Gooseberry jam, muscat & mascarpone cake
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Gooseberry jam, muscat & mascarpone cake

By Diana Henry

Impress guests with this stunning muscat and mascarpone cake, made with a luxurious gooseberry jam centre. This grown-up dessert is perfect for afternoon tea

  • Prep:25 mins
    Cook:30 mins
    plus cooling
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 740
  • fat 45g
  • saturates 24g
  • carbs 71g
  • sugars 51g
  • fibre 1g
  • protein 11g
  • salt 0.8g

Ingredients

  • 215g butter, at room temperature, plus extra for the tins
  • 285g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • ½ lemon, zested
  • 250g self-raising flour
  • 150g ground almonds
  • 165g plain yogurt
  • 3 medium eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
  • 200g mascarpone
  • 150ml double cream
  • 2 tbsp muscat dessert wine
  • 2-3 tbsp icing sugar, to taste, plus extra to serve
  • 250g gooseberry jam
  • edible flowers or lightly toasted flaked almonds, to serve

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and butter two 23cm cake tins, then line with baking parchment. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy using an electric whisk, then beat in the almond extract and the lemon zest. Mix the flour, almonds and a pinch of salt together in another bowl. With the whisk on a low speed, gradually add the yogurt and eggs to the bowl with the butter and sugar mixture, alternating with spoonfuls of the flour and almond mixture until everything is fully combined.

  2. Scrape the batter into the prepared tins, dividing it evenly. Bake for 30 mins until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave the cakes in the tin to cool for 5 mins, then turn them out onto a wire rack, peel away the parchment and leave to cool completely.

  3. Meanwhile, make the filling. Whisk the mascarpone, cream, wine and icing sugar together using an electric whisk for 2-3 mins until you have soft peaks. 

  4. Put one of the cooled cakes on a serving plate. Carefully spread over the jam (it’s easy to break the sponge so be gentle), then gently spread the mascarpone cream on top of the jam. Put the second sponge on top. Sift over some icing sugar and decorate with edible flowers, if you like. White or cream flowers are lovely on this, but if you can’t find them, go for a single colour. Alternatively, sprinkle over some lightly toasted flaked almonds before sifting over the extra icing sugar.

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