This post is sponsored by Parmigiano Reggiano. All photos and opinions are mine.
I am one of those weird people that likes the cake portion more than the icing part of a cake. Icing is usually too sweet for me. But I wanted to try making a cake that wasn’t too sweet and had a few ingredients you wouldn’t expect. Want to know what’s in this one? Cheese!
That’s right – fresh, salty parmigiano regianno is mixed in with your normal cake ingredients like flour and sugar but has a marscapone and sour cream icing with a basil sugar sprinkle on top. This is one different cake from top to bottom, but man is it good! And lucky for you, it’s best when served warm so you won’t have to wait too long for it to cool before devouring it straight out of the oven!
Ingredients
For the basil sugar
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1/4 cup granulated sugar
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1/8 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
For the whipped mascarpone
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1 1/8 cups mascarpone cheese
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3/8 cup sour cream
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1 1/2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
For the cake
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1 cup flour
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1 teaspoon baking powder
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1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
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2 1/2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
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8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
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1 cup granulated sugar
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3 large eggs, lightly beaten
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1/2 cup marscarpone cheese
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1/2 cup sour cream
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1 pint (24 ounces) fresh raspberries
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1/8 cup good-quality aged balsamic vinegar
Directions
- For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9″ round cake pan with cooking spray.
- Combine the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add in the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
- With a stand mixer, combine the butter and granulated sugar and beat briefly on low speed, then on high speed for about 5 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Reduce the speed to medium and slowly drizzle in the beaten eggs. Add the marscarpone and continue to beat until incorporated. Reduce the speed to low and alternate adding one-third of the flour mixture and one-third of the sour cream until both are nearly incorporated. Stop the machine and use a rubber spatula to finish combining the ingredients to avoid over-mixing. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan, spreading it evenly and smoothing the surface.
- Bake (middle rack) until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for a few minutes.
- For the basil sugar: Combine the sugar and basil in a mini food processor and pulse until the basil leaves are chopped finely and the sugar has taken on the color and scent of the herb. (You can store in an airtight container for up to 3 days)
- For the whipped marscarpone: Whisk together the marscarpone, sour cream and confectioners’ sugar until well combined. Cover and keep chilled until ready to serve.
- Serve warm, topped with whipped marscarpone and fresh berries. Sprinkle some of the basil sugar over everything, then drizzle the berries and/or the plate with the balsamic vinegar. (I put the balsamic drizzle on the plate before putting the cake on it so that the cake doesn’t get soggy)
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