Ladies love flowers. I love them, too, although I would not say I am a real lady. But, you know, I had some cake around… it wanted the flowers so bad I gave the to it. Yep, I kinda killed my bouquet for women’s day, it was just the right thing to do.

What I am talking about here is a fluffy, creamy dreamy cake with fresh strawberries. A sponge cake layer is soaked with thinned strawbery jam and a thick mascarpone and strawberry cream layer covers the moist dough.

To give this beauty a special outward appearance, put a ring of ladyfingers around it and tie with ribbon. Top with fresh flowers. As this season everything is going to be about pastel colours, I these light pink ones were perfect. So cute!

Strawberry Mascarpone Cake

(for round 10´´ pan; 12 servings)

sponge cake:

2 eggs
100g (1/2 cup) brown sugar
100g (1 cup – 1 tbsp) flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt

2 tbsp strawberry jam
1 tbsp water

cream:

200 ml (4/5 cup) heavy cream
250 g (8 oz.) mascarpone
3 tbsp powdered sugar
300 g (10 oz.) fresh strawberries

decoration:

mini marshmallows
fresh flowers
240 g (8 oz.) ladyfingers

Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Cream eggs, vanilla and sugar on high speed for about 1 minute. You should be able to see lots of bubbles in the batter. Add dry ingredients and incorporate them. Oil a round 26 cm (10´´) pan and bake for about 10 minutes until a toothpicker comes out clean.

In a small bowl, combine strawberry jam and water. Stir with a whisk until the mixture is almost homogenous. Spread it all over the sponge cake with a teaspoon. This will make the cake moist.

Beat the heavy cream in a bowl on high speed until stiff. Beat in mascarpone on low speed. Add powdered sugar and incorporate shortly.
Wash strawberries and cut into small cubes. Carefully stir the fruit pieces into the cream.

Put a cake ring aroung the sponge layer and pour the cream on top. Smooth it down. Let sit for about 1 hour, then remove the ring carefully and decorate.

Now do what is good for you and have a bite.