Raspberry & Mascarpone Layer Cake

Ingredients

• 335 g margarine
• 335 g caster sugar
• 6 eggs
• 335 g self raising flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 345 g mascarpone
• 375 g icing sugar
• 375 g double cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 100 g raspberries
• Meringue kisses
• 25 g raspberries

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 170ºC (fan assisted 190ºC non fan) and line three 20cm loose bottomed sandwich tins. Set aside

2. 2

   Cream the butter and sugar together for at least 5 minutes until pale and fluffy

3. 3

   Add one egg at a time, mixing before adding the next

4. 4

   Add the flour, baking powder and vanilla extract and mix until everything is fully incorporated

5. 5

   Divide evenly between the three tins and smooth the top using a spatula. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until a cocktail stick comes out clean when inserted into the cake

6. 6

   Allow to cool slightly in the tins before cooling completely on a wire rack

7. 7

   Once the cakes are cooled, make the frosting. Using a whisk attachment, add the mascarpone and icing sugar to the bowl and whisk until combined

8. 8

   Add the double cream and vanilla bean paste and whisk for 1-2 minutes until the frosting has thickened and become fluffy. Do not over whisk

9. 9

   In a separate bowl, crush the raspberries with a fork. Add two large spoonfuls of the mascarpone frosting (approximately 150g) and mix together

10. 10

    Level each of the cakes with either a cake wire or a bread knife so that the top of each is completely flat

11. 11

    Take the first cake and turn it over so what was the bottom is facing up. Place it on the plate/cake board

12. 12

    Spoon the mascarpone frosting into a large piping bag and the raspberry mascarpone into another

13. 13

    Cut a hole in the bottom of the piping bag at least 1cm wide. Starting from the outside of the cake, pipe around the outside of cake creating two circles of frosting

14. 14

    Do the same with the raspberry mascarpone icing to fill in the centre of the cake and then spread to flatten with a small pallet knife

15. 15

    Add the next cake layer on top and repeat the same process with the icing

16. 16

    Add the final layer of cake on top of the others and crumb coat the cake. This is covering the whole cake in a thin layer of frosting which locks in the crumbs. Make sure you scrape off your pallet knife in the bowl with the remaining frosting in. You will still see the cake through the crumb coat

17. 17

    Put the cake in the fridge for 20 minutes to set

18. 18

    Remove the cake from the fridge and using the remaining frosting, cover the cake and smooth using a pallet knife

19. 19

    You should have some raspberry mascarpone remaining, using your pallet knife, dot this around the cake and smooth again using your pallet knife

20. 20

    Decorate the cake with meringue kisses and raspberries – or however you prefer