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Looking for a cake filling that delivers big, bright strawberry flavor and is sturdy enough to hold the weight of stacked sponge layers? This strawberry mascarpone cream made with a quick homemade fruit filling is a total winner! The combo of silky mascarpone, fluffy cream and real fruit set with pectin guarantees a spot-on texture. Best of all, it's a 2-in-1 recipe! Fold all the fruit filling into the cream, or split it: mix part into the cream for gorgeous color and flavor, and use the rest to make a delicious strawberry gelée for the center of the cake. You'll be surprised how easy it is!
1. Wash, dry, hull the strawberries and blend into a smooth purée (if you like pieces of fruit, set a few aside, chop them finely and stir them into the purée).
2. Pour the strawberry purée into a saucepan, add 80 g sugar, set over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
3. In a small bowl, thoroughly mix the pectin with the remaining 5 g sugar, then slowly sprinkle it into the boiling strawberries, whisking vigorously. Simmer over low heat for about 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Take the pan off the heat and decide whether you're making just the cream or a gelée as well:
- If you're making just the cream: Transfer everything to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap in contact (so it touches the surface) and let it cool completely, then chill in the fridge.
- If you're making the cream and a gelée: Pour half of the hot fruit filling into a plastic-wrap-lined mold that's slightly smaller in diameter than your sponge cake (that way, once set, you'll have a gelée disc). Pour the other half into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap in contact and chill it in the fridge for the cream.
5. In a large bowl, combine the well-chilled mascarpone, cold cream and powdered sugar.
6. Beat on low speed, then gradually increase the mixer speed until you get a thick, stiff and fluffy cream.
7. Take the chilled fruit filling out of the fridge and give it a brief stir with a spoon to loosen it slightly.
8. Add the cold fruit filling to the whipped cream in batches (either the whole portion, or half if you're also making the gelée), gently folding with a spatula or mixing on the lowest speed just until combined.
9. The finished cream is ready to fill your cake right away. If you prepared a separate gelée, place it on a layer of cream while assembling the cake, then chill the finished cake in the fridge for a few hours before serving.
