The best Italian lemon olive oil cake of your dreams, dressed festively with layers of whipped mascarpone cheese, lemon curd, a honey lemon blueberry sauce and finished with juicy, fresh blackberries. Like a Tiramisu, but even better!
This Italian lemon olive oil cake is Everything and a bucket of organic blackberries!
Today I bring to you the first official cake recipe on Ciao Florentina. I don’t even know where to really start, because I am so excited about this you guys. I mean, yours truly excited about cake, is just never happens.
But today I have the real deal: lemony and berrylicious with a little bit of ricotta cheese in the mix of course, and a custardy pudding like lemon curd layer.
But what goes really well with lemon ?
Blueberries and blackberries. Oh my!
So I made a super quick honey blueberry sauce on the stove top, that is going to make your cake not just extra delicious but also add tons and tons of moisture.
Let’s talk whipped mascarpone filling. Basically the same exact formula I follow when making my Tiramisu cheesecake.
Hello beautiful: Lemon Olive Oil Cake!
Just imagine taking a bite out of fluffy layers loaded with whipped mascarpone, lemon curd and blueberry sauce. Then sprinkle sweet blackberries all over the place, pretending you are the foodie Picasso or something.
Oh wait, that’s me, I’m the foodie Picasso. Okay, more about that another time, because it is a long story and it’s the weekend and ain’t nobody got time for that!
Let me take you straight inside of this naked cake!
TaDa !!! Tell the truth: Can you even handle it ?
Look at those creamy layers! Excuse me a few minutes while I go take a big bite out of that.
I’ll let you know right now: this is not a vegan kind of cake.
Sorry friends, my brain can’t figure out how I could possibly pull this off as vegan….Not yet anyways, but stay tuned because I’m working on it and the future is vegan!
Tough It might seem like a very self involved recipe, it is really easy actually. There are a few simple steps that you can do in advance, like a day before you can:
- make the lemon curd
- make the blueberry sauce
- whip the mascarpone filling
Then the next day, just bake your cake, cool it off and dress it really nice with all the goodies, like it’s going places.
note: I used lemon thyme blossoms to garnish, you can use rosemary or even lavender.
If you aren’t in the mood for creamy lemony luscious layers and summer berries, you can still bake the cake on its own and serve it with just a sprinkling of powder sugar.
Variations on this Italian Lemon olive oil cake include:
- replace the blueberries and blackberries with fresh strawberries, raspberries or cherries
- cover with this blueberry glaze.
- go for these balsamic figs as a sauce and decorate with fresh figs
- finish with a chocolate glaze
- decorate with candied oranges and rosemary blossoms
Italian lemon olive oil cake of your dreams, dressed festively with layers of whipped mascarpone cheese, lemon curd, a honey blueberry sauce and finished with fresh blackberries.
- 1 c extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 c ricotta cheese
- 2 c all purpose flour
- 5 eggs organic pasture raised
- 1 1/4 c granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- Zest from 1 lemon
- A pinch of sea salt
- 1 lb blackberries
- 1/4 c edible flower blossoms
- 1/2 lb blueberries
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 2-3 tbsp wild honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 large egg yolks organic pasture raised
- 4 tbsp granulated sugar
- 3/4 lb mascarpone cheese
- 1.5 c whipped cream ( Stiff )
- zest from 1 lemon
- 1/2 c lemon juice freshly squeezed
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 5 large egg yolks organic pasture raised
- 1/2 c granulated sugar
- 5 tbsp butter cut into 5 pieces.
Start by adding the blueberries with the lemon juice, vanilla and honey to a small sauce pan. Bring to a simmer and cook for a couple of minutes, just until the blueberries burst. Remove from flame and adjust sweetness to your taste with more honey. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To make the lemon curd, prepare a double boiler with 2 inches of water in the bottom pan. Bring to gentle simmer.
Add the egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice to the top pan. Whisk together over the steam until combined well. Keep whisking for a few minutes until the curd has thickened and coats the back of a spoon. About 5 to 10 minutes or so. Turn off the flame and whisk in the butter until melted. Transfer the curd to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until cooled completely. It should be very thick at this point.
- Preheat your oven to 325"F.
- Prepare a 10 inch spring form pan by lightly buttering it with a dab of butter. Place on a baking sheet.
In the bowl of a mixer add the eggs, lemon zest and sugar and using the whisk attachment beat them together until well combined. A few minutes.
- Pour in the olive oil and continue whisking on medium low speed until all incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese and sea salt and whisk till combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and slowly mix or fold everything together until incorporated.
- Transfer the cake batter into the buttered spring form pan.
- Bake the olive oil cake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean.
- Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
Add the egg yolks and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Use a mixer with a whisk attachment to cream the sugars and egg yolks until fluffy and pale in color.
- Add the lemon zest and spoonfuls of the mascarpone cheese until incorporated.
Using a spatula fold the whipped cream (must be stiff) into the whipped mascarpone cheese until combined. Make sure to not over mix. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. It should not be runny, it should be thick and creamy.
Once cooled off, remove the cake from the spring form pan by releasing the sides first, then remove the bottom.
- Very carefully slice a thin layer off of the top to remove the top crust and expose the inside of the cake.
- Extra carefully slice the cake in half using a serrated knife.
- Place the bottom part on a plate or cake stand.
- Using a small spatula spread the chilled lemon curd on top of the olive oil cake.
Spoon half of the mascarpone filling on top, or as much as you feel comfortable working with. If it seems like too much for you, simply save some for later use. Then top it with half of the blueberries from the blueberry sauce and some of the fresh blackberries. Reserve as much of the liquid from the blueberry sauce as possible for the next layer.
Add the next olive oil cake layer and spoon all the remaining blueberries with the sauce on top. Add the remaining whipped mascarpone (or however much you feel comfortable working with) and with the back of a spoon or spatula rustically spread it over the top. Place the fresh blackberries all over the top, reserving some to decorate the sides of your olive oil cake.
- Garnish your lemon olive oil cake with edible flower blossoms and enjoy chilled.
- Make sure the whipped cream is Stiff not runny.
- If whipping your own cream, start with 1 cup of organic heavy whipping cream + 1 tbsp sugar. Whip with the whisk attachment until stiff, it should yield just about 2 cups of whipped cream.
You’ll Also Love:
Berry Tiramisu Trifle
Italian Tiramisu Cheesecake
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Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
June 6, 2016 at 2:32 pmThat gorgeous cake looks like a summer wedding! Seriously, one of the best looking cakes I have EVER seen!
Florentina
June 7, 2016 at 11:37 amI’m so happy you love it, and thank you so much, that is a true compliment. Hope you give it a go soon ~Florentina Xo’s
Krista
June 6, 2016 at 2:47 pmVery beautiful looking cake! I want to have a piece right now!
Amy Stafford
June 6, 2016 at 5:09 pmThis cake looks amazing! I had an olive oil cake in Italy and it was incredible. I need to try this out!
Florentina
June 7, 2016 at 11:36 amOh yes you must! I bet you’ll fall in love with olive oil cakes and even more, bake with olive oil more often.
Michelle De La Cerda
June 6, 2016 at 6:06 pmThis recipe looks divine! Your pictures are amazing too. They really make this cake scream “MUST HAVE!”
Florentina
June 7, 2016 at 11:35 amawww thanks Michelle, you made my day. I’m just learning how to take good photos, so happy you like them! ~Florentina
Jessica {Swanky Recipes}
June 6, 2016 at 9:05 pmOMG, this recipe sounds incredible. You had me at lemon and these berries and citrus with mascarpone has me wanting to make this right now!
Florentina
June 7, 2016 at 11:35 amHope you do, I mean what can be a better treat than lemon olive oil cake? 😉
carrie @ frugal foodie mama
June 7, 2016 at 6:27 amThis cake is absolutely beautiful!! <3 I just love the blackberry/lemon combo too.
Kate Hackworthy
June 7, 2016 at 6:45 amWhat a stunner!! Such a showstopping cake full of oozy amazingness. I love the sound of the sharp blackberries and lemon against the marscarpone.
Jolina - The Unlikely Baker
June 7, 2016 at 6:46 amWow. This cake looks fantastic and so delicious. And it has all my favourite things! Lemon, mascarpone, blackberries. And those thyme blossoms are adorable too! I’ve never baked a cake using olive oil before and this is definitely the cake to try that on. Will let you know how it goes!
Florentina
June 7, 2016 at 11:33 amThanks Jolina! Olive oil cakes are so special, I don’t even think I know how to bake anything good without olive oil and some ricotta in the mix. Let me know how it goes ~ Florentina
Matthew From Nomageddon
June 7, 2016 at 6:03 pmThis isn’t a cake! It’s a dream!
Sara | Life's Little Sweets
June 8, 2016 at 10:10 amI love this cake! It’s so beautiful with those lemon thyme flowers, now I have to grow some thyme, this is my kind of cake, it looks so delicious!
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy
June 8, 2016 at 11:20 amThat is such a beautiful looking cake! A real show stopper and something to serve up to impress guests.
Anne Murphy
June 8, 2016 at 1:09 pmHmm, I’ve never made a cake with olive oil, rather than butter! It looks and sounds almost like a rich sponge cake, would that be right? And then, of course all the fillings and such just are so lovely.
cindy gordon
June 8, 2016 at 1:47 pmI don’t even know where to start, but I’ll start with how amazing this recipe looks. Your pictures are simply stunning. Just like I could reach threw to the cake! Wow, delicious!
Nutmeg Nanny
June 10, 2016 at 8:07 amOk, this cake is GORG! Love all those fresh berries and of course LOVE mascarpone.
MariLou Conner
June 22, 2016 at 4:44 amI’m making this cake for my birthday, but I have one question–should I cook the blueberries until thickened like pie filling? We don’t have access to fresh blackberries here, so mine is going to be decorated with mango 🙂
Florentina
June 22, 2016 at 5:19 pmHi MariLou! You only need to cook the blueberries a few minutes until the pop and release their juice. They will form a nice syrup together with the honey, no need to cook them down. You want rustic textures all through your cake. The mango sounds really good too, make sure to send me a pic of your olive oil cake with mango. I’d love to see it ~ Florentina
Joyce
June 23, 2016 at 1:17 pmI see no ricotta cheese anywhere in the recipe ingredients but you do refer to it in #6 of the directions. I’m dying to try this cake but am afraid I’m missing something. Also, #11 refers to the whipped ricotta filling. Did you mean mascarpone cheese? Can ricotta be substituted? Thanks for your response. It looks like an awesome cake!!
Joyce
Joyce
June 23, 2016 at 1:25 pmOh Florentina!! Please forgive me! I found the ricotta cheese. I’m so sorry to bother you about this. Now, on to baking this gorgeous cake!
Joyce
Florentina
June 23, 2016 at 7:31 pmHi Joyce, no worries, I was just checking for errors and I see the Ricotta cheese is the second ingredient. It goes in the olive oil cake batter. And Yes, it is a whipped mascarpone filling, I hope you love it as much as we did ~ Florentina
Sangita
July 3, 2016 at 7:34 pmThank you so much for this recipe. I made it today and it was super hit. I will for sure try again.
Florentina
July 3, 2016 at 10:02 pmHi Sangita, I am so happy to hear the cake was a Hit! Happy Dance haha! Definitely our favorite cake as well!~ Florentina
Leslie
July 4, 2016 at 11:36 amI have to make this, it’s stunning! I have lemon love oil (Roland citron oil), do you think using a little of it will intensify the lemon flavor or be just too much? Thank you
Florentina
July 5, 2016 at 8:48 pmHi Leslie, you can definitely use a little bit of it, just don’t replace the entire amount of olive oil in the recipe with it. Maybe about 2 tablespoons or so, depending on how strong it is. I would taste it first. I’d love to hear how it goes, please report back 🙂 ~ Florentina
kris z
August 6, 2016 at 6:18 pmi have a question on this step: Using a spatula fold the whipped cream into the whipped mascarpone cheese until combine. Make sure to not over mix. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
is the whipped cream whipped or just poured out of the carton? i can’t find anywhere it says to whip it but i wanted to make sure. thanks! i want to try this asap but i am waiting to make sure i have this step correct. also, if you make this part ahead, you just cover it and leave it in the refrigerator overnight!
Florentina
August 7, 2016 at 1:16 pmHi Kris, you will need Whipped Cream so heavy cream that is already whipped. I hope that answered your question. If you make this part ahead then yes, cover tightly with plastic wrap until ready to assemble your cake. Let me know how you liked it 🙂 ~ Florentina
Katie Jo
August 11, 2016 at 12:15 pmI am so excited to make this. Am I supposed to make whipped cream use whipping cream or am I buying whipped cream pre-made? Please advise.
I’m so happy I found this recipe!!
Florentina
August 11, 2016 at 12:50 pmThanks Katie, you can use whatever you have. I usually whip my own cream with 1 tbsp of sugar. But you can just use pre-made whipped cream too. Your call! Let me know how you love the olive oil cake ~ Florentina Xo’s
Susan
August 12, 2016 at 7:39 amI was searching for a special cake for my mother-in-law’s birthday….THIS IS IT! I can’t wait to put this together this weekend! Thank you for posting it, Florentina!
Florentina
August 12, 2016 at 10:19 amI’m so excited to see how it turns out! Enjoy!
Susan
August 14, 2016 at 3:43 pmThe cake was a huge hit! My mother in law was very happy to receive such a beautiful cake. Thanks again for sharing!
Florentina
August 15, 2016 at 10:23 pmI’m so doing the happy dance over here! My favorite cake ever too, nothing beats making cake with olive oil and mascarpone cheese hehe
Kevin | Keviniscooking
August 24, 2016 at 12:26 pmThis looks insanely delicious!
Florentina
August 24, 2016 at 1:31 pmThanks Kevin, It really was the best cake of all time. Hope you give it a go 🙂
Jeff
September 3, 2016 at 5:46 pmWow, what a gorgeous cake!
Ashleigh
October 15, 2016 at 7:33 amThis cake is absolutely delicious!! Stunning cake to look at and my family was impressed with all of the different layers of flavor. I even used a GF flour blend to make it Celiac friendly and the texture was great.
I did have a little trouble getting the mascarpone filling thick enough, it ended up runny. Any suggestions??
Florentina
October 15, 2016 at 1:58 pmHi Ashley, so happy to hear everyone loved the cake. I suspect your whipped cream was not whipped enough. Sometimes If the cream or even the whisk is not cold enough it really won’t whip well. Which then in turn will make your mascarpone filling lose, since mascarpone cheese is super thick to start with. So i would definitely suggest to use already whipped cream or make sure the cream and wish are very cold. Then gently mix it with the msacarpone. ~ Florentina
Summer
November 13, 2016 at 5:30 pmSo… I found this on Pinterest and thought” wow what a gorgeous cake ” seriously, gorgeous . I tried to find a review on how it tasted . I didn’t browse all the way through but didn’t see any, so I made the cake …. here is a review on how it tastes ……….
BEST CAKE EVER !!!!! Delish . The cake is perfect (although I didn’t realize I was out of vanilla so I used almond extract , highly suggest you try that. It was awesome ) absolutely perfect . And for the record the lemon curd is delish by itself and I have now saved it for my lemon meringue pies . Holds up perfectly !
Florentina
November 13, 2016 at 6:19 pmHi Summer! So happy you love the cake. It is my favorite cake ever too 🙂
Almond extract sounds fabulous, I’m going to update the recipe and add that as an option. Thank you for taking the time to write a lovely comment ~ Florentina
Gina
November 16, 2016 at 9:44 amCiao!
I was scrolling thru your cookie recipes and this stopped me dead in my tracks. Insanely gorgeous cake! Love how you decorated it too.. I don’t think I can wait until summer to try this … Being Italian and having been to Italy I truly appreciate your page and the authenticity with which your recipes are made… can’t wait to make it! Grazie mille!
Florentina
November 16, 2016 at 12:33 pmawww thank you so much Gina! You made my day! We make this during the holidays as well so definitely no need to wait until summer Xo’s ~Florentina
Karina Fuerte
November 16, 2016 at 12:55 pmI am excited to make this cake this weekend. I have a question. The recipe calls for 1/3 c ricotta cheese. I saw a post about the some sort of confusion. Does this recipe call for the 1/3 c ricotta cheese at all? If not, is 1/3 c mascarpone used instead? Also, I don’t have an electronic whisk for the lemon curd. Can I just use my hand mixer or a manual whisk? Thank you
Florentina
November 16, 2016 at 2:56 pmHi Karina, there is 1/3 c of ricotta cheese in the cake batter. The mascarpone cheese is for the filling only. The recipe doesn’t call for an electronic whisk. You will need a regular hand held whisk to make the lemon curd over a double boiler, so you should be fine. Also you can make the cake batter by hand, but you will need a mixer to whip the mascarpone filling. I hope that makes sense 🙂 ~ Florentina
Karina
November 20, 2016 at 4:48 pmI made this cake yesterday. OMG!!!!! This cake right here is by far the BEST cake I have ever tasted…. This cake has everything that I love and obsess about (lemon curd and blueberries). I will for sure be making this in my near future.. Thank you for such an amazing recipe. 🙂
Florentina
November 21, 2016 at 5:58 pmI’m so excited! Thanks for taking the time to let me know how it turned out! Xo’s ~Florentina
Emilia
November 18, 2016 at 12:47 pmWhen I baked the cake in a 10 in round pan, the cake was only about 1-1/2 inches thick. Then slice it into half’s. Was yours this thin? If not what did I do wrong? Thanks! Love the recipe!
Florentina
November 18, 2016 at 2:49 pmHi Emilia, mine wasn’t quite that thin so I suspect maybe the baking powder you use was not performing the best.So happy you loved the cake 🙂
vicki
November 22, 2016 at 11:29 amLooks amazing. Do you know the carb count?
Lins
November 22, 2016 at 9:11 pmThis is beautiful. I’m planning to make it tomorrow for thanksgiving and a baker friend I showed the recipe to is doing the same…. I’m planning to substitute raspberries though…
I have just one question… is the lemon curd only between the 2 cake layers or does it go on the top as well?
Thanks!
Lins
November 22, 2016 at 9:15 pmAlso.. I don’t own a springform pan so I had intended to use 2 9-inch rounds… should I also trim the bottom off the round I’m using for the top? I’m assuming yes since I want the yummy sauce/filling to soak in?
Florentina
November 23, 2016 at 11:46 amYes I would still lightly trim it so it soaks up that sauce 🙂 Enjoy!
Florentina
November 23, 2016 at 11:45 amHi Lins, yes you are correct, the lemon curd is only in one layer 🙂
Mihaela
November 27, 2016 at 11:20 amThis cake looks amazing!
Stephhy
December 20, 2016 at 5:20 pmOh my goodness!!!! You should enter this beautiful, beautiful work of art in one of those $1,000,000 recipe contests.
Thanks so much for posting this.
Florentina
December 28, 2016 at 2:21 pmHa! Thanks Stephhy, I could sure use $1,000,000 right now! Let’s do it! ~Florentina
Cristal Solis
January 4, 2017 at 7:52 pmHello! I have the cake baking in the oven as I type this message 😉 I have a question-in the directions it says use a spoonful of the mascarpone cheese when the recipe calls for 1 lb. the whole 1lb is used for the filling correct?
Thank you and I will send you a picture when it’s finished!! So excited to make this!!
Florentina
January 5, 2017 at 1:37 pmYes you are correct Cristal, you just need to add the mascarpone by the spoonful to mix it in 🙂 Hope you love the cake! ~Florentina
Cristal Solis
January 5, 2017 at 3:42 pmThank you for this great recipe! I had so much fun making this cake and would like to make it again 🙂
Florentina
January 5, 2017 at 4:41 pmOh I’m so happy to hear Cristal! Hands down our most favorite cake ever!
D. Patt
January 29, 2017 at 10:31 amSuch a stunning cake. I do have a concern about the Mascarpone cream. It calls for 4 egg yolks. Could there be a concern since you are not heating the yolks? Hope to get a reply soon.
Florentina
January 30, 2017 at 12:15 pmThanks Patt. Using the raw egg yolks is a traditional thing for us, just like we do when making Tiramisu. It isn’t any different than eating sushi, however I strongly encourage you to use fresh, organic and free eggs from free range grass fed chickens. If you are concerned you can leave them out. Let me know how it goes 🙂
Krista
February 4, 2017 at 3:27 pmI am going to make this for my mother in laws birthday! She will love it. I really really hate ricotta cheese, any substitutes?!
Thank you!
Krista
Florentina
February 4, 2017 at 6:32 pmHaha, you know the ricotta here is added to the batter to make it extra moist. You could get away with using a little bit less, but I wouldn’t leave it out. I promise, you won’t even be able to taste the actual cheese. Let me know how it goes 🙂
Janine
February 12, 2017 at 5:23 pmThis cake was AMAZING!!!!! I made it for my Mom/Sister-in-law’s birthday, and it was perfect!! I did use a gluten free flour mix (Bobs Red Mill was what i had on hand, just be sure to sift before mixing it in!) and it worked perfectly!!! I had no thyme flowers to decorate with so I zested a lemon and lime on to the top of the cake with the blackberries.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!!!
Florentina
February 13, 2017 at 9:42 amI’m so happy Janine! Wow, I’ll have to try it gluten free next time. I love seeing tiny specs of lemon and lime zest on desserts. You can also use any edible flowers to decorate as well, for Christmas last year I used orchids 🙂
Lisa
February 21, 2017 at 5:52 amI think I know the answer to this now. But you do mean two cups whipped cream for the filling not 2 cups cream then whipped? I did the latter and have 2 cups extra filling even after being very generous with it. Plus my filling doesn’t have mascarpone flavor. The cake is otherwise delicious and soo moist.
Florentina
February 21, 2017 at 10:48 pmHi Lisa, you are correct, 2 cups of whipped cream, so cream that is already whipped 😉 So glad you loved the cake! Xo’s ~ Florentina
Andi McLeymore
March 3, 2017 at 4:40 amIs the whipped cream heavy whipping cream???
Florentina
March 5, 2017 at 2:58 pmIt is heavy whipping cream that is already whipped, so whipped cream, the fluffy stuff 🙂
Andi
March 4, 2017 at 5:26 pmHeavy whipping cream or cool whip???
Florentina
March 5, 2017 at 2:51 pmWhipped Cream, you can make it yourself by whipping about 3/4 c of heavy cream.
Deanna
March 13, 2017 at 5:20 pmHi there! This looks not only beautiful, but very delicious! I’m having an Italian night at my house and wanted to make this cake for dessert. My only concern is I am pregnant and worried about the raw eggs in the mascarpone and lemon curd. Do you know if this is safe or not to eat while pregnant?
Florentina
March 13, 2017 at 7:19 pmHi Deanna, I would say leave them out If you are worried. I am not a medical doctor so i can’t give advice, in your case better safe than sorry rule 🙂
Rebecca Blackwell
March 22, 2017 at 7:47 amWow, wow, wow! Every single picture makes me want to try this cake more than the last. What a delicious looking combination of flavors and textures! Can’t wait to try this!
Florentina
March 23, 2017 at 12:06 pmThanks so much Rebecca, i hope you give it a try one beautiful spring day 🙂 ~ Florentina
Alexandria
March 29, 2017 at 10:12 amJust made the cake using your recipe this Monday. Thank you for sharing! You made it simple to execute. Mine was not as beautiful but it was delightful to eat 🙂 🙂 Have gotten many compliments and shared this recipe to a couple folks who asked. Looking forward to trying more from your collection!
Florentina
March 31, 2017 at 4:12 pmWoohoo! That is so exciting to hear! Try using a little less mascarpone filling next time, it will be much easier to work with 😉
Angela
April 7, 2017 at 10:32 pmHello,
I want to make this cake, but will
Need to transport it to an office for a celebration. Should I just make it as directed and place in fridge overnight? Would it hold up?
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
Florentina
April 8, 2017 at 7:49 pmHi Angela, you can definitely make it the night before, just make sure to wrap it gently in plastic wrap. If you plan to decorate with the thyme blossoms, orchids or any edible flowers, just garnish with those the day of the event so they look at their prime. Enjoy! ~ Florentina
Samantha
April 10, 2017 at 12:08 pmThis was a hit at my Bunco party and I’ll be making it again for Easter! Even bought a domed cake stand to display this beauty! Now, mine looked a bit of a hot mess, but indeed was delicious! The whipped mascarpone looked more yellow than white, but again, was delicious. Thanks for the easy-to-follow directions for those of us who aren’t pros! This was my first layer cake and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Florentina
April 11, 2017 at 12:51 pmWoohoo Samantha! I’m si happy you loved the cake! Try refrigerating the filling for a little bit next time before assembling the cake, or use less of the mascarpone filling. Also make sure the cake is cooled completely. It will be easier to assemble and not so messy. However, this is a rustic style cake so looks are not essential ~ Florentina Xo’s
CALLE
April 11, 2017 at 5:52 pmWhat do I do if don’t have a double boiler? – Calle
Florentina
April 12, 2017 at 4:40 pmHi Calle, you can improvise one, simply use a sauce pan with water in the bottom, then place another sauce on top making sure it doesn’t touch the water. Make your lemon curd 🙂
Mariana
April 13, 2017 at 11:21 amMade this cake for my dad’s birthday – it was a HUGE hit. Wouldn’t change a thing about it, highly recommend everyone make it. It didn’t really take very long (despite having so many steps – they are not super time consuming). It’s also very well balanced – not super lemony and not super sweet. I made one addition – I didn’t have the thyme flowers but added little basil leaves throughout. Although it’s not AS pretty as the thyme, it added a really nice freshness to it. Mint could work as well, but the Basil was lovely.
One question – how did you put the layers together? My middle layers squished out so it didn’t look so well put together as yours. I have some ideas as to how to tackle the next time I make it but would love to hear how you went about it.
Florentina
April 16, 2017 at 12:41 pmHi Mariana, I’m so happy your dad loved the cake, Happy Birthday! The secret to getting the layers to stay together is making sure the filling is chilled and thick, including the lemon curd. Use less mascarpone if you feel it might be a little too much next time. Then refrigerate for a couple of hours for everything to kind of glue together. To make things easier you can place the Ring from a Spring Form pan around the cake stand/platter, assemble your layers, refrigerate then remove the cake ring gently before serving. Let me know If that works better for you ~ Florentina Xo’s
Janet
April 13, 2017 at 7:42 pmHi! I made this beautiful cake for my dad’s 80th birthday! It was so delicious and *almost beautiful* …. The cream was overly abundant and it was oozing all over the place and the layers of the cake were sliding around! It didn’t matter, because it still tasted amizingly flavorful, everyone loved it, and the huge mess made the celebration more entertaining. I’d like to try again, and wonder if you could please tell me what I did wrong… pretty sure I measured exactly as instructed.
Thank you so much for this exquisite recipe!
Florentina
April 16, 2017 at 12:38 pmHi Janet! So happy you loved the cake. Sounds like the whipped cream was not as stiff as it should have been, or maybe the mascarpone filling not chilled enough. Depending on the room temperature where you are assembling the cake that might effect the textures. Same goes for the lemon curd, better to cook it a little longer to get it thicker than to have it runny. Was the cake cooled off completely before assembling ? If not, that could also make the filling loosen up. My advice would be #1 Make sure everything is cooled off/ refrigerated before putting the final cake together. #2 Try using less mascarpone filling next time and that will make it easier for you to work with. In my experience If the mascarpone is chilled and stiff as it should be, you can have a pretty thick layer in between as it will hold well. Also important to refrigerate the cake after assembling and before serving for at least a couple of hours. Hope that helps 🙂
Chasity
April 16, 2017 at 8:23 amFollowed the directions to the letter, but my cake ran each layer that topped in the cake. Made for Easter, my only choice was to put in a triffel bowl to salvage it. Tasted good, but did not hold up.
Florentina
April 16, 2017 at 12:44 pmHi Chasity, sounds like the whipped cream wasn’t stiff enough, which i return made the mascarpone filling kind of runny. I would suggest making sure you use very stiff whipped cream that you fold into the mascarpone and refrigerate for about an hour or so. This filling should be thick and creamy and hold together well. Also make sure the lemon curd is also thick and chilled. Do not attempt to assemble your cake until cooled off completely. If your cake is still even a little warm, it will cause the filling to become runny. Alternatively, you can definitely assemble this into a large trifle dish and enjoy with a spoon 🙂 ~Florentina Xo’s
Sarah
April 25, 2017 at 12:45 pmWOW!!! What a beautiful cake- it was the highlight of my dinner party. Thanks for such a wonderful recipe, it’s definitely in my top cakes of all time, wouldn’t change a thing.
Florentina
April 26, 2017 at 3:07 pmI’m sooooo excited about this! Thanks for reporting back Xo’s ~ Florentina
Carmen
May 11, 2017 at 12:24 pmThis has now become my favorite cake of all time! I made it last week as a tasting option for my italian clients and they loved it. I will now make it again for my mother for mother’s day.
Followed to a T and the recipe and cake turned out just like yours.
thanks again!
Florentina
May 11, 2017 at 2:22 pmThanks Carmen, you made my day! So happy everyone loved the cake ~Florentina Xo’s
Dee
May 24, 2017 at 8:38 pmHello! I’m looking forward to making this cake but wanted to know where you got your thyme blossoms? I’m not sure where to find edible flowers but I love the way they look. Thanks!
Florentina
May 27, 2017 at 6:15 pmHi Dee! I grow my own herbs so I use whatever blossoms are available at that time. I would try your local farmers market or just start growing some herb son your window sill 🙂
Susan Gardner
May 28, 2017 at 7:49 pmDon’t I have to worry about the egg yolks? They will be raw in the cheese mixture right?
Florentina
May 29, 2017 at 1:52 pmIf you are worried about the raw egg yolks just leave them out. I’ve been doing this all my life but only use organic free range eggs.
Hailey
June 5, 2017 at 6:24 pmIs it alright if I use two 9” pans instead of the spring form pan?
Florentina
June 7, 2017 at 1:23 pmIt should be fine Hailey, just adjust for the cooking time. You’ll need to keep an eye on it and test it sooner, not sure exactly how long it would take since I haven’t made it that way.
Linda Vallecorsa
June 6, 2017 at 4:52 pmTotally going out on a limb here. I’m making this recipe in cupcake form for a dessert bar at my granddaughters graduation. Her request! I think if I top the cupcake with the lemon curd and pipe a decorative dam with marscopone whipped cream then add the blueberry sauce in the center topping off with 1 blackberry, blueberries an a slice of candied lemon peel on top… any suggestions? I’ll try to get back to you with the results.. I’m excited to do this! Thank you for this beautiful recipe!
Florentina
June 7, 2017 at 1:22 pmHi Linda, that sounds really interesting and exciting! I would totally go for it! Just make sure you chill the mascarpone filling well before adding it to the cupcakes and that your whipped cream is beaten stiff before mixing it in with the mascarpone.
Breanna
August 4, 2017 at 12:50 pmHow did it go?! I’m dying to try in cupcake form too!
Savannah
June 16, 2017 at 7:26 amI searched high and low for mascarpone in my town with no luck. Any suggestions for a substitution? I was thinking a lemon whipped cream?
Florentina
June 17, 2017 at 3:37 pmUse a regular cream cheese instead, the whipped cream alone won’t hold things together.
Kate
June 22, 2017 at 11:07 amI just made this cake last night for a coworker’s birthday today, and it was a huge hit! So beautiful! There are a few components, but all of them come together quickly and easily. The cake itself is PERFECT! I will definitely make this cake again!
Florentina
June 22, 2017 at 12:06 pmWoohoo! This makes me so happy to hear Kate! Thank you for taking the time to come back with your report, have a great rest of the week! ~ Florentina Xo’s
PearlGirl55
June 29, 2017 at 4:55 amThis cake is SUBLIME! Gorgeous (well, in the picture, although not mine) and so delicious. We loved it that it is not super sweet. The lemon flavor is just right, and complements the berries so well. The mascarpone filling is decadent. I found elder flowers for the decoration, very delicate and pretty, but mine did not look like the picture. 🙁 I am an experienced baker, and I was very careful to make sure the lemon curd and mascarpone were stiff, but against my better judgement I tried to use too much of the fillings, and the mascarpone especially sagged badly – cake wreck! I still had lots of filling (all 3) left over. All delicious, so not a problem, but I would recommend that you do not try to use more than half of each. I will make this cake again for a special occasion. It is definitely a celebration cake.
Liza Butera
August 15, 2017 at 10:13 amHi Florentina!
I have to say that when I saw this gorgeous cake I just HAD to make it for hubby’s birthday this past weekend. I ran into the same problem with the mascarpone fillings someone else did. I did make sure my whipped cream was stiff (in a chilled bowl) after I made it, but my mascarpone was not super thick in the containers I purchased. It was too runny to apply a lot of the cream to the cake. Are there better brands of mascarpone to buy?
Otherwise, the cake turned out beautiful. After being in the refrigerator all night it held together better as well. Next time I make it should I leave it in overnight before serving?
Many thanks!
Liza
Florentina
August 15, 2017 at 9:39 pmHi Liza, I’m so glad you love the cake and sorry for the mascarpone troubles. The fact that the brand you purchased wasn’t super thick is a concern as mascarpone cheese should be thick like a regular cream cheese. I usually grab some from Trader Joe’s here in California and it is always smooth and thick. If you can’t find a different brand I’d probably still give this cake a go with regular cream cheese. Keep me posted 🙂 ~ Florentina!
Carmen
October 14, 2017 at 9:58 amHi, when you say a cup of olive oil, do you mean a liquid cup? As in, 8 ounces Or a cup for dry measuring, like we would use to measure the flour????
Florentina
October 22, 2017 at 1:00 pmI use whichever cup I have handy and even measured by pouring the olive oil from the liquid to the dry cup version and it is exactly the same for me.
M. Gowan
November 20, 2017 at 3:10 pmCan’t wait to make this cake for Thanksgiving. I have a few questions. Should I assemble this cake day of or is make ahead ok…I want to do whatever makes it taste best.
Also we are traveling about 2 hours, will this cake be a mess by the time I get there?? I can possibly assemble when I get there.
Thanks for your help
Florentina
November 20, 2017 at 9:26 pmThe cake tastes great If you assemble it before as all the flavors get to mingle and make magic. However, If you plan to travel and might have a bumpy ride I’d probably wait to assemble it there. I wouldn’t want you having to carry the cake on your lap for 2 hours hahaha. Keep everything chilled and make sure to refrigerate it for about an hour before serving. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!
Amy
December 24, 2017 at 8:44 amThe nutritional information says a serving size is 1g; is that accurate? Is that roughly a sixth or eight of the cake? Thank you!
Florentina
December 24, 2017 at 11:36 amHi Amy, that is an error in the recipe plugin The serving size is meant to be 1 slice. I’ll reach out to the developer to correct that. Thank you, Happy Holidays!
Karina
January 9, 2018 at 5:24 amThis cake was fantastic and the recipe is a keeper! That said, I have a few recommendations. First, the cake does rise and I got a good sized mound at the top. I didn’t really want to trim off all that mound, so I only trimmed a little. I inverted the top half of the cake onto a dish with a bit of a well in it, and I used the bottom half of the cake (cut side up) for the top of the cake. This enabled me to have a flat cake, which is really important because assembly is TRICKY!
ASSEMBLY: I am an experienced and confident cake maker, and this cake almost caused me to panic when I followed directions exactly. The whipped cream and berries slid out from the middle layer as soon as I put the top layer on, overflowing beyond my cake plate. It looked a mess. (But it cleaned up OK and still tasted great!) Next time I will put the metal cake ring back on the cake while I assemble the layers and then refrigerate it for at least several hours. Then take the cake out and finalize by placing some blackberries into the edge of the middle layer. BTW, the cake looks and tastes even better on the second day, so don’t worry about assembling it early! Also, lemon curd was so yummy, if I didn’t go the route of using the cake ring for assembly, I’d consider doubling the lemon curd and using only lemon curd and blueberry sauce for the filling and saving the mascarpone for just the top.
Florentina
January 14, 2018 at 1:57 pmTHANK YOU, SO HAPPY YOU LOVED IT 🙂
Alexis
January 14, 2018 at 4:58 amIf I make my own 1.5 cup whipped cream with the recipe you provided at the bottom, I would just fold that in to what I have already in my mixing bowl correct? I bought frozen cool whip last time to fold into the mascarpone filling and it didn’t turn out well at all! I assumed stuff meant frozen which obviously wasn’t the case! Lol
Florentina
January 14, 2018 at 1:53 pmOh yes, just make sure your whipped cream is stiff and chilled 🙂
Karina
March 2, 2018 at 9:19 amI am SO excited! I made this cake a couple months ago for a dinner party, and I am about to make it again, this time for as a birthday cake for me and a couple friends! YUM, YUM, YUM!! This is one of the best cake recipes ever!
chantal
March 25, 2018 at 1:38 pmA great tasting cake that was a birthday hit! mine was not as pretty… but it being March in Canada, the fresh berries and flowers are limited. I made the blueberry sauce with the blackberries since they were not very sweet, I also made the mascarpone without the raw egg yolks and it was fine; I diluted the cheese with some un-whipped cream prior to folding in whipped cream. The curd layer is indeed slippery and I did make the mistake of assembling it before travelling to my destination and had to reconfigure it a bit after. Will make it again when berries are actually in season! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
)eannie
March 26, 2018 at 3:07 pmIs this regular olive oil or light olive oil? I know sometimes using regular extra virgin olive oil can leave a distinctive taste. Making this for my daughter’s birthday. Thanks!
Florentina
March 27, 2018 at 7:39 pmExtra virgin olive oil but If you mind the flavor just use extra light olive oil.
)eannie
April 25, 2018 at 12:30 pmMaking this beautiful cake for the second time and found a great way to assemble it and keep it all together. After it cooled I put the bottom slice back i side the same springform pan which was rested on a cake stand. I then put it all together with the fillings, after completion I let it sit in the refridgerator for several hours. When it eas ready to serve I gently pulled the springform pan ring up to reveal the cake. I placed more blackberries between the layer. It held up perfectly and once again…this cake is delicious. Thank you for this recipe!
Village Bakery
May 23, 2018 at 11:15 amThanks so much for this recipe, Florentina! I made it for Mother’s Day and it was great!
Ben
June 16, 2018 at 6:08 amThis cake looks so good. I’ve just finished making the blueberries and lemon curd and will do the cake and mascarpone tomorrow morning for father’s day here I the UK. Definitely the most intricate cake I’ve made and I can’t wait to taste it
Kyle
June 18, 2018 at 4:40 pmStumbled on this recipe by chance and made it yesterday. A lot of work but it was incredible! I used King Arthur gluten free flour which worked well. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Gennesis
July 31, 2018 at 7:52 pmThis cake looks absolutely gorgeous and delicious! I have a quick question though, can I substitute the blackberries for raspberries?
Florentina
August 8, 2018 at 10:22 amyes you can 🙂
Makenna
October 7, 2018 at 12:40 pmI made this last week for a neighborhood Italian dinner and it was unbelievably delicious and looked amazing too! Definitely recommend if you are looking for a showstopper in both taste and appearance. Thank you for a fabulous recipe!
Karen
February 18, 2019 at 8:27 pmThank you so much for this great recipe. I made this last night to celebrate a friend’s birthday and got rave reviews. I’m not a baker but I loved this recipe because although there were a lot of steps, each step was easy. I prepared everything a day in advance and assembled it just before serving. I was wondering how much in advance you think it could be assembled? It’s not only a beautiful cake but it was so delicious.
Florentina
February 27, 2019 at 10:30 amSo happy you loved it Karen, I’m working on the vegan alternative for this cake and I’m super excited myself. To answer your questions, I wouldn’t assemble it more than a day in advance. Enjoy!
Kitty
April 7, 2019 at 10:09 amFor the blueberry sauce… when it says 1/2 lemon juiced… does that mean the juice from half a lemon or 1/2 cup of lemon juice?
Florentina
April 12, 2019 at 12:40 pmthe juice from 1/2 lemon 🙂