You may have noticed all’s been a bit quiet here on the Western front. Over a year quiet. Well, of course, there’s an explanation. It mostly involves me resolving to finally conquer my fear of bats and going off to train in the high, misty mountains of Bhutan while studying the ancient, forbidden arts of the League of Shadows to confront injustice with my own personal vigilante streak.

HAHA. Just kidding. That’s Batman. (Even if you’ve never seen us in the same room.)

The real explanation is that no one on Earth is better at procrastinating than me, and that includes doing the things I actually like, such as running this blog.

Alright. I think we can move on from Excuse Central. Here is where I beg you to love me again by posting an absurdly over-the-top, excessive, entirely out of control cake recipe.

Meet…the Peach Berry Layer Cake with Mascarpone Buttercream. Yes.  I will win you back.

Sometimes, you just want to make a real crowd pleaser. A show stopper. A crowd…stopper. This is that.

This cake might have a lot of moving parts, but each step itself is fairly easy. Two different fruit compotes (peach and mixed berries) comprise the fillings of this white cake, while your basic buttercream serves as the frosting – just with the ravishing addition of mascarpone. If you haven’t tried mascarpone, it’s essentially the Italian cousin to cream cheese, with less tang. More cream than cheese. It’s the stuff in tiramisu.

I also baked two separate layers and then cut them horizontally in half (like a torte) to make four layers total. Here’s a nifty little how-to from Crafty Baking with some great tips. If that sounds terrible and you don’t wanna level at all – don’t! Use however many fillings you want, or get creative with how you use ’em. You da boss.

ANYWAY. Creamy, colorful, and 100% ideal for summer, this is the cake you want to make and then also eat.

And before you even ask, of course it is low carb. Like, 5 net carbs per slice low carb. And gluten-free, for those ~so inclined~.  So go, my snackademics. Make. Eat.

Peach Berry Layer Cake with Mascarpone Buttercream (low carb, gluten free)

Yields: About 16 servings

Ingredients:

Compote fillings:
Mixed berry:
2 cups mixed berries of choice, fresh or frozen (I used raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries. And like four cherries because I had them.)
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp lemon juice
~3 tbsp sweetener
~ 1/2 tsp xanthan gum

Peach:
2 medium peaches, blanched/skin removed (instructions will be included below!)
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp lemon juice
~3 tbsp sweetener
~ 1/2 tsp xanthan gum

Cake:
3 cups almond flour
1/3 cup unflavored whey protein powder
2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sweetener
3 large eggs or egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond, cashew or coconut milk, unsweetened

Frosting:
8 oz mascarpone, softened
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2-3 cups powdered sweetener
2 tsp vanilla extract
Extra fruit, for garnish (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325°F and lightly grease or spray two 9″ round baking pans. Cut out a circle of parchment paper and place on bottom of each pan.

Start with the compotes to give them more time to cool.

For the mixed berry, put all of the ingredients into a medium pan over medium heat, and cover. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn the heat to med-low or low and let it simmer, uncovered, until some of the berries burst and the sauce has thickened – about 10-15 minutes. Before finishing, sprinkle with xanthan gum and whisk in vigorously. Let cool.

For the peach compote, first remove the skins from your two peaches. To do that, rinse the peaches, and then place in a pot of boiling water for about one minute. Use a slotted spoon to remove peaches and transfer into a colander. Run cold water over the peaches for a few seconds. The skin should come right off. Dice them up and then follow the exact same process as the berry compote above.

To make the cake, use a medium bowl to whisk together the almond flour, whey protein powder, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter with sweetener until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla extract and eggs or egg whites until well combined.

Beat in half of the almond flour mixture, then beat in almond/cashew/coconut milk. Beat in the remaining almond flour mixture until well combined. Spread batter in prepared baking pans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and not wiggly in the middle. Cool completely.

To make the frosting,  add the softened mascarpone and butter to a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Add the powdered sweetener and vanilla extract. Beat another 2-4 minutes or until the frosting is light and fluffy.

If cutting the cake layers in half, take the cooled cakes and follow the directions included here.

Place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Spread about half of the cooled mixed berry compote onto the layer, and then add another layer. Spread all of the peach compote on top. Add the next layer, spread on the remaining berry compote, and top with the last cake layer.

Frost the cake however you like. You may have some frosting left over – trust me, this is the opposite of a problem. Actually the only problem you’ll have is eating the last slice. THAT’S WHEN YOU MAKE IT AGAIN.

You know what to do.

Nutrition (approximate):