In pastry school, I had a practical exam to bake this lemon berry mascarpone cake. It was a simple, elegant recipe that was easy and quick to bake, since there wasn’t much time in class! I took home leftovers, and my family loved it so much that, of course, I had to recreate it.
This cake is all about fresh, bright flavors with minimal effort. It’s a single-layer moist lemon cake, making it much easier to assemble than my raspberry-filled lemon cake.
Just spread on the ultra-fluffy mascarpone frosting, pile on sweet macerated berries, and you’re done—in less than an hour!
Every year for Mother’s Day, my mom requests this cake, it’s a tie favorite to my lemon cupcakes with raspberry filling!
Let’s Make It!
1
Make the lemon sugar. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar to release the natural oils in the lemon for the most lemon flavor!
2
Mix the butter into the dry ingredients. This is called the reverse creaming method, which I learned in pastry school! Like in my better than bakery lemon loaf, it results in a super moist and tender texture.
3
Mix in the wet ingredients until just combined. You don’t want to overmix the cake batter, or it will have a more dense texture.
4
Bake the cake! For best results, use a metal 8×8 baking pan. Glass or ceramic pans do not conduct heat the same way as metal pans, and you could end up with a cake that’s set around the edges but still raw in the center.
If you’re loving lemon desserts and have more time on your hands, my fluffy lemon sweet rolls are my favorite! They’re basically lemon cinnamon rolls!
5
Make the mascarpone frosting. Do not over-mix, or the cream will look clumpy and curdled!
6
Decorate the cake! Spoon the mascarpone frosting over the top to the edges of the cake. Then, spoon the macerated strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries on top.
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments; I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you’re there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Lemon Berry Mascarpone Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Lemon Cake
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon zest
- 1 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp cake flour, *see notes for measuring!*
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 5 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed, room temperature
- 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 whole egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mascarpone Frosting
- 4 ounces mascarpone cheese, cold
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
For the Mixed Berries
- 1 cup fresh blackberries
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh strawberries
- 2/3 cup fresh raspberries
- 1 tablespoon strawberry, blackberry, or raspberry jam
Instructions
- Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C.
- In a stand mixing bowl, combine the lemon zest and sugar by rubbing it together with your fingers. Then add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix until combined.1 1/2 cups (180 g) granulated sugar, 2 tbsp fresh lemon zest, 1 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp (180 g) cake flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Add the cubed butter and mix on low speed until it looks like sand.5 1/2 tablespoons (77 g) unsalted butter, cubed
- Then mix in the oil, egg, milk, sour cream, and vanilla extract until just combined.1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (65 g) canola oil, 1 (50 g) whole egg, 1/2 cup (113 g) whole milk, 1/2 cup (113 g) sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 23-26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let it cool completely on a wire rack while you make the frosting.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the cold mascarpone with the powdered sugar until combined. Then add the cold whipping cream, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Whisk on low speed until combined, then increase the speed to medium and beat until stiff peaks form. Do not overmix or the frosting will look clumpy and curdled.4 ounces (4 oz) mascarpone cheese, 1/2 cup (65 g) powdered sugar, 1/2 cup (100 g) heavy whipping cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Gently combine the chopped strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and jam in a medium bowl.1 cup fresh blackberries, 3/4 cup (98 g) chopped fresh strawberries, 2/3 cup (85 g) fresh raspberries, 1 tablespoon (20 g) strawberry, blackberry, or raspberry jam
- Spoon the frosting over the top of the cooled cake to the edges, then add the berries on top. If you plan on serving it later, I recommend leaving the berries until right before serving. Otherwise the berry juice will spread into the frosting and it won't look as pretty.
Notes
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below & tag @cambreabakes on social!The calorie information provided for the recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.
This recipe turned out really well. I wonder if it would taste even better with the addition of fruit to the batter. I will be trying this out.
So glad it turned out well! Adding fruit to the batter sounds like a delicious idea, can’t wait to hear how it turns out if you give it a try!
how would I substitute the cake flour in this recipe for regular AP flour?
Hi Hirra, this recipe is really only meant to be used with cake flour because of the mixing method. Using all-purpose flour can lead to a very tough and dense texture.