing on low speed. Add a half a cup of powdered sugar at a time while mixing until the frosting is a smooth consistency. You will need about 3 to 3 ½ cups of powdered sugar.

Use an icing spatula or offset spatula to spread the frosting on the cakes. If you do not own these tools, you can always use a regular spatula. I did for years until I added to my baking tools. Your cake may not look completely professional, but it will still taste amazing!

Add a generous amount of cake frosting to the center of one the first cake layer and spread the frosting out as evenly as possible. Remember we are stacking this so we want a good base. Next add the second cake layer. Add more frosting to the top of the cake and continue to smooth across the top and the edges of the cake. If you have a bench scraper, this will help make the side look very even. If you have not frosted a cake before check out this tutorial for complete instructions on how to crumb coat a cake and frost it perfectly. This will give you the best results for frosting a layer cake.

Once your cake is frosted, you can decorate the top of the cake with fresh berries, lemon slices and lemon twists. I like to do this right before I serve the cake so that it looks fresh.

The good news is that you do not have to find room in the refrigerator for this large cake. Cakes with a buttercream icing can sit at room temperature for up to 3 days.

If you want to store it longer, you can place it in the refrigerator uncovered just long enough for the icing to harden so that you can loosely wrap it with plastic wrap.

You can also freeze the cake unfrosted. Make sure that it has cooled completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil. Always label it and include the date. Freeze for up to 3 months.

• Always use room temperature ingredients. Cold eggs, butter and mascarpone will not mix together well. This will cause lumpy batter that will not give you the light and fluffy cake texture you are looking for.
• Use fresh squeezed lemon juice.
• If using frozen berries, do not thaw. Add the frozen blueberries to the batter.
• Cool the cake completely before adding the buttercream icing.

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