I love baking this summer cake, as summer berries are one of my favourite things in the world. Yes, I know you can get them all year round in the supermarket, flown in from exotic places around the world, but nothing compares to locally grown produce. Fresh and sweet and juicy, just perfect.

The two different kind of sponge, the creamy mascarpone and the boozy berries combine into one seriously delicious cake and it is really easy to make and to assemble.

Here is what you need:

250g soft unsalted butter
250g white sugar
5 eggs
250g flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch of salt
5 drops of vanilla essence
1 tablespoon cocoa

300ml whipping cream
250g mascarpone
2 sachets or 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar

Approx. 750-800g summer fruit (I used a mix of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)
1 sachet or 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
1 shot glass Chambord (raspberry liqueur) – optional

Also one, or even better two 20cm round cake tins.

Preheat your oven to 180°C.

Cream the butter with the sugar in a bowl with a hand mixer and add one egg after the other and beat thoroughly before adding the next. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and stir it into the butter/sugar/egg mix. Divide into two equal parts in separate bowls and add vanilla essence to one and the cocoa to the other bowl.

Fill the mixtures into the two cake tins (or do one after the other) and bake in the pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes. Take the sponge out of the tin and leave to cool on a rack. Once they have both cooled down, use a serrated knife to cut the cake into two layers.

While the cake is baking, you can prepare the filling. Keep some nice looking berries to one side for decoration, then put the rest (I cut up the strawberries) in a bowl with the vanilla sugar and raspberry liqueur and leave for 30 minutes. Don’t let them soak any longer as the berries get to mushy.In another bowl hip the cream and fold in the mascarpone and vanilla sugar.

To assemble the cake use one of the vanilla sponges as a base, spread a quarter of the mascarpone cream on it and a third of the boozy berries. Cover with a chocolate sponge and repeat, then again a vanilla sponge, cream & berries and finally a chocolate sponge. Cover with the last quarter of mascarpone cream and some fresh berries.

And that’s it. I told you it is easy.
Of course you can just use vanilla sponge and fresh strawberries. It is also delicious with tinned peaches in the winter. Or use chocolate sponge and Kirsch-soaked cherries for a quick Schwarzwälder Kirsch Cake.

Enjoy!