Chantilly Fruit Cake with Fresh Berries

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
2. Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until the mixture looks pale and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
4. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely.
6. Toss the sliced strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries with 2 tbsp granulated sugar and lemon juice. Let macerate for at least 30 minutes.
7. In a chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream, mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla bean paste until stiff peaks form.
8. Place one cake layer on a plate, spread a generous layer of Chantilly cream, and top with the macerated berries. Repeat with the second cake layer and a final layer of cream.
9. Refrigerate the assembled cake for 4 hours to ensure structural stability before serving.