Summer-Fruit Shortcake with Mascarpone

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder 
• 0.7 cup buttermilk chilled
• 2 cups cake flour 
• 8 ounce mascarpone cheese chilled at room temperature
• 1 large eggs chilled
• 2 large peaches pitted cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 5 medium plums pitted cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 0.3 cup powdered sugar 
• 8 servings powdered sugar 
• 0.5 pint raspberries 
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 
• 0.3 cup sugar 
• 0.5 cup butter unsalted chilled cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1 cup whipping cream chilled

Equipment

• bowl
• baking sheet
• oven
• knife
• whisk
• hand mixer
• slotted spoon

Directions

1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 425°F.
2. Whisk buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract in medium bowl to blend; transfer 1 tablespoon mixture to small bowl and reserve for glaze. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into large bowl; add butter. Using electric mixer, beat until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 3 minutes.
3. Add buttermilk mixture and blend just until soft moist dough forms. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Using floured hands, gather dough into ball and knead gently for 6 turns.
4. Transfer dough to ungreased baking sheet. Shape dough into 8-inch round.
5. Brush top with reserved 1 tablespoon buttermilk mixture.
6. Bake cake until top is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
7. Transfer cake to rack and cool completely.
8. Toss plums, peaches, raspberries and 1/3 cup sugar in large bowl to blend.
9. Let stand 30 minutes.
10. Meanwhile, beat mascarpone, whipping cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar and vanilla in large bowl until firm peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
11. Cut off top 1/3 of cake. Using small knife and leaving 1/2-inch border at edge, cut out enough of cake bottom to form 1/2-inch-deep indentation.
12. Spread half of mascarpone cream in indentation. Using slotted spoon, remove fruit from bowl; mound onto cream. Reserve fruit juices in bowl.
13. Spread remaining mascarpone cream over fruit. Cover with top of cake. Refrigerate cake and reserved juices separately, at least 3 hours and up to 6 hours.
14. Let cake stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Dust with powdered sugar.
15. Cut into wedges.
16. Drizzle with reserved fruit juices and serve.