Mascarpone-Filled Cake With Sherried Berries

Directions

1. 1.

   Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan (2 inches deep). Line bottom with a round of parchment paper, then butter parchment.

2. 2.

   Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. 3.

   Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. With mixer at low speed, beat in buttermilk until just combined. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing after each addition until just combined.

4. 4.

   Spread batter in cake pan, smoothing top. Rap pan on counter several times to eliminate air bubbles.

5. 5.

   Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake to loosen, then invert onto a plate. Discard paper and reinvert cake onto rack to cool completely.

6. 6.

   Bring Sherry and sugar to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Put berries in a bowl and pour hot syrup over them, gently tossing to coat. Let stand 15 minutes.

7. 7.

   Beat mascarpone and cream with sugar in a large bowl using cleaned beaters until mixture just holds stiff peaks.

8. 8.

   Halve cake horizontally with a long serrated knife. Carefully remove top half and reserve. Put bottom half on a plate, then spread evenly with all of cream and replace top half. Serve with berries.