Name: Goat Cheese & Fig Cake w/Fig Mascarpone
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Yield: 810 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring); 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 stick unsalted butter, softened; 1 cup sugar; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 2 large eggs; 1 cup well-shaken buttermilk; 1/2 cup Fino (dry) Sherry; 1/2 cup sugar; 4 cups mixed berries, cut if large; 8 ounces mascarpone (1 cup); 1 cup chilled heavy cream; 1/4 cup sugar; Confectioners sugar

Authoradmin

RatingDifficultyAdvanced

This light-as-can-be buttermilk cake has an easy sophistication, its Sherry-spiked berries harmonizing with the tangy cream.

Yields810 Servings

Prep Time45 minsCook Time2 hrsTotal Time2 hrs 45 mins

For cake:

2 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 cup well-shaken buttermilk

For berries:

1/2 cup Fino (dry) Sherry

1/2 cup sugar

4 cups mixed berries, cut if large

For cream:

8 ounces mascarpone (1 cup)

1 cup chilled heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar

Garnish:

Confectioners sugar

Make 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 butter parchment.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer 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 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 eliminate air bubbles.

Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake to loosen, then invert onto a plate. Discard paper and reinvert cake onto rack to cool completely.

Macerate berries:

Bring Sherry and sugar to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Put berries in a bowl and pour hot syrup over them, gently tossing to coat. Let stand 15 minutes.

Make cream and assemble cake:

Beat mascarpone and cream with sugar in a large bowl using cleaned beaters until mixture just holds stiff peaks.

Halve cake horizontally with a long serrated knife. Carefully remove top half and reserve. Put bottom half on a plate, then spread evenly with all of cream and replace top half. Serve with berries.

CategoryCakesCuisineItalianCooking MethodBaking

Ingredients