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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
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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
Saadh
Made this and it’s amazing not overly sweet the chantilly cream is heavenly so beautifully soft and fluffy like ice cream the cake was extra moist but if u don’t have stand mixer like me it’s a tiny bit hard to do the reverse cake method but with hands it’s alright the berry simple syrup is soo so good I added some lemon juice to it for a great tang I will definitely make again amazing highly recommend
Hayley
This was a very easy recipe to make and follow. Often you’ll find online recipe over complicating things and you will not find that in this recipe. The cake came out ✨DELICIOUS✨. Do not change a thing about it except maybe which extract you prefer. Well done 👍🏻 this will be going into my recipe catalog!
Kat
hi!! been making your Matilda cake and now my husband requested for this. if I make this ahead of time how long can I keep it in the freezer? love everything you make!!!🥰
Zoha
Hi Kat! Glad to hear that. Since this cake has berries in it, I actually don’t recommend freezing it. Berries will become a strange texture after thawing. Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days max so the berries stay fresh.
Michelle Barber
What oil substitutes can I use? Olive oil?
Zoha
Please don’t use olive oil, it has a strong flavor! Use canola or avocado.
kiernan
Verry Good. I was kind of messy with the frosting, but it tasted delicious.
Reem
Very lovely cake! My cake came out a bit crumbly and almost fell apart— not sure why. I decreased the amount of sugar by half and my hush loved it!
Zoha
thank you so much for trying the recipe. halving the sugar is definitely going to cause a change in texture
zun
Hi! can the cake layers be frozen before frosting/decorating it?
Kim
Has anyone made it gluten free with success?
Karam
Did anyone find that the sponge did not rise so much is this as it should be or did I do something wrong
What should the rise be roughly on the cake mine rose maybe 1.5inches
Sandra T
Great recipe , very straightforward with detailed steps . I am happy that the amount of chantilly was the perfect amount to fill , cover and decorate the cake as in some recipes you come to be short on cream and have to redo . I came across your blog looking for a good berry cake and i found the best one !
Victoria
Eager to try this! Would I be able to prebake this recipe and freeze the cake to frost?
baking guy
I’ve made this cake many times but want to try to make the cake layers earl grey flavored next time. How much buttermilk can I sacrifice and replace with steeped tea would you think?
Zoha
HMMMM good question! Can you steep 1 cup milk in the tea, and then add the 1 tbsp vinegar separately?
Zoha
Hi Zoha,
Thank you for such great recipes! I always love checking your blog for new recipes and they never disappoint. I have told many people to check out your stuff too, and they all like them too!
I have made this recipe a few times and it is AMAZING! The cake isn’t overly sweet, the almond flavor is not overwhelming (as someone who isn’t a fan of a ton of almond extract, this is the right amount), and I love all the fresh berries that go into this!
I am planning on making this cake for a birthday party and need to make it bigger. I need to make 3 10-inch layers. How would you recommend I adjust the recipe to do that?
Thank you!!
Zoha
Thank you SO much!!! For a large 10″ cake, you could do either 1.33x all quantities or even 1.5x all quantities 🙂 Baking time will likely also be a bit longer
Zoha
Hi Zoha!
I am planning on making this cake, and I am wondering if American buttercream pair well with this cake? If so, will it hold up to American buttercream, rather than using the Mascarpone cream included in the recipe? I plan to decorate/do pipework on the cake.
Thank you!
Kiara
Hi! I wanted to make this cake for my nieces birthday but it’s a berry theme so I wanted to know if it’s possible to color the frosting? Pink and red? Would it hold?
Jeannine
I baked this & it was soooooo good! Light & airy & perfect with afternoon tea (& also midnight snack from the fridge)
I will make this a million more times. Thank you, Zoha! 🍉💕
Zainab
This recipe is so delicious and the fresh fruit makes for the perfect summer cake! However, I did find this cake a little too sweet. Is there any way you can reduce the sugar without ruining the cake completely?
Zoha
Hi Zainab! The sugar helps make the cake more moist so if you want to cut it, maybe reduce it even more in the frosting to balance things out 🙂
Mary
Hi Zoha, how far in advance can I make it and store in fridge? 1.5 – 2 days is okay or not a good idea? With decor and toppings
Rebecca
Made this recipe. Tried to make the cake in advance however they cracked, any tips?? Using a bone shaped pan for my little ones bluey birthday party.
Kathy Baker
Can you tell me adjustments for the cake for 8700 feet? Thanks
Zoha
Hi Kathy! As I have never lived at high altitude, I am not able to test my recipes for high altitude and provide any recommendations from my personal experience. However, I am sure whatever adjustments you usually make for cakes should work here, too!
Britannie g
Hi
I baked the cakes but was wanting to wait to decorate the next day. How would you recommend storing them overnight?
Zoha
Sorry I didn’t see this timely. But you can always wrap baked cakes in cling wrap and refrigerate overnight before decorating the next day. Let the cake come to room temp before eating 🙂
Aditi
why my batter is not getting fluffy and liquidy.
Zoha
It’s hard to say without knowing what step you’re on and how you did things. If you’re following the recipe exactly it should get there, especially with accurate measurements!
Teana
Hey, I was wondering if im using the 9″ pans will the recipe stay the same or will I need to alter it?
Zoha
It should pretty much be the same 🙂 Maybe reduce baking time by 2-3 min
Jordan
If I wanted to prep and make this the day before how would advise doing this ? Just follow all the instructions and leave it in the fridge or bake everything the day before and assemble the next ?
Zoha
Either way works! You can frost the cake, cover in cling film and leave in the fridge overnight. Then add berries the next day
Maya
Can I replace granulated sugar with powdered sugar for the mascarpone cream?
Zoha
Hi! You can but the quantities will be different – powdered sugar is lighter so you will need more
Lakshmi
how can I replace the sponge with eggles
Ms. Shirley
Can this be made just substituting the vanilla extract for almond extract ?
Zoha
Yes sure!