Lemon Berry Mascarpone Cake

This decadent Lemon Berry Mascarpone Cake is loaded with decadent berry and citrus flavours and drizzled with a simple lemon glaze!

The first thing that comes to mind when I see mascarpone is tiramisu, but there is so much more you can do with this special ingredient!

You can add it to pasta sauces, use it for cupcake or cake frosting, or even to make this delicious Lemon Mascarpone Cake! Loaded with citrus and berries, this mascarpone loaf cake is velvety, rich, and simple.

This cake is made with a few basic pantry ingredients, minimal hands-on time, and under 1 hour of baking. This delicious dessert is versatile too, it can be made with any type of berry that's available and in season.

Jump to:

• Ingredients and Variations
• How to Make Lemon Berry Mascarpone Cake
• Making Ahead and Storing
• Tips for the Best Mascarpone Cake
• Cake Problems and Solutions
• Other Cake Recipes
• Lemon Berry Mascarpone Cake

Ingredients and Variations

The Dry Ingredients - You will need flour (cake or all-purpose), baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon.

Ground cinnamon is optional but combines nicely with lemons and blueberries.

Mascarpone - For this cake, mascarpone will be used instead of butter (or vegetable oil) and gives the sponge a rich and velvety texture.

Thaw the mascarpone for 5-10 minutes at room temperature before using.

Lemon Juice and Zest - You'll need the zest of one lemon and fresh lemon juice. You'll also need some extra lemon juice for the glaze.

Sugar - Use granulated or caster sugar. You can adjust the amount of sugar to your liking.

Eggs - For binding and texture. You'll need 3 medium-sized eggs. Use room temperature eggs for this cake.

Berries - I love using blueberries for this cake, but other berries such as raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries or a mixture of these work great too.

You can use fresh or frozen berries. If using frozen berries, do not thaw them but add these directly to the batter.

For the optional glaze, you'll need powdered sugar (or icing sugar) and extra lemon juice.

How to Make Lemon Berry Mascarpone Cake

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 180°C (356F) and line a 9x4" loaf pan with parchment paper.

You can also use a silicone loaf pan.

Sift and mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon) and set aside.

Make the Batter

Place mascarpone and sugar in a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. You can also use a hand-held mixer.

Mix on medium speed until fluffy. Scrape any ingredients from the side of the bowl using a spatula.

Add lemon zest and vanilla extract, followed by the eggs (one by one), and mix well after each addition.

Add the lemon juice. At this point, the batter may curdle slightly - this is fine.

Add the dry ingredients in 2 additions and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.

Fold in the berries using a spatula.

Bake

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, top with extra berries if desired, and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes in the baking pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Glaze

Once the cake has cooled completely, drizzle with lemon glaze as desired.

To make glaze, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice into powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.

For a thicker glaze, add more powdered sugar. For a thinner glaze, add more lemon juice.

Note: The recipe yields enough to moderately glaze the mascarpone loaf cake. To glaze the cake completely, double the ingredients.

Making Ahead and Storing

This cake can be made ahead, cooled, covered, and stored (glazed or unglazed) in a refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Tips for the Best Mascarpone Cake

• When cutting out parchment/baking paper, make sure to cut out some extra length for the sides. This will make it easier to pull out the cake from the loaf tin once baked.
  
• Use room temperature flour and eggs. Thaw mascarpone at room temperature for 5-10 minutes.
  
• Use the freshest lemons, with lots of juice and bright, healthy-looking, thin skin.
  
• For accuracy and best results, weigh your ingredients using digital kitchen scales, and avoid using cups.
  
• Do not overmix the batter once you add the dry ingredients, as this will make your cake dense and tough.
  
• Do not open the oven unnecessarily when your cake is baking. Only open the oven briefly to check for doneness.
  
• Allow the cake to cool completely before glazing.

Cake Problems and Solutions

Cake Too Dense - Use the right amount of flour (I suggest weighing the flour using digital kitchen scales) and do not overmix the batter once you add the dry ingredients.

Sunken Cake - Cake is undercooked. This orange cake requires 40-50 minutes of baking time at 180°C (356F). Make sure to check for doneness by inserting a wooden skewer into the center. If the cake batter sticks to the skewer, it needs more baking time.

Cake Not Rising - Use the right amounts of baking powder. Make sure you are not using old, stale, or improperly stored baking powder. Try to bake the cake as you add the berries to the batter, and do not leave it to stand for too long before baking.

Other Cake Recipes

Orange Loaf Cake

Earl Grey Yogurt Cake

Eggless Lemon Pound Cake with Strawberry Glaze