How about an easy peasy cake with mascarpone cream, fruit layer, berries, and cookie crunch? If you ask anyone around here the answer would always be “Yes!” or “Why am I still waiting for my slice of cake?” ;) As soon as I am done with a cake here, when all pictures are taken, someone is waiting with a plate and requesting something to munch. Happened here too, of course. Luckily I used less sugar than usual in this recipe so I can also enjoy a slice. Clever, right? ;P
This cake here has partially been made with “recycled” ingredients – something you will not notice just looking at it. I had some fresh and frozen fruits, berries, and some slightly dry cookies from other recipes that I did not want to go to waste. You could call it “recycling deluxe” when the result is a delicious cake like this one here ;)
The topic of recycling & food waste has already been addressed in a post here some time ago. Together with my collab partner PENNY, I created some delicious bakes for their current loyalty points program* – great recipes that can help fight food waste. You probably know that from your own experience already… sometimes you buy stuff to eat and for some reason you end up with leftovers. Instead of simply throwing them away, in most cases you can use the leftovers and make a new dish or pastry.
The recipe for this simple cake with mascarpone cream is the perfect example to use leftover food and recycle it in a way. I used leftover fruits and berries (somewhat fresh and frozen) like plums, blueberries, raspberries, etc. to create a delicious compote which ended up in the cake as a fruity layer underneath the mascarpone cream. In the cream, I also included some leftovers as well – several days-old cookies that were quite dry already. I don’t like dry cookies that much, but they are perfectly fine to use in a cream filling even if they were laying around for several days ;)
All of the “recycling” recipes coming to the blog within the next several weeks are all suitable for the baking pans you can get as a reward for the PENNY loyalty points program*. They got five different baking pans, all made from 100% recycled aluminum cans (excluding the non-stick coating). There’s also a handy mixing bowl and oven mitts – all made from recycled materials as well. For a full booklet with 60 loyalty points (you get one point for every 5 euros you spent in the supermarket), you can then take one of the pans home with you for a small additional payment (you save over 80% compared to the price without loyalty points).
+ the baking pans are all made with 100%* recycled aluminum cans (*excl. non-stick coating).
+ the mixing bowl has a minimum of 50% recycled material
+ the oven glove is made of at least 40% recycled cotton
+ the packaging of the products is made with FSC-certified recycled paper
I know it’s not really “berries time” in Germany right now, so you can just decorate the cake with the cookies. Whenever they are back in season here I would use them, of course. Mine here are leftover berries from another recipe I made the day before… so the berries here are also “recycled” you could say. You should never let anything go to waste ;P
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
1/2 cup (120g) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
3 medium eggs
1 tsp. vanilla paste
1 1/4 cups (160g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 pinch of salt
5 tbsp. milk
For the compote:
10.6 oz. (300g) fruits & berries (fresh or frozen)
0.7 oz. (20g) cornstarch
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla paste
1/4 cup (50ml) water
For the cream:
17.6 oz. (500g) mascarpone
9 oz. (250g) cream quark (curd cheese)
4 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
4 tbsp. lemon juice
1.8 oz. (50g) cookies (e.g. chocolate chip cookies), chopped
fresh berries and/or chopped cookies for decoration
120g weiche Butter
100g Zucker
3 Eier (M)
1 TL Vanille Paste
160g Mehl (Type 405)
2 TL Backpulver
1 Prise Salz
5 EL Milch
Für die Fruchtschicht:
300g Früchte & Beeren (frisch oder TK-Ware aufgetaut)
20g Speisestärke
2 EL Zucker
1/2 TL Vanille Paste
50ml Wasser
Für die Creme:
500g Mascarpone
250g Sahnequark
4 EL Puderzucker
4 EL Zitronensaft
50g Cookies (z.B. Chocolate Chip Cookies), gehackt
frische Beeren und/oder gehackte Cookies für die Dekoration
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
2. Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl and mix until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well after each addition. Add the vanilla paste and stir in. Mix the flour with baking powder and salt, then add to the bowl along with the milk and mix just until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth it out the top and bake for about 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan.
3. While the cake is baking, you can prepare the compote. To do this, cut fresh fruit into small pieces, defrost frozen fruits and then place in a small saucepan. Heat gently while stirring constantly. Mix the cornstarch with sugar, vanilla paste, and water, then add to the pot. Bring everything to a boil once and then let simmer until the fruits/berries have softened and the liquid has thickened nicely. Remove from heat and allow to cool down completely.
4. Mix the mascarpone, cream quark (curd cheese), confectioners’ sugar, and lemon juice until well combined. Fold in the chopped cookies and set aside.
5. Place the cake layer in a cake ring on a serving plate and tighten the ring. Spread the cooled compote on top of the cake, leaving a border of about 1 inch (2,5cm) free. Carefully spread the cream mixture over the fruit mixture and cover the entire cake with it. Smooth out the surface and place the cake in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
6. Decorate with fresh berries and chopped cookies before serving.
2. Butter und Zucker in einer großen Schüssel hell und luftig aufschlagen. Die Eier einzeln dazugeben und jeweils gut unterrühren. Vanille Paste dazugeben und unterrühren. Mehl mit Backpulver und Salz vermischen, dann zusammen mit der Milch in die Schüssel dazugeben und alles nur kurz verrühren. Den Teig in die vorbereitete Form füllen, glatt streichen und dann für etwa 16-18 Minuten backen. Aus dem Ofen holen und in der Form abkühlen lassen.
3. Während der Kuchen backt, kann man schon die Fruchtschicht zubereiten. Dazu frische Früchte in kleine Stücke schneiden, TK-Obst antauen lassen und dann in einen kleinen Topf geben. Unter ständigem rühren vorsichtig erhitzen. Speisestärke mit Zucker, Vanille Paste und Wasser verrühren, dann zum Topf dazugeben, einmal aufkochen lassen und dann so lange köcheln lassen, bis die Früchte und Beeren weich geworden sind und die Flüssigkeit schön angedickt hat. Vom Herd ziehen und komplett abkühlen lassen.
4. Mascarpone, Sahnequark, Puderzucker und Zitronensaft verrühren. Die gehackten Cookies unterheben. Zur Seite stellen.
5. Die Kuchenschicht in einen Tortenring setzen und den Ring festziehen, dann die abgekühlte Fruchtmasse auf den Kuchen geben – dabei einen etwa 2,5cm breiten Rand frei lassen. Die Creme Masse vorsichtig auf der Fruchtmasse verteilen und den kompletten Kuchen damit bedecken. Oberfläche glatt streichen und dann mindestens 2 Stunden in den Kühlschrank stellen.
6. Vor dem Servieren mit frischen Beeren und gehackten Cookies dekorieren.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Easy Mascarpone Cake with Leftover Fruit & Cookie Crunch
- Prep Time: 00:45
- Cook Time: 00:20
- Total Time: 04:00
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This cake is easy to prepare and extremely delicious – made with leftover fruits, berries, and cookies. So good!
Ingredients
For the cake layer:
1/2 cup (120g) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
3 medium eggs
1 tsp. vanilla paste
1 1/4 cups (160g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 pinch of salt
5 tbsp. milk
For the compote:
10.6 oz. (300g) fruits & berries (fresh or frozen)
0.7 oz. (20g) cornstarch
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla paste
1/4 cup (50ml) water
For the cream:
17.6 oz. (500g) mascarpone
9 oz. (250g) cream quark (curd cheese)
4 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
4 tbsp. lemon juice
1.8 oz. (50g) cookies (e.g. chocolate chip cookies), chopped
fresh berries and/or chopped cookies for decoration
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease a large round baking pan (Ø 10 inches / 26cm) and set aside.
2. Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl and mix until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well after each addition. Add the vanilla paste and stir in. Mix the flour with baking powder and salt, then add to the bowl along with the milk and mix just until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth it out the top and bake for about 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan.
3. While the cake is baking, you can prepare the compote. To do this, cut fresh fruit into small pieces, defrost frozen fruits and then place in a small saucepan. Heat gently while stirring constantly. Mix the cornstarch with sugar, vanilla paste and water, then add to the pot. Bring everything to a boil once and then let simmer until the fruits/berries have softened and the liquid has thickened nicely. Remove from heat and allow to cool down completely.
4. Mix the mascarpone, cream quark (curd cheese), confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice until well combined. Fold in the chopped cookies and set aside.
5. Place the cake layer in a cake ring on a serving plate and tighten the ring. Spread the cooled compote on top of the cake, leaving a border of about 1 inch (2,5cm) free. Carefully spread the cream mixture over the fruit mixture and cover the entire cake with it. Smooth out the surface and place the cake in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
6. Decorate with fresh berries and chopped cookies before serving.
Notes
Enjoy baking!
*I have partnered with PENNY Markt GmbH (Domstraße 20, 50668 Köln) to bring you this delicious recipe. That’s why I have to declare this here in Germany as Advertising. All I wrote in this article is still based on my own opinion and has not been affected by anybody.
Re-generation™ is a trademark of TCC Global N.V.
I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
