This soft and moist mascarpone strawberry cake is made without butter. Instead, I've used a tub of tasty mascarpone cheese for the fat content, which helps cut down on the calories! It's bursting with strawberries, both in the batter and on top, providing a burst of juicy sweetness in each bite.
If you're looking for a soft, moist cake that is easy to make, but just seems a little bit special, this mascarpone strawberry cake is a must-try. Before you decide to try it, I must point out that this isn't your average fluffy sponge cake. The batter is quite dense and custardy, making it more like a cross between a cake and a cheesecake.
It’s made with creamy mascarpone cheese instead of butter, which gives the cake a beautifully tender crumb and a rich, velvety texture without being heavy. Fresh strawberries are folded straight into the batter, so you get juicy bites of fruit in every slice. I've added lemon essence too, which gives a lovely flavour along with the strawberries.
This is the kind of cake that feels just right for a sunny afternoon — easy enough for everyday baking, but elegant enough to serve with tea. It also makes a delcious dessert, served with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream, or simply drizzled with homemade vanilla custard.
Best of all, it comes together in one bowl and doesn’t require any fancy ingredients. If you’ve got a tub of mascarpone and a punnet of strawberries in the fridge, you’re halfway there. The rest of the ingredients are all everyday pantry staples.
This was inspired by my blueberry sponge cake, which is proving to be very popular. I thought if I could make a cake with blueberries, why not make one with strawberries too, while they are in season. This is the result.
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Why you'll love this cake
I think you will love this mascarpone strawberry cake recipe:
- First and foremost, it takes less than 10 minutes to mix and get into the oven. For a start, there's no creaming of butter and sugar. Simply whisk the eggs and sugar with a hand-mixer, blend in the cheese and flavourings, then stir in the flour and strawberries. Pour it into a cake pan and pop it into the oven.
- The taste is amazing. With a moist, creamy texture and pockets of juicy strawberries in every bite, this strawberry cake is guaranteed to have everyone coming back for seconds.
- This is a versatile recipe. You can serve this mascarpone strawberry cake as a teatime treat, or slather it with homemade vanilla custard or top with a scoop of ice cream and serve it as a tasty dessert.
- And finally - it's a great way of using up a glut of summer strawberries!
Recipe information
Prep time - 10 minutes (max).
Cooking time - 50 minutes. This cake is cooked long and slow at a low temperature. I'd recommend checking after 40 minutes and if it's not done, cover loosely with a sheet of tin foil for the last 10 minutes to prevent over-browning.
Yield - one 8" round cake or you can use a 9" springform pan and cut down the cooking time to around 40 minutes.
Ingredients
- Strawberries - the strawberries are added to the batter, and also sliced on top of the cake for extra indulgence. As the cake bakes, the batter rises up and surrounds the strawberries on top. The strawberries that are added to the batter should be cut into small chunks; those on top should be halved or thickly sliced depending on size.
- Flour - I used plain (or all-purpose) flour, and added baking powder for the rise. You could use self-raising flour and omit the baking powder if you prefer.
- Sugar - this is simply granulated sugar which is whisked with the eggs until it has dissolved. I used ¾ of a cup (150 grams) because my strawberries were very sweet. If you prefer a sweeter taste to the cake you could increase this to 1 cup (or 200 grams).
- Mascarpone cheese - this replaces the butter in the cake and creates a delightful creamy texture.
- Double (or heavy) cream - this is optional. Whether you need it or not depends entirely on the size of the eggs you use, and also on the amount of moisture in the mascarpone cheese. It is used to thin the batter if it is too thick. I didn't need to use it, but I've included it as an ingredient in case you need to thin down the batter.
- Eggs - These are whisked with the sugar to form the base for the batter. I used large eggs which weighed about 50 grams or 2 ounces each.
- Vanilla essence - for flavouring,
- Lemon essence - this is optional, but the lemon flavour really does enhance the flavour of the strawberries (in my opinion).
- Baking powder - this is used only if you are using plain or all-purpose flour. Leave it out if you are using self-raising flour.
- Salt - a small amount of salt improves the flavour of the cake. Leave it out if you don't like to use salt.
**You can find the exact ingredient measurements to make this strawberry mascarpone cake on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.**
Instructions
Step 1: Place the eggs and sugar into a mixing bowl and beat very well until all the sugar has dissolved. You can use either a hand mixer or a wooden spoon
Step 2: Add the mascarpone cheese and the essences and continue to beat until the cheese is well combined.
Step 3: Add the flour, baking powder and salt and stir to combine. If the mixture seems a little dry, add one or two tablespoons of double cream to loosen it. (If you've used large eggs, this shouldn't be necessary)
Step 4: Cut one cup of the strawberries into small pieces and coat them with an extra teaspoon of flour.
Step 5: Stir the flour-coated strawberries into the batter.
Step 6: Place a circle of parchment paper into an 8" (20 cm) springform pan and grease the sides lightly with butter or cooking oil.
Step 7: Transfer the mixture to the prepared springform pan.
Step 8: Chop the remaining strawberries into slices or halves (depending on the size) and arrange them on top of the batter.
Step 9: Bake in a preheated oven (170C / 360F) for approximately 50 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out with no batter sticking to it. Bake for 40 minutes if you use a 9" pan.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool before removing from the pan and slicing.
Tips for a successful outcome
Here are my top tips to ensure your strawberry mascarpone cake always turns out perfectly:
- Use ingredients that are at room temperature. You will find the volume of the eggs increases more when they are at room temperature and the mascarpone will be easier to mix in.
- Don't overmix the batter. Once you add the flour, fold it through gently so that you don't knock out all the air that you whisked in with the eggs and cheese.
- Pat the strawberries dry with a paper towel so you don't introduce extra moisture into the cake. Also, toss the strawberries in a little flour to help prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake as it bakes.
- Don't overbake the cake. Start checking around the 40-minute mark (for an 8-inch cake) or 35 minutes if you've used a 9-inch pan.
- Let the cake cool completely before slicing. This will give the texture time to firm up.
Serving suggestions
This strawberry mascarpone cake is perfect served just as it is, with perhaps a light dusting of icing sugar (or powdered sugar). If you want to dress it up a little, here are a few ideas:
- Add a dollop of whipped mascarpone cheese mixed with a teaspoon of vanilla for flavour and sufficient icing sugar (or powdered sugar) to sweeten to your taste.
- Drizzle with a lemon glaze, made by combining icing sugar and sufficient lemon juice to form a thin pouring consistency.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream.
- Smother with a homemade vanilla custard for a delicious family dessert.
Equipment
These are the main items of equipment you will need to make a strawberry mascarpone cake:
- Mixing bowl - for making the batter.
- Electric hand mixer - this makes it much easier to whip the eggs and sugar and mix in the mascarpone. If you don't have one, you can use a wooden spoon and plenty of elbow grease. Just make sure you beat the eggs and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- 8-inch or 9-inch springform pan. I used an 8-inch pan for this recipe, but a 9-inch pan will work too. The cake will just take less time to cook.
- Baking parchment - I thoroughly recommend using a circle of baking parchment to line the base of your baking pan. It prevents the cake from sticking and makes it easier to remove the cake from the pan.
Storage
Store the cake in a covered container in the refrigerator. It should stay fresh for up to 3 days.
This cake is not suitable for freezing.
Yes, but use them with care. They may add extra moisture to the cake, so be sure to test with a wooden skewer to ensure the cake is fully cooked.
You can certainly experiment with other fruits. I think blueberries would work well, as would raspberries or chopped peaches. I would avoid watery fruit such as watermelon or kiwi as these would make the batter too runny.
The texture of this cake is quite dense, but in a good way! Because of the mascarpone, the cake won't be as spongy as a classic sponge cake, instead, it is rather custardy! However, it is very moist and quite airy. The strawberries create little juicy pockets, adding fruity bites and additional moistness to the texture.
Save for later
If you would like to make this mascarpone strawberry cake, why not save the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click the image below.
Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.
Related recipes
Visit my cakes, biscuits and dessert recipes page for other delicious tea time treats. Here are a few you might enjoy:
📋The recipe
Strawberry mascrpone cake (no butter)
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Electric hand mixer OR
- Wooden spoon
- 8-inch springform pan or 9-inch but cut down on the baking time by about 10 minutes
- Baking parchment
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup / 150 grams sugar or up to one cup for extra sweetness
- 1 cup / 240 grams mascarpone cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1 teaspoon lemon essence
- 1½ cups / 210 grams self-raising flour plus 2 teaspoons baking powder if using plain or all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 to 2 tablespoons double or heavy cream optional - you may not need it
- 6 ounces / 175 grams strawberries chopped
- 1 teaspoon flour to coat chopped strawberries
- 6 ounces / 175 grams strawberries sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C / 360°F.
- Place the eggs and sugar into a mixing bowl and beat very well until all the sugar has dissolved. You can use either a hand-mixer or a wooden spoon4 large eggs, ¾ cup / 150 grams sugar
- Add the mascarpone cheese and the essences and continue to beat until the cheese is well combined.1 cup / 240 grams mascarpone cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence, 1 teaspoon lemon essence
- Add the flour, baking powder (if using plain flour) and salt and stir to combine. If the mixture seems a little dry, add one or two tablespoons of double cream to loosen it. (If you've used large eggs, you may not need the cream)1½ cups / 210 grams self-raising flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 to 2 tablespoons double or heavy cream
- Cut one cup of the strawberries into small pieces and coat them with an extra teaspoon of flour.6 ounces / 175 grams strawberries, 1 teaspoon flour
- Stir the flour-coated strawberries into the batter.
- Place a circle of parchment paper into an 8" (20 cm) springform pan and grease the sides lightly with butter or cooking oil.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared springform pan.
- Chop the remaining strawberries into slices or halves (depending on the size) and arrange them on top of the batter.6 ounces / 175 grams strawberries
- Bake in a preheated oven (170C / 360F) for approximately 50 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out with no batter sticking to it. Bake for 40 minutes if you use a 9" pan.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool before removing from the pan and slicing.
Notes
- Use ingredients that are at room temperature. You will find the volume of the eggs increases more when they are at room temperature and the mascarpone will be easier to mix in.
- Don't overmix the batter. Once you add the flour, fold it through gently so that you don't knock out all the air that you whisked in with the eggs and cheese.
- Pat the strawberries dry with a paper towel so you don't introduce extra moisture into the cake. Also, toss the strawberries in a little flour to help prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake as it bakes.
- Don't overbake the cake. Start checking around the 40-minute mark (for an 8-inch cake) or 35 minutes if you've used a 9-inch pan.
- Let the cake cool completely before slicing. This will give the texture time to firm up.
- Add a dollop of whipped mascarpone cheese mixed with a teaspoon of vanilla for flavour and sufficient icing sugar (or powdered sugar) to sweeten to your taste.
- Drizzle with a lemon glaze, made by combining icing sugar and sufficient lemon juice to form a thin pouring consistency.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream.
- Smother with a homemade vanilla custard for a delicious family dessert.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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