Recipe

Make Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease and line 8″ round cake pan.
2. In medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, combine vanilla extract with buttermilk. Set aside.
4. In bowl of electric mixer, combine granulated sugar and orange zest. Use spoon to press and stir zest into sugar until it takes on orange tint, becomes fragrant, and resembles texture of wet sand.
5. Add room temperature butter to sugar mixture and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. While mixing on medium speed, add eggs one by one, mixing between each addition.
6. Reduce speed to low and alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk mixture. Start and end with flour mixture, mixing just until flour is incorporated. Switch to spatula to finish mixing.
7. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake for about 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into centre of cake comes out clean with just a few crumbs attached. Let cakes cool completely before assembling.

Make Whipped Cream

1. In bowl of electric mixer, combine whipping cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until medium peaks form.
2. Add mascarpone cheese and continue to beat for about 1 minute, or until mixture is fluffy and smooth.

Assemble Cake

1. Select 10 firm, similar-size strawberries. Line them up and use knife to trim tips so they are all level. Save trimmed tips and place them in bowl.
2. Slice remaining strawberries into bite-size pieces and add them to bowl with strawberry tips. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and lemon juice, mix to evenly coat, and set aside to macerate for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Using serrated knife, cut cooled cake into 3 even layers. To do so, gently score cake about 1⁄3 of the way down with knife, holding it level as you carefully cut back and forth around edge. Once you’ve cut all the way around, slowly saw through cake to remove top layer. Repeat this process to create 3 equal layers.
4. Place first layer of cake on cake stand or serving plate. Spoon half of accumulated juices from macerated strawberries over cake layer. If you have a cake ring this is a great time to use it — it will help keep layers intact, but it’s not necessary.
5. Transfer Mascarpone Whipped Cream to piping bag or large plastic bag with corner cut off. Pipe thick ring about 1⁄4″ from edge of cake. Fill centre of ring with more whipped cream.
6. Place a trimmed strawberry in centre, then at the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock positions. These will act as support for the rest of the layers.
7. Spoon 1⁄3 of macerated strawberries around strawberry supports. Place second cake layer on top and repeat. Top final layer with additional whipped cream and remaining strawberries.