Berry Cream Cake

Total Time: 4 hrs Preparation Time: 3 hrs Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 4 cups mixed berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, not strawberries)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, for greasing pans
• 2 cups blanched almonds, whole (10 oz.)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 cups mascarpone (2 pkg. 8 3/4 oz)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest, finely grated
• 3 cups heavy cream, well chilled
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Recipe

• 1 make berry sauce: bring all sauce ingredients just to a boil in a 1 1/2 to 2 quart heavy saucepan over high heat, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.
• 2 transfer to a shallow bowl and cool to romm temperature stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
• 3 chill, covered, until cold about two hours.
• 4 make almond layers:.
• 5 put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 350°f.
• 6 butter cake pans and line bottom of each with a round of parchment or was paper, then butter paper.
• 7 pulse almonds with 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor until finely ground.
• 8 beat together eggs and remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until pale, fluffy, and tripled in volume, about 6-8 minutes.
• 9 beat in vanilla and salt until combined well.
• 10 stir together ground almonds and melted butter (1 1/4 sticks).
• 11 fold one third of egg mixture into almond mixture to lighten, then fold in remainder, gently but thoroughly.
• 12 divide batter among pans (batter should be about 1/2 inch deep).
• 13 put 2 pans in lower third of oven and 1 pan in upper third (do not put directly above lower pans).
• 14 bake, switching position of pans (from lower to upper and vice versa) halfway through baking, until a golden crust forms on top and cake begins to pull away from sides of pans ( cake will rise, them collapse slightly) 18 to 25 minutes total.
• 15 cool in pans on racks 10 minutes, then run a small knife around edge of each pan and carefully invert onto racks.
• 16 cool completely about 15 minutes.
• 17 carefully peel off parchment.
• 18 make mascarpone cream.
• 19 stir together all mascarpone cream ingredients with a rubber spatula until smooth.
• 20 chill, covered.
• 21 assemble cake.
• 22 center 1 almond layer on cake plate.
• 23 spoon 1/2 cup berry sauce onto center of layer. spread evenly, leaving a 1/2 inch border around edge of cake.
• 24 spoon 3/4 cup mascarpone cream on top of berry sauce layer and smooth top (berry sauce will swirl into mascarpone cream).
• 25 repeat procedure with remaining almond layers, berry sauce, and mascarpone cream, ending with mascarpone cream ( for a total of three layers).
• 26 chill cake while making frosting.
• 27 frost cake.
• 28 beat cream with sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl using an electric mixer with cleaned beater at high speed until it just hold stiff peaks.
• 29 frost cake with whipped cream smoothing top and sides (there will be generous amount) then chill, uncovered, 1 hour.
• 30 just before serving, sift cocoa powder over top of cake using a sieve.
• 31 cook's notes: almond layer can be made ahead and cooled completely, then wrapped well in plastic wrap and chilled 3 days or frozen up to 1 month.
• 32 frosted cake can be made 1 day ahead (without cocoa powder) and chilled covered loosely with plastic wrap.