Red, White, and Blue Berry Poke Cake

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups cake flour (285 g)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (8 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (3 g)
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter (170 g)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar (300 g)
• 3 eggs (150 g)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (10 g)
• 3/4 cup milk (180 g)
• 1/2 cup cream (120 g)
• 2 cups strawberries (300 g)
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries (220 g)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch (16 g)
• 8 ounces mascarpone (227 g)
• 2 cups cream (480 g)
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar (60 g)

Instructions

1. Bake to a springing center. Beat butter and sugar until pale, then add eggs and vanilla. Alternate whisked dry ingredients with milk and sour cream. Spread in a 9-by-13-inch baker and bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes.
2. Make two glossy fruit sauces. Simmer strawberries with half the sugar and cornstarch; repeat separately with blueberries. Each sauce is ready when it coats a spoon but still drops slowly into a hole. Keep them in separate bowls and cool for 5 minutes.
3. Poke an orderly loose grid. While the cake is warm, use the handle of a wooden spoon to make holes about one inch apart, stopping before the bottom. Alternate sauces across the holes in imperfect rows, adding more only.
4. Chill before the white layer. Cool the cake for 20 minutes, then refrigerate until cold. Whip mascarpone, cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla to medium peaks. Spread over the surface with broad swoops, keeping the layer thick enough to conceal most holes.
5. Finish with simple berry rows. Arrange sliced strawberries and blueberries in broad alternating rows, leaving white cream visible between. Chill for at least 2 hours. Cut twelve squares with a wiped knife and lift with a flexible spatula so.

Notes

• Use the dish-specific texture cue at every stage instead of relying on minutes alone for Red, White, and Blue Berry Poke Cake.
• Keep ingredient sizes close but naturally varied so cooking stays even and the final arrangement remains relaxed.
• Store or make ahead exactly as described above, label containers with dates, and finish visible garnish shortly before serving.