• 1¾ cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated white sugar
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk (or substitute by putting 1 tbsp white vinegar in a cup then filling the rest up with milk; let stand 5 minutes until thickened)
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup hot coffee (or 2 tsp instant coffee in 1 cup boiling water)

Ingrediens for mascarpone frosting:

• 500ml double cream
• 250g mascarpone cheese
• 5-6 tablespoons icing sugar
• 500g strawberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 8-inch baking pans  (or line with parchment paper circles) and set aside.

In the large bowl of a standing mixer, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla extract and beat until smooth (about 3 minutes). Remove bowl from mixer and stir in hot coffee with a rubber spatula. Batter will be very runny.

Pour batter evenly between the three pans and bake for about 25 minutes, until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached.

Allow to cool 15 minutes in pans, then run a butter knife around the edges of each cake. Place a wire cooling rack over top of each pan. Wearing oven mitts, use both hands to hold the racks in place while flipping the cakes over onto the racks. Set the racks down and gently thump on the bottom of the pans until the cakes release. Cool completely before handling or frosting.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk heavy cream until stiff peaks form (be careful not to overbeat, or cream will be grainy). In another bowl, whisk together mascarpone and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Gently fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture until completely incorporated.

Layer the cakes with the mascarpone frosting (you can also add a strawberries in each layer) and cover entire layered cake with a frosting and strawberries. 

 

 

Tagged: frosting, mascarpone cheese, strawberries