Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottoms of two greased 9-inch round baking pans with parchment, then grease the parchment. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, five to seven minutes. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, beating well after each addition. Pour into prepared pans, dividing the batter evenly.

Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool the cakes in their pans for 10 minutes, then remove the cakes from their pans and onto wire racks. Peel off the parchment and let the cakes cool completely to room temperature.

In a small bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the mascarpone and cream cheese until blended. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. In another bowl, use clean beaters to beat the heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Add the whipped cream mixture to the mascarpone mixture and beat on low speed until combined.

Cut the cakes in half, horizontally, and spread one-third of the berry jam mixture onto a cut side. Editor’s Tip: To make your freshly baked cake layers easier to cut in half, freeze them for at least an hour after they’ve cooled. Top with about 1 cup frosting. Sprinkle one-third of the fresh berries all over the Chantilly cream. Place another cake layer on top, and gently press it down. Repeat the layers.

Spread the remaining frosting onto the sides and top of the cake, decorating it however you’d like. This is your chance to get creative with cake decorating ideas, like adding edible flowers or piping on the frosting.