Recipe courtesy of Nicole Ward
White Vanilla Bean Cake with Balsamic Strawberry and Mascarpone Filling
- Level: Easy
- Yield: One 8-inch, 3-layer cake
- Total: 2 hr 20 min
- Active: 1 hr 20 min
Ingredients
Cake:
Nonstick spray
5 cups all-purpose flour
4 cups cake flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons fine salt
16 large egg whites, lightly beaten
4 cups sour cream
2 cups milk
6 tablespoons clear vanilla extract
Seeds from 2 vanilla beans
1 pound unsalted butter, softened
5 1/3 cups granulated sugar
Balsamic Strawberries and Mascarpone Filling:
1 pound fresh strawberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract
Buttercream Frosting:
1 pound unsalted butter, softened
2 cups shortening
2 pounds confectioners' sugar, sifted
4 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
Directions
Special equipment:
parchment paper; three 8-inch round cake pans- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch round pans with nonstick spray and line them with parchment paper. Spray the paper.
- Sift together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the egg whites, sour cream, milk, vanilla and vanilla bean seeds in another large bowl.
- Beat the butter and sugar with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Alternate beating in the flour mixture and the egg mixture, adding the flour mixture in 3 additions and the egg mixture in 2, starting and ending with the flour.
- Fill each cake pan with 2 1/2 cups of batter and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans for 15 minutes, then flip them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
- For the filling: Put the strawberries, granulated sugar, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook until it gets to a syrupy reduction, about 30 minutes.
- Cool completely.
- Beat the mascarpone in a medium bowl until smooth. Whip the heavy cream until light and fluffy in another bowl; just before it is finished, whip in the confectioners¿ sugar and vanillia extract. Fold in the strawberry mixture.
- For the frosting: Cream the butter and shortening until light and fluffy, then beat in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract.
- To assemble the cake: Put 1 cake layer on a cake board or platter. Spread half of the filling mixture on top. Repeat with another cake layer. Frost the cake with the buttercream frosting and serve.
Cook’s Note
None