Roasted Strawberry-Mascarpone Bundt Cake

We’re letting you in on a big baking secret: roast your strawberries. Need proof of the power of sweeter-than-sweet, best-tasting strawberries you’ve ever baked with? Meet our March Bundt of the Month, Roasted Strawberry-Mascarpone Bundt Cake. We roasted 2 pounds of spring strawberries with a bit of sugar, concentrating their sweet flavor and creating a delicious strawberry syrup. Then we chopped those rosy roasted berries into chunks and stirred them into the most luscious, mascarpone-based cake batter. Oh, and that lovely leftover strawberry syrup? We incorporated it into the glaze, creating a pretty-in-pink topping worthy of this epic cake. As this is the reigning strawberry cake of spring, we found it only fitting to bake it in Nordic Ware’s Crown Bundt Pan, a regal and ridged pan that makes our cake look fit for royalty. 

To sign up for the Bundt of the Month Club, click here!


3.5 from 4 reviews
Roasted Strawberry-Mascarpone Bundt Cake
 
Makes 1 (10-cup) Bundt cake
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds (907 grams) fresh strawberries (See Note) (halved or quartered if large)
  • 1¾ cups (350 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (24 grams) granulated sugar, divided
  • 1½ teaspoons (3.75 grams) kosher salt, divided
  • ¾ cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 large eggs (150 grams), room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon (2 grams) almond extract
  • 2½ cups (313 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon (15 grams) baking powder
  • ⅔ cup (160 grams) mascarpone cheese, room temperature
  • ¼ cup (60 grams) plus 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water, room temperature and divided
  • Strawberry Glaze (recipe follows)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In an 13x9-inch baking dish, stir together strawberries, ¼ cup (50 grams) sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt until well combined.
  3. Bake until berries are very soft (they should provide no resistance when poked with a fork), fragrant, and have released ample juices, about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer strawberries to prepared baking sheet. Reserve roasted strawberry juice in a 1-cup glass measuring cup or small bowl. Let strawberries cool to room temperature; chop into ¼-inch pieces. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (180°C).
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and 1½ cups (300 grams) sugar at medium-low speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. (Mixture may look slightly broken at this point, but batter will come together).
  5. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and remaining 1¼ teaspoons (3.75 grams) salt. In a small bowl, whisk together mascarpone and 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with mascarpone mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition and stopping to scrape sides of bowl.
  6. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain chopped strawberries to get rid of any excess moisture. Fold strawberries into batter until combined.
  7. Spray a 10-cup Bundt pan* with baking spray with flour; using a pastry brush, spread any excess spray evenly in pan, blotting brush with a paper towel as needed. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Forcefully tap pan on a kitchen towel-lined counter several times to settle batter and release as many air bubbles as possible.
  8. Bake until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean and an instant-read thermometer inserted near center registers 205°F (96°C), 50 minutes to 1 hour, rotating pan after 40 minutes of baking and loosely covering with foil to prevent excess browning, if necessary. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Invert cake onto a wire rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet.
  9. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine remaining ¼ cup (60 grams) water and remaining 2 tablespoons (24 grams) sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; stir in ¼ cup (65 grams) reserved roasted strawberry juice. (Reserve remaining juice for Strawberry Glaze.) Let cool for 5 minutes; generously brush all over warm cake until all of strawberry mixture is used up. Let cake cool completely.
  10. Spoon Strawberry Glaze into a pastry bag; cut a ¼-inch opening in tip. Working quickly, pipe glaze into and over ridges of cooled cake as desired, spreading with the back of a spoon or a small offset spatula, if necessary.
Notes
Roasting intensifies flavor and tenderizes fruit, even when it’s not exactly in its prime. That said, you can also substitute 22 ounces (624 grams) frozen whole strawberries. Roast as directed, no thawing necessary. If your frozen berries don’t yield enough strawberry juice for both the simple syrup and the glaze, substitute with water as needed.

*We used Nordic Ware's Crown Bundt Pan.

 
3.5 from 4 reviews
Strawberry Glaze
 
Makes about ⅔ cup
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups (180 grams) confectioners’ sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (48 grams) roasted strawberry juice (reserved from Roasted Strawberry-Mascarpone Bundt Cake)
  • 1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter, melted
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients until smooth and well combined. Use immediately.

 

bundtlette pan

CONVERT THIS RECIPE INTO BUNDTLETTES 

Want to make this strawberry cake into sweet Bundtlettes? Follow the recipe below 

3.5 from 4 reviews
Roasted Strawberry-Mascarpone Bundtlettes
 
Makes 6 Bundtlettes
Ingredients
  • 1 pound (454 grams) fresh strawberries (see Notes) (halved or quartered if large)
  • ¾ cup (150 grams) plus 3 tablespoons (36 grams) granulated sugar, divided
  • ¾ teaspoon (2.25 grams) plus ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 6 tablespoons (84 grams) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 large egg (50 grams), room temperature
  • 1 large egg yolk (19 grams), room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon (2 grams) vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) almond extract
  • 1¼ cups (156 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1½ teaspoons (7.5 grams) baking powder
  • ⅓ cup (80 grams) mascarpone cheese, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons (30 grams) plus 1½ teaspoons (7.5 grams) water, room temperature and divided
  • Strawberry Glaze (recipe follows)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In an 8-inch square baking dish, stir together strawberries, 2 tablespoons (24 grams) sugar, and ⅛ teaspoon salt until well combined.
  3. Bake until berries are very soft (they should provide no resistance when poked with a fork) and fragrant and have released ample juices, about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer strawberries to prepared baking sheet. Reserve roasted strawberry juice in a 1-cup glass measuring cup or a small bowl. Let strawberries cool to room temperature; chop into ¼-inch pieces. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (180°C).
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and ¾ cup (150 grams) sugar at medium-low speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add egg and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. (Mixture may look slightly broken at this point, but batter will come together.)
  5. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and remaining ¾ teaspoon (2.25 grams) salt. In a small bowl, whisk together mascarpone and 1½ teaspoons (7.5 grams) water. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with mascarpone mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition and stopping to scrape sides of bowl.
  6. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain chopped strawberries to get rid of any excess moisture. Fold strawberries into batter until combined.
  7. Spray a 5-cup Bundtlette Pan (see Notes) with baking spray with flour; using a pastry brush, spread any excess spray evenly in wells of pan, blotting brush with a paper towel as needed. Spoon batter evenly into prepared wells. Forcefully tap pan on a kitchen towel-lined counter several times to settle batter and release as many air bubbles as possible.
  8. Bake until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean and an instant-read thermometer inserted near center registers at least 205°F (96°C), 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Invert cakes onto a wire rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet.
  9. Meanwhile, in a small microwave-safe bowl, stir together remaining 2 tablespoons (30 grams) water and remaining 1 tablespoon (12 grams) sugar. Heat on high in 10- to 20-second intervals, stirring between each, until sugar dissolves. Stir in 2 tablespoons (32 grams) reserved roasted strawberry juice. (Reserve remaining juice for Strawberry Glaze.) Let cool for 5 minutes; generously brush all over warm cakes until all of strawberry mixture is used up. Let cakes cool completely.
  10. Spoon Strawberry Glaze into a pastry bag; cut a ¼-inch opening in tip. Working quickly, pipe glaze into and over ridges of cooled cakes as desired, spreading with the back of a spoon or a small offset spatula, if necessary.
Notes
Roasting intensifies flavor and tenderizes fruit, even when it’s not exactly in its prime. That said, you can also substitute 11 ounces (312 grams) frozen whole strawberries. Roast as directed, no thawing necessary. If your frozen berries don’t yield enough strawberry juice for both the simple syrup and the glaze, substitute with water as needed.

This recipe fits 5-cup-capacity Bundtlette Pans. For Bundtlette Pans with smaller capacities, fill wells only two-thirds to three-fourths full.

3.5 from 4 reviews
Strawberry Glaze
 
Makes about ⅔ cup
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups (180 grams) confectioners’ sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (48 grams) roasted strawberry juice (reserved from Roasted Strawberry-Mascarpone Bundtlettes)
  • 1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter, melted
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients until smooth and well combined. Use immediately.

 

BUNDTOLOGY

Our Bundtologists share their expert tips to help master our March Bundt. Click the image to enlarge. Note that each of these tips is specific to this recipe and the Crown Bundt Pan. Results may vary for other recipes and other pans.

Previous articleBlackberry-Almond Upside-Down Cake
Next articleMascarpone Pretzel Strawberry Tart

11 COMMENTS

    • Hi Audrey!

      Thanks for reaching out! We are so happy that the Bundt tasted delicious. As for unmolding, I reached out to our test kitchen for advice.
      -We recommend prepping with baking spray with flour for the best release. This is best applied right before adding batter, as it may slide down and pool if added too far in advance.
      -If using frozen berries, you will want to use considerably less (see notes) to curb moisture
      -The drained strawberries will need to be drained using a fine mesh sieve before folding into the batter
      -Firmly tap the pan on the counter several times to get rid of air bubbles to get more defined edges
      -Make sure to bake until a wooden pick comes out clean and a thermometer registers 205 degrees F since ovens can differ in temperature
      -Using a scale to measure ingredients will ensure the appropriate flour to liquid ratio

      We hope this helps, but let me know if you have any further questions! Happy baking 🙂

      • I had done all the things you listed the first time, but tried again and roasted them in bigger pieces, blotted them with paper towels, let them air dry overnight on a rack overnight before cutting them into larger chunks and blotting them again. This worked and the cake came together really well. Thanks so much for your response and help.

  1. Hi! I don’t understand step six. Am I pushing the strawberries through the sieve? Or just draining off any excess liquid with the sieve?

    • Hi Marcie,

      Thanks for reaching out! You will simply drain off the excess liquid in this step. Make sure to reserve the liquid for the simple syrup and glaze. Happy baking!

  2. I made this twice and both times my Bundt cake came out super dark. I cooked it once at 350 and the next time 300 all while using my Nordic ware Bundt cake pan.

    • Hi Lauren,

      Thanks for reaching out! There are a couple variables that you can check here. First, there are two main ways that Bundts are formed– a heavier cast aluminum construction, like the Crown Bundt Pan we tested for this recipe, and the thinner aluminum formed Bundt, which are lighter in weight. The cast aluminum tends to maintain a more constant temperature and bakes evenly because of its heavier/thicker construction. Also, depending on your oven setup and whether it is gas or electric, the oven shelf location will also play a role. If the heat source is predominantly on the bottom, it may help to move the cake to a higher shelf to bake.

    • Hi Luca,

      We have not tried adding sour cream to this recipe, but you might be able to replace the mascarpone with sour cream. However, the fat content is different so we cannot guarantee the texture. Happy baking!

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