Honey Cream Blackberry Icebox Cake

Step 1

Have an 8-inch x 8-inch pan ready and a space available in the coldest corner of your refrigerator. Place the bowl and beater from your mixer into the freezer for 15 minutes.

Step 2

Place the blackberries in a small bowl, and add the lemon juice. Gently toss the berries in the juice, and allow them to sit while preparing the whipped cream.

Step 3

Assemble the chilled bowl and beater on your mixer. Turn the mixer on low and slowly pour in the whipping cream. Increase the speed to medium-high or the highest speed you can go to without cream flying all over the kitchen!

Step 4

After about 2 minutes add in the honey. Beat the mixture for another 2-4 minutes until it has thickened and holds loose peaks. (Warm weather may make the whipping process take a little longer.)

Step 5

Remove 1½ cups of whipped cream from the bowl and transfer to a small bowl. Wrap this reserved cream tightly and refrigerate it. (This will be used when serving the cake.)

Step 6

Add the mascarpone cheese to the mixer bowl with the remaining whipped cream, and turn the mixer on low. Mix the ingredients for just a couple of minutes until they look incorporated. Do not over-beat the mixture as the mascarpone will curdle.

Step 7

Place a layer of ladyfingers in the bottom of the pan, trimming or cutting a few as needed to fit them in and cover the bottom.

Step 8

Spoon about half of the mascarpone-whipped cream mixture over the ladyfingers and smooth it into an even layer.

Step 9

Use about half of the blackberries in the bowl and lay them one at a time on top the cream layer, spacing them out evenly. Drizzle a bit of the juice from the bowl over the berries.

Step 10

Place another layer of ladyfingers over the berry layer, cutting them as before, as needed to make a tight-fitting layer. It's alright to push them down a little as you put them in over the berries.

Step 11

Spoon the rest of the cream over the ladyfingers and spread it in to an even layer.

Step 12

Place the remaining berries on the top evenly over the cream layer, pushing them into the cream. Drizzle a bit more of the juice from the bowl over the berries.

Step 13

Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap. Place a small, firm cutting board on top of the wrapped pan and then place something heavy (like a heavy mug or bowl) on the board. This is to help the layers compress while refrigerating.

Step 14

Place the pan and weight into the coldest corner of your refrigerator and allow the cake to chill 8-10 hours or overnight.

Step 15

Remove the cake from the fridge about 20 minutes before you wish to serve it and allow it to sit at room temperature.

Step 16

Slice the cake and serve immediately, with a dollop of the reserved whipped cream on top.