This post may contain affiliate links
Add Bake with Zoha as a preferred source on Google and find more of my tried-and-tested recipes.
This delicious, fresh, light and scrumptious Berry Chantilly Cake is summer in a dessert! Inspired by Whole Foods (but way better), it is made with moist and tender vanilla cake layers sandwiched with a light mascarpone chantilly cream and lots of berries. Every bite is absolutely delectable and perfectly balanced, and you will not go back to grocery store cakes once you give this recipe a go.
Simply put, a Chantilly Cake is a cake that uses Chantilly cream as its frosting. Chantilly cream is simply whipped heavy cream with some sugar and vanilla added, with the name “Chantilly” originating from France.
Since whipped cream pairs well with fresh and summery flavors, Chantilly cakes are usually fruit cakes with vanilla sponges. For example, mango chantilly cake, strawberry chantilly cake, berry chantilly cake and so on.
Better than Whole Foods!
This recipe is inspired by the viral Whole Foods Berry Chantilly Cake. This cake has been around for more than 10 years and the recipe was created by a grandmother, but is now sold at Whole Foods Markets across the US. It has a strong fan following, with many people loving the flavor and “homely” vibe of the cake compared to other grocery store options.
But in my opinion, while this cake is better than other grocery store options, it’s still not as good as homemade. I found it a tad too sweet and dense, and wanted to make my own take.
That’s why I created this recipe. I wanted to replicate the Whole Foods cake as closely as I could while still improving upon it. I closely inspected the ingredients and watched videos of bakers assembling the cake. Just like the Whole Foods cake, this cake has a vanilla butter cake, berries, and a mascarpone chantilly cream. But unlike the Whole Foods cake, I make the frosting with just mascarpone instead of both mascarpone and cream cheese, because there’s no significant difference and why buy both when you don’t need them?
My friends who kindly taste tested for me all loved this cake and told me it was way better! One friend even compared it to the Paris Baguette mixed berry cake!
The secret is reverse creaming!
Traditionally, cakes are made using the creaming method, in which butter and sugar are mixed together and then the other ingredients are added
This cake is made using the reverse creaming method, in which the dry ingredients are first mixed with butter before adding the wet ingredients. Although counter-intuitive, this method works great and yields very soft cakes with a fine, tender crumb. This happens because the butter coats the flour and forms a barrier against the moisture in the wet ingredients, which reduces gluten activation in the flour. And less gluten means softer, more delicate cakes!
Step by step photos
The full recipe is provided in the recipe card at the end of this post, but lets go over the process with photos to help you visualize each step:
First add the dry ingredients to the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the softened butter and whisk until the mixture resembles bread crumbs:
Separately, lightly whisk together the wet ingredients:
Add a third of the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until combined:
Then add all the wet ingredients and whisk on medium high speed to 2 minutes until a light and fluffy batter forms. Divide evenly between 3 8″ cake pans and bake:
Let the cakes thoroughly cool down. Then carefully trim off the crusts:
For the Chantilly frosting, whisk the mascarpone with sugar and vanilla until combined, and separately whip the heavy cream to firm peaks. Then fold the heavy cream into the mascarpone mixture:
Make a quick berry 1111111simple syrup by heating sugar, water and jam until the sugar dissolves:
To assemble, place a cake layer onto a turntable. Brush on the berry syrup and spread a thin layer of frosting:
Spread roughly chopped berries and cover fully with more frosting:
Repeat until done, then frost the cake generously and decorate with berries:
Serve and enjoy!
Note: Because this cake uses butter in the batter, it will become harder in the fridge when the butter solidifies. I recommend leaving it at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before eating so the cake softens again!
FAQs
Yes, you can replace the almond extract with more vanilla extract.
Yes, you can divide the batter in 2 8″ or 9″ pans instead of 3. However, the cakes will take longer to bake and dome more. I also recommend dividing each cake into 2 layers to make a 4 layered cake.
Insert a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake. It should come out with light, moist crumbs attached (no wet batter, and not fully clean).
In the reverse creaming method, it is crucial to whisk the cake batter for 2 minutes after combining all ingredients. This step incorporates air into the batter and gives the cake a light texture. If you don’t do this step properly, you can end up with a dense cake. Other reasons for a dense cake include under-baking or baking at a very high temperature. Make sure your oven is properly calibrated and you bake until the cake is just done.
This can be due to adding too much flour. Make sure to measure flour accurately (don’t pack it tightly in the measuring cup and ideally use a scale). Also make sure you don’t overbake the cakes. Overbaking will cause the cake to dry out and become crumbly.
Additionally, the cake might feel dry if you eat it straight from the fridge. This is because the butter in the cake solidifies in the fridge. Make sure to rest at room temp for 15-20 minutes before eating.
If your cake sinks in the middle after removing it from the oven, you took it out too early and it was underdone in the middle. You can avoid this by using the toothpick test.
Yes! I actually prefer a simple Chantilly whipped cream made using heavy cream, vanilla and a small amount of sugar, as it is lighter. This recipe uses mascarpone, which makes the frosting richer, in order to closely replicate the Whole Foods cake.
A runny frosting is usually due to undermixing. Continue to whisk on medium speed for a few more seconds and the frosting should become thicker.
A grainy frosting is an indication of overmixing or using a low quality mascarpone cheese. Make sure to use a good quality brand (I love Vermont creamery). Whisk the mascarpone and sugar only until the mixture looks creamy, and whisk the heavy cream only until it reaches firm peaks. Then gently fold the 2 together.
Yes, you can replace the berries with other fresh fruit you like.
Keep the cake covered with cling wrap or in an airtight container in the fridge for ~3-5 days. Due to the addition of berries, the cake can go bad quicker than other cakes. 111
Berry Chantilly Cake Recipe
This delicious, fresh, light and scrumptious Berry Chantilly Cake is summer in a dessert! Inspired by Whole Foods (but way better), it is made with moist and tender vanilla cake layers sandwiched with a light mascarpone chantilly cream and lots of berries.
Yield:12-14 servings
- Prep Time:
- 1 hr
- Cook Time:
- 30 mins
- Chilling Time:
- 30 mins
- Total Time:
- 2 hrs
Email This Recipe
Enter your email and I’ll send this directly to you. Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 2/3 cups cake flour (345g); make your own with 310g all purpose flour and 35g cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar (330g)
- 2.5 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 14 tbsp unsalted butter (200g), softened
- 1 cup buttermilk (240g), room temp; make your own with 1 cup whole milk and 1 tbsp vinegar / lemon juice
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil (65g)
- 3 large eggs, room temp
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1 tsp almond extract (optional; you can replace with vanilla)
Berry simple syrup:
- 1/4 cup water (60g)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (55g)
- 2 tbsp berry jam of choice; I used strawberry
Chantilly cream frosting:
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled (720g)
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup granulated sugar according to your taste (75 to 110g)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 8 oz good quality mascarpone cheese (like Vermont Creamery), slightly cooler than room temperature
Assembly and decoration:
- 3/4 cup roughly chopped strawberries
- 3/4 cup roughly chopped raspberries
- 3/4 cup roughly chopped blackberries
- 3/4 cup blueberries
- Note: You can adjust the quantity and type of berries to your preference; just make sure they are fresh
Instructions
Cake:
- Pre-heat oven to 335F (conventional) and prepare 3 8″ cake pans with parchment paper and butter / oil
- Make sure the butter, eggs and buttermilk are at room temp. The butter should be soft but not melting
- Add the flour (sifted), sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt to the bowl of your stand mixer and mix together. Add the butter. Whisk on medium speed for ~1-2 minutes until the mixture resembles coarse sand / crumbs. Make sure to scrape the bowl to ensure everything is well combined
- Separately, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, vanilla and almond extract until the eggs are broken down
- Add a third of the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk on medium speed until combined. Scrape the bowl, and add the remaining wet ingredients. Whisk on medium speed until combined. Scrape the bowl again
- Now increase the speed to medium-high and whisk for 2 minutes. You should have a light and fluffy cake batter
- Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans and bake for ~28-30 minutes until the cakes are light golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs attached (no sticky batter)
- Let the cakes cool down in the pans for 20 minutes, then very carefully remove them and place on a wire rack. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes so the cakes can thoroughly cool down (if chilling for longer, wrap the cakes in cling wrap)
Berry simple syrup:
- Add the water, sugar and jam to a saucepan and mix
- Heat on low flame until the mixture starts to simmer and sugar has dissolved. This should not be a thick syrup
- Set aside to cool down
Chantilly cream frosting:
- Add the mascarpone cheese, sugar and vanilla to a bowl and whisk on low speed for 30-60 seconds until the mixture looks creamy. Do not overmix
- Separately, whisk the heavy cream for a few minutes until it reaches firm peaks. Do not overmix
- Add the whipped cream to the mascarpone mixture in 2 additions, gently folding it in until combined. You should have a thick and fluffy frosting
Assembly & decoration:
- Roughly chop the berries if you haven’t already
- Place a cake layer onto a turntable. ideally with a cake round underneath
- Use a sharp serrated knife to remove a thin layer of the cake crust on top to expose the crumb
- Use a pastry brush to generously brush on the berry simple syrup. Do not soak too much as the cake will become saturated and break otherwise
- Spread on a thin layer of the chantilly frosting
- Spread on the berries evenly, leaving ~1/2″ empty from the edges of the cake
- Add more chantilly frosting and spread it, pressing down slightly to fill the gaps between the berries. Add more frosting on the edges of the cake to ensure they’re covered. Use frosting generously!
- Repeat with the next layer of cake
- For the last cake layer, trim off the crust and brush with syrup before putting onto the turntable. Then flip upside down and layer on top of the cake you are assembling (so the side brushed with syrup is facing down and the side with the crust is facing up)
- Apply a thin layer of frosting all over the cake as evenly as you can. This is the crumb coating
- Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes, then add the remaining frosting generously all over the cake
- Decorate with any remaining frosting and berries
- If you need to transfer the cake to a serving stand, let it chill for an hour first so the frosting can firm up
- Serve and enjoy!
Video Tutorial
Notes
- While this cake needs to be kept in the fridge, it is best to rest it at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before eating. This allows the butter in the cake to soften so the cake feels soft (it will feel a bit firm straight from the fridge)
Comments
Areeba hamza
Hi. Zoha,
Thanks for sharing your recipes ive made then and they are always a hit. For berry chantilly cake can we make the eggless cae by any chance
Zoha Malik
Thank you so much! I haven’t tested an eggless version of this cake, I am so sorry!
Sabrina
Can you put the cakes in the freezer before assembling with the frosting and berries if I am making it ahead of time?
Zoha Malik
Yes, cover in cling wrap and freeze 🙂
Rehanna
One of my favorite recipes to make ! Thank you for sharing and adding pictures !
Zoha Malik
It’s my pleasure!
Shawn
Looks amazing. Where is the recipe card you mentioned that was supposed to be at the end of the post?
Zoha Malik
Hi Shawn! There is a brown border recipe card right above the comment section
Gail
For a 1/4 sheet cake (2 layers) would it be the same quantity of ingredients or do I need to double it?
Zoha Malik
Hi Gail! I would recommend 1.5x the quantities if you want a 9×13″ cake with 2 layers and good height.
Tasneem Gadar
Hi Zoha
Can I make this cake in 12/17 sheet pan and frost only on top.
Zoha Malik
Hi Tasneem! Yes, that is totally doable 🙂
Maria
I would like to make a double layer 11 x 15 cake. do you think I should double the recipe or will that be too much? thank you
Zoha Malik
I think 1.5x will do!
Astha
Hi Zoha!
I love your recipes. I have made this cake before and it turned out amazing. I want to make a larger sheet cake for a work party. What temperature and how long should I cook it for a 10″x13″ sheet pan? Also can I double the recipe and cook in 2 10*x13″ sheet pan for a two layer cake?
Zoha Malik
Hi Astha! I make 3 8″ cakes with this recipe, which is enough batter for a 1 10×13″ sheet cake with a similar baking time. And yes, you can double the quantities for 2 layers!
Maham
I want to make this cake in 10” cake pan and have to make it 3 layered. Should I double the recipe or 1.5 would be enough?
Zoha Malik
Hi there! 1.5 should be good!
Genevieve
Hi Zoha! I have two 6×3 inch pans, how long should I bake the cake? Thank you for sharing this recipe! 🙂
Zoha Malik
Hi Genevieve! This will be way too much batter for just 2 6″ pans. I recommend at least halving all quantities for a smaller 6″ cake. Baking time will likely be similar, maybe even slightly longer, as the layers will be thicker. A toothpick test should be perfect to determine if the cakes are done baking.
Elle
I’d love to use this recipe for cupcakes! Are there any changes to be mindful of when baking as cupcakes instead of cake?
Zoha Malik
Hi Elle! Yes – the baking time should be much shorter. I recommend baking 1 cupcake first as a test 🙂
Winey
Blindly trusted you and made this cake for my daughter’s birthday. There was no plan B cake and this was a massive hit! No crumbs left and people asked for more 🙏🏽 keep creating more not-a-baker friendly recipes please!!
Katie
Is there a nutrition breakdown? I’m trying to find it and I can’t.
Zoha
Hi Zoha!
I love this recipe, and was wondering if I could use it to make cupcakes. Approximately how many cupcakes would a batch make and how long would they bake for?
Thank you!
Zoha
Hi! Yes, this works great as cupcakes! One batch should give you approximately 24 cupcakes but depends how big you make them. Bake at the same temperature but reduce the time to about 18–22 minutes and check with a toothpick – again, will depend on the size. Enjoy! 😊
Zoha
Thank you SO much for getting back with all this information! 💕
Zoha
Of course!
S
I’ve made this cake before and it was AMAZING! I need to bake this cake again for my mom (who doesn’t eat eggs). Any idea for a substitute? Perhaps 1/4 cup Greek yogurt for each egg? I’d really appreciate any ideas!
Zoha
Hi Shayna! Thank you so much. Unfortunately I cannot recommend a substitute because I haven’t tested that myself. Usually, the best substitute for eggs is actually flax-seed eggs, so you could try that, but no guarantee from my end!
Rini
Is it really 14 tbsp butter? That seems a lot more than 200g
Zoha
Yes, 14 tbsp = almost 200g
Dao
Can i use cooking spray instead of butter or oil when prepping the pans?
Zoha
yes, but also add parchment paper rounds 🙂
Sam
can this cake be made in advance and frozen? also, if i were to do a strawberry filling in the middle, is the frosting stable enough to hold it in?
Zoha
Hi Sam! Cakes with fresh berries shouldn’t be frozen as they become icy in texture. the frosting should be stable to hold a filling, as long as it’s not too runny!
Arlene J
I cannot wait to make this recipe! Can I replace the cake flour with gluten free flour?
Zoha
Hi Arlene! I haven’t tried that substitute myself so sadly cannot say!
Faheema Pandor
This recipe was so easy and extremely tasty! Made it the morning of my sister’s bridal shower and everyone loved it. Thank you for sharing your lovely recipes 💗
Zoha
I am so honored you used my recipe – congratulations to her!
Emily
I seriously love this recipe, I first made the layers of the cake and then assembled it the next morning and it worked out perfectly the cake was so soft and delicious. This is also the first cake I have baked and it was fairly easy to follow. I would definitely recommend using this recipe if you haven’t baked a cake before but also just because this is a delicious recipe!!
Elizabeth
Hi Zoha, I’d love to make this recipe but I was wondering if I can use 2 9″ pans instead of 3 8″, please?
If not, how can I adapt the recipe for my 2 9″ pans?
Zoha
Hi Elizabeth! Yes, you can do that, but the cake layers will be thicker and take longer to bake. THen you can divide each layer into 2 for a 4 layered cake. I would recommend baking at 320F for 30-40 minutes and do a toothpick test to check for doneness