1. Start with the strawberry-raspberry filling. Mix the cornstarch with about half of the water and set aside. Wash and dry the strawberries and raspberries. Remove the green leaves from the raspberries and cut them into small dice. Add half of the diced strawberries and all the raspberries to a large saucepan, as well as the remaining water, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Use an immersion blender and mix to get a smooth berry sauce. Next, heat up and bring that mixture to a boil. Let the mix simmer over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. Next, add the cornstarch mixture and stir it in until the berry mixture starts to thicken. Let the mixture bubble for another 2 minutes so you get a pretty thick berry custard. Remove from the heat and let cool down for a moment, then add the remaining strawberries and mix in. Place a piece of plastic wrap right on top of the berry custard to prevent a skin from forming and let it cool down completely. You can do this step a day ahead of time.

2. Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Grease four 20cm round silicone baking molds* lightly and set them aside.

3. Divide the eggs – add the egg whites with a pinch of salt to the bowl of a kitchen machine and whisk until slightly foamy. Slowly add half of the sugar (100g) while mixing constantly. Once the sugar is added completely, continue mixing on high for another 2 minutes or so until the mixture is thick and glossy.

4. In a separate bowl mix the egg yolks with the remaining sugar (100g) and vanilla extract until light and fluffy – takes about 2-3 minutes. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Sift it in several batches into the bowl and fold it in with a rubber spatula. Next, add the whisked egg whites in several batches as well and fold in carefully. It’s fine to mix a bit more vigorous at the beginning to loosen up the batter, but most of the whisked egg whites should be folded in carefully to keep as much volume as possible. Divide the batter evenly between the silicone molds and bake the cake layers for 20-23 minutes – switch the positions of the baking molds half way throught the baking time. Take the cake layers out of the oven, flip them in the silicone molds onto wire racks. Remove the molds carefully when everything has cooled down a bit.

5. For the mascarpone cream add the mascarpone, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract to a large bowl and mix until well combined. Add the heavy cream and start mixing slowly, then increase the speed and mix everything until stiff peaks form – this can take 2-3 minutes. Fill the cream into a large piping bag with a star tip and set aside.

6. To assemble the cake place a cake layer on a serving plate. Pipe a small amount of the mascarpone cream on the cake layer and spread it evenly with an angled cake spatula*, for example. Next, pipe a border with the cream around the edges of the cake. Spoon a good amount of the strawberry-raspberry filling onto the cake and spread it evenly – you want an even layer with the cream border you piped before. Place a cake layer on top and press it down a bit. Repeat the process with cream, filling and the remaining cake layers. When you have added the last cake layer, coat the whole cake with mascarpone cream. You don’t have to work super clean – the cake will be covered with sliced almonds anyway. Keep enough cream to decorate the cake with little swirls.

7. Press the toasted sliced almonds onto the cake along the sides. This works best when you hold the cake over a bowl or plate to catch sliced almonds falling down. Decorate the cake with the remaining mascarpone cream and fresh fruit to your liking. Keep the cake in the fridge until ready to serve.