• IMPORTANT: For the vanilla cake recipe I would highly recommend using gram measurements, especially for the flour for accurate results. It has a high fat/liquid ratio so slight adjustments to the quantities can throw off the balance of the cake :)

Vanilla Cake

• Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) conventional (see note 4 if using a convection oven with a fan) and grease and/or line two 8 inch cake tins (I use my homemade cake release).
• In a bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, add in butter, vegetable oil and sugar. Using an electric mixer (hand or stand mixer are both fine - see note 2), cream together for 2 minutes until light and creamy.
• Add in eggs one by one, mixing well in between each addition (about 10-15 seconds between eggs).
• Add in vanilla, vinegar and half a cup of the buttermilk (112g), and mix until well combined. Now set your mixer aside as the remainder of the batter will be finished by hand.
• Finish off by adding in half of your premixed dry ingredients to your wet mixture, and gently fold it in with a spatula until just combined. Then add in the remaining 1 cup (225g) of buttermilk, and fold it in until just combined. Lastly, add in the remaining dry ingredients and gently fold until just combined. Do not overmix (see note 3).
• Distribute the batter evenly into the two 8 inch cake tins. Drop the cake tins lightly on the counter to remove any large air bubbles and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Once baked, allow the cake layers to cool in the cake tins for 20 minutes, before turning them out onto a wire rack to completely cool.

Berry Jam Filling

• Place all the ingredients into a saucepan and mix well. Place the saucepan over a low-medium heat and let the mixture slowly heat up, stirring every now and then to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• Once the berries start to get soft and the mixture is liquidy, continue to cook for a few minutes to allow it to thicken up. If using firm berries like strawberries, use a potato masher to break up the berries while they're cooking in the pan.
• Once the mixture is slightly thickened and coats the back of a spoon well, remove from the heat and place it in a heatproof bowl or container. Allow it to come to room temperature before using (see note 6).

Chantilly Whipped Cream

• Before beginning, ensure the mascarpone, cream cheese and whipped cream are cold.
• In a large bowl, combine the mascarpone, cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla. Using a hand or stand mixer, mix on a low speed for about 10 seconds, and then turn up the speed to a medium high and mix until well combined and smooth. If using a stand mixer use the whisk attachment.
• Add in the whipping cream and mix on a low speed for about 10 seconds (to allow everything to combine without the cream splattering), and then turn up the speed to a medium high and whip until you reach stiff peaks. Keep a careful eye on the mixture as you don't want to overwhip the cream.

Assembly (see video for demonstration)

• Trim off the tops of the cake layers with a serrated knife so that they're nice and flat.
• Place the first cake layer onto a serving plate/cake stand and spread out a generous amount of whipped cream. Using a large piping tip (I used a 1M), pipe a dam of frosting around the edges of the cake layer. Fill the middle with half of the berry jam and top with fresh berries.
• Place the next cake layer on top and spread out more whipped cream on the top and sides of the cake.
• Using a 1M piping tip (or any large piping tip), pipe a border around the top edge of the cake. Fill the centre with the remaining berry jam and top with more fresh fruit. Slice and enjoy!