Fresh Berry Tiramisu Cake

Sponge cake
1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
6 large eggs
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Syrup
Zest of 2 lemons, peeled in strips with a peeler
Juice of 2 lemons (1/3 to 1/2 cup lemon juice)
2 whole cloves
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) sugar
3/4 cup (6 ounces) water
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) Grand Marnier or
orange juice

Filling
1 pound mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 cup (8 ounces) whipping cream
1/2 cup (2 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
2 quarts berries: raspberries, blueberries, straw-
berries or any combination you like

Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease, or
line with parchment, a 13 x 18-inch half-sheet
pan or two 9-inch square pans. Using two 9-inch
squares will give you slightly thicker cake layers
and one more pan to wash; using a half sheet
pan has some trim waste, but there’s less dish-
washing involved.

To make the cake: Whisk together the flour,
baking powder and salt, set aside. Combine the
eggs, sugar and almond extract in a large mixing
bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed
until thick and lemon-colored, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle one third of the dry ingredients over the
egg mixture, and fold them in with a whisk, taking
care not to deflate the batter. Repeat twice more
with the remaining dry ingredients, then pour the
batter into the prepared pan(s). If you’re using
two 9-inch square pans, divide the batter evenly
between them. Bake the cake in the preheated
oven for 20 minutes, or until the top springs back
when lightly touched with a finger. Remove the
cake from the oven and run a knife around the
edge of the pan while still warm. Place the cake
on a rack to cool completely before taking it out
of the pan.

To make the syrup: Combine all the syrup ingredients
and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally
until the sugar dissolves. Once the mixture is clear,
remove the syrup from the heat, strain it, and allow
it to cool to room temperature.

To make the filling: Place the mascarpone in a mixing
bowl, and stir in the orange zest. Add the whipping
cream a third at a time, stirring between additions
until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the confectioner’s
sugar.

To assemble: Flip the cooled cake out of its baking
pan or pans onto a piece of parchment paper. If you’ve
baked on parchment, peel the parchment off the back.
Pull the paper straight back, keeping it parallel to the
surface of the cake; this will discourage any bits of cake
from coming off with the paper. Slice the cake in half
down the middle, to make two roughly 9 by 13-inch
rectangles. Trim the rectangles to make 9-inch squares,
and set aside the excess to use for another purpose.
If you’ve used two 9-inch square pans, flip the cooled
cakes out of their pans and peel the parchment off the
bottoms. Place one of the 9-inch squares in the bottom
of a lightly greased 9-inch square pan. Using a pastry
brush, generously soak the cake with 1/2 cup of citrus
syrup. You’ll need to dab the syrup on, let it soak in for
a few minutes, then repeat the process. After the cake
has been soaked, place a single layer of berries over the
cake. Spread half the mascarpone filling over the berries,
then place the second square of cake on top. Soak this
layer of cake with syrup as you did the first. Spread the
remaining filling over the cake layer, then place the
rest of the berries in an attractive design on the top.
Refrigerate the cake for at least an hour before serving.
Yield: one 9-inch cake, 16 2-inch squares.