No Bake Berry Chantilly Cake

Zoha Malik

by Zoha Malik

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Rated 5.00 out of 5

79 Comments
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If you’ve ever wanted a stunning, bakery-worthy cake without even turning on your oven, this Easy No Bake Berry Chantilly Cake is perfect for you! Instead of baked cake layers, it is made with ladyfingers soaked in a berry simple syrup so they become soft and moist like a genoise. They are layered with a light and creamy Chantilly whipped cream stabilized with cream cheese and mascarpone, and loaded with fresh berries. The result is a beautiful dessert that looks and slices like a proper celebration cake, and tastes light, fresh, and just sweet enough to let the berries shine. In fact, after making this and my baked Berry Chantilly Cake many times? I’d say this no bake version is softer, more flavorful, and more impressive, despite taking a fraction of the effort!

A layered cake with white frosting and mixed berries, including strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, on top and inside. A large slice is cut out, revealing the berry and cream filling. The cake sits on a round marble stand.

I’m a BIG fan of using ladyfingers for easy no bake desserts – they’re basically cake, just dried out! Some of my favorites include my popular No Bake Tres Leches Cake, my No Bake Tiramisu Tres Leches Cake, and my new Triple Chocolate Tiramisu.

4 simple components

This cake is made with 4 simple components:

  • Ladyfingers: This is the real star of the show, and what makes this no-bake cake just like a baked one! They are also called Savoiardi biscuits, and available at many grocery stores. I typically get them on Amazon here
  • Berry simple syrup: To soften the ladyfingers and add flavor, we dip them in a syrup made with water, sugar, berry jam and lemon juice
  • Chantilly whipped cream: A incredibly luscious and silky frosting made with heavy cream, cream cheese and mascarpone cheese brings the cake together, and coats it to give it the look of a baked cake
  • Berries: Of course, the cake isn’t complete without fresh berries! You can use any that you like, but I love adding all four (blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries)
A slice of layered cake with cream, berries, and sponge, topped with a strawberry and blueberry, sits on a small plate with a fork. Another slice is in the background.

Tips for assembly

Because we’re working with individual ladyfingers instead of cake layers, you can’t transfer this cake from one stand to another without it falling apart! Therefore, you have to assemble it directly on your serving stand.

Good news is, the assembly is VERY flexible because you can adjust the shape, size, number of layers and height of the cake based on your liking. Here are a few examples:

  • Make a square cake like mine – this is the easiest thing to do because the ladyfingers naturally make a square shape, and you don’t need to trim or waste them. You can still change the size and height, though
  • Make a round cake – use a cake ring or acetate collar to guide the shape, and trim the ladyfingers to fit in the circle as you layer. I don’t love this as it does waste ladyfingers
  • Assemble in a dish – you can also assemble this cake in a dish and serve from it, just like tiramisu
  • Make individual dessert cups

Step by step photos

Let’s quickly go over the steps with photos to help you visualize this easy, no-fuss recipe:

A metal saucepan containing water, sugar and jam in the center, placed on a wooden surface with a checkered pattern.

Start by making the berry syrup. Add the water, sugar, jam, and lemon juice to a saucepan.

A saucepan filled with a red strawberry simple syrup and a whisk resting inside, placed on a wooden cutting board with a few drops of liquid spilled nearby.

Cook and stir on low heat for 3-5 minutes, until the sugar and jam have dissolved. Let it cool down.

A glass mixing bowl on a wooden surface contains cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract, ready to be mixed together.

For the Chantilly whipped cream, add the cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, sugar, vanilla and salt to the bowl of your stand mixer.

A glass mixing bowl containing smooth, creamy mixture of cream cheese and sugar sits on a dark wooden surface.

Whisk for 2-3 minutes until creamy and combined.

A glass mixing bowl filled with white cream sits on a wooden countertop. The sides of the bowl have some batter residue.

Add the cold heavy cream and scrape the bowl.

A glass mixing bowl filled with smooth, whipped cream cheese frosting. A red spatula is resting in the mixture, and the bowl is placed on a wooden surface.

Whisk for another few minutes until a smooth, thick and spreadable frosting forms. This happens quick! Don’t overmix – that will cause the cream to split and become grainy

Twelve ladyfinger biscuits are neatly arranged in three rows on a round, white marble plate, which sits on a brown, checkered wooden surface.

To assemble, dip the ladyfingers into the berry syrup and arrange them in a neat layer on your serving stand as pictured.

A rectangular cake topped with whipped cream and a mix of strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries, sits on a round white plate over a wooden surface.

Spread the frosting on top, and pipe a border of the frosting around the edge. Cover with chopped berries, and gently press them in.

Repeat the process for the second layer of the cake. Then cover the entire thing in frosting (you can even pipe some to decorate!), and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight. When ready to serve, decorate with fresh berries, slice and enjoy!

A square white frosted cake topped with strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries, displayed on a marble cake stand with a few raspberries scattered on the surface below.

Chilling is important!

I know it’s tempting to dive right in, but you have to chill this cake for at least 6 hours! This allows the ladyfingers to absorb moisture and flavor, and develop a cake like texture.

Print
A slice of layered dessert with creamy filling and mixed berries, topped with a swirl of cream, a blueberry, and a strawberry, served on a beige plate with a fork beside it.

Easy No Bake Berry Chantilly Cake Recipe

by Zoha Malik

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 stars from 26 reviews

An incredibly easy No Bake Berry Chantilly Cake made with ladyfingers instead of cake, layered with Chantilly whipped cream and fresh berries

Yield:12-14 servings

Prep Time:
30 mins
Cook Time:
5 mins
Chilling Time:
6 hrs
Total Time:
35 mins

Ingredients

Berry simple syrup:

  • 1/2 cup water (120g)
  • 1/2 cup sugar (100g)
  • 1/4 cup berry jam of choice – I used Smucker’s strawberry jam
  • Squeeze of lemon juice

Chantilly whipped cream:

  • 6 oz cream cheese (170g), room temp
  • 6 oz mascarpone cheese (170g), cold from the fridge – I highly recommend Galbani
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
  • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3 cups heavy whipped cream, chilled (720g)

Assembly:

  • 40–45 ladyfingers – the exact quantity will depend on the size you choose to make your cake , but this range will provide the best ratio of ladyfingers to frosting
  • 6oz each of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries – exact quantity depends on your preference.

Instructions

  1. Start by making the berry simple syrup. Add the water, sugar, jam and lemon juice to a saucepan. Place on the stove on medium-low heat, and cook and stir until the sugar and jam have fully dissolved. Set aside to cool down
  2. For the Chantilly whipped cream, add the room temperature cream cheese, cold mascarpone cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla to the bowl of your stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment to whisk on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, scraping the bowl along the way, until smooth and creamy. Add the cold heavy cream, and use the balloon whisk attachment to whisk on low speed for about 2-3 more minutes, until a thick, fluffy and spreadable frosting forms. Please take care not to overmix, as that can cause the frosting to split or become grainy. Give the frosting a good stir to ensure it is well combined and not runny. Transfer a quarter of the frosting to a piping bag
  3. Save some of the prettiest berries for decoration, and roughly chop the rest
  4. Once the syrup has cooled down, it is time to assemble! You must assemble the cake directly on your serving stand or cake board as it cannot be transferred. Dip the ladyfingers one by one in the berry syrup (just a quick dip on both sides, don’t hold) and arrange them in a neat 2×7 rectangle (see image in blog post above). Make sure they are tightly packed with no gaps between, as we are trying to form a cake layer. 
  5. Add a generous layer of the frosting on top, and carefully and gently spread it out evenly. I recommend using light pressure so you don’t move the ladyfingers. Then pipe a border of the frosting around the edge of the cake, and spread a generous amount of the chopped berries in the middle. Lightly press them down
  6. Now repeat steps 4 and 5 to add a second layer on the cake. Cover with a third layer of the ladyfingers dipped in the syrup. This is the structure of your cake
  7. Cover the entire cake with the rest of your frosting, using an offset spatula and being as careful and gentle as you can to give the cake a neat look. If you wish, you can pipe some frosting on top for decoration
  8. Once the cake is fully frosted, transfer to the fridge and chill for ~6 hours. This step allows the ladyfingers to soak moisture and flavor, and makes the cake layers gel together better
  9. When you are ready to serve, decorate the cake with the berries reserved in step 3
  10. Slice, serve and enjoy! 

Video Tutorial

Notes

  • Shape and size of the cake: This is a free standing cake and you can adjust the shape and size to your liking! The instructions will help you make the exact shape and size of my cake pictured above, but you can play around with what works best for you. For example, you could make a larger sheet cake with just 2 layers of ladyfingers instead of 3
  • Make ahead and storage: Because this cake uses fresh berries, I don’t recommend making it more than 1 day in advance. Keep it covered in the fridge for up to 3 days

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Comments

  1. Gail

    Would 24 ladyfingers work for a two layer rectangle cake? It looks like you use 40-45 ladyfingers for a three layer round cake.

    1. Zoha Malik

      Hi Gail! I have made a rectangle cake with 3 layers. Each layer has 14 ladyfingers, so 42 total to be exact. If you want a 2 layer cake, you can do about 20 ladyfingers per layer for 40 total. If you want to make a smaller cake with only 24 total (12 per layer) I would recommend cutting down all quantities, including the frosting, by half 🙂

  2. VALERIE Campli

    my question is when you add the heavy cream you do not have to whip it into thick cream like i would for a strawberry short cake? Just add to the other two creams ?

    1. Zoha Malik

      Hi Valerie, I am not sure what other creams you’re referring to. Are you sure you commented on the correct recipe?

      1. Valerie DiSanto Campli

        Cream cheese and mascarpone – I always whip my heavy cream till it’s stiff younsaidnonly two or 2 minutes

  3. Arti

    is it okay to use a hand mixer?

    1. Zoha

      Yes 🙂

  4. Mariam

    I made this cake for eid and O my God what a showstopper it was! love fresh berry cakes and this is going to be a regular now. Wish I could post picture as well. love your recipes.

    1. Zoha

      Aw, thank you so much Mariam. I think showstopper is definitely what I was going for here, and love how easy it is!

  5. Ajju

    Another HIT recipe by Zoha !!!!! This No Bake Berry Chantilly Cake is out of this world. No words can express how good it is. Devoured within seconds. This has become my favourite cake to make with such little effort.
    Zoha if you’re looking this comment
    Please do make
    More of like this ( No Bake, luscious, heavenly, moist and delicious cakes)

    1. Zoha

      I AM looking at this comment!! 😂😍 Thank you so much Ajju — ‘devoured within seconds’ is everything I could ask for! And noted, more no-bake recipes are definitely coming your way! ✨

      1. Sabeen

        Can I assemble this cake on a cake board/base and then transfer the board to a stand when needed? I don’t have room in my fridge for my cake stand plus cake on top of it 🙁

        1. Zoha

          Hi Sabeen! Yes, that should be fine. You just can’t try to list and transfer the cake without a board, as the cake doesn’t have a solid base 🙂

  6. OpalEyeRye

    my wedding cake was a beautiful berry Chantilly cake! I somehow stumbled upon you’re recipe and was immediately drawn in to try it because this is my favorite cake EVER. You’re recipe was perfection, I am a baker already but super clear and accurate. I am a busy homeschool mama and I appreciate simple recipes with whole foods and no funky chemicals. I will be making this again. I actually made this for my own birthday because I try to avoid the store bought desserts nowadays because of knowledge. I am SUPER happy. I did make a slight subtle change just added some fresh basil from my garden while making the syrup. DIVINE!!! ✨ 🌿 🍓 🫐 💕 Thanks for sharing your recipe so we can all enjoy yummy wholesome foods too. 🙏😇

    1. Zoha

      This comment made me so emotional!! 😭✨ And adding fresh basil to the syrup? What a stunning, creative touch — I have to try that myself! Thank you so, so much for sharing this 🙏

  7. Rahima Naveed

    I made this today for my family and they loved it! I loved it! My mom is picky when it comes to sweets and she said it was light, refreshing and not too sweet. My husband and 4 year old loved the whipping cream frosting. Highly recommend making this.

    1. Zoha

      A picky mom approving it is the ULTIMATE seal of approval!! 😂🙏 So happy your whole family loved it Rahima!

  8. Z. B.

    Tried this recipe yesterday: everyone at home loved it! I used only strawberries.
    It’s very delicious l!
    Thank you!

    1. Zoha

      All strawberries sounds absolutely gorgeous!! 🍓 So happy it was a hit at home — thank you! 😊

    2. Siulin

      I was drawn to this cake as I absolutely loved the wholefoods version. Decided it would be a great Easter dessert. It was absolutely delicious, not so sweet, overall a winner, everyone wanted seconds! My 4 year old daughter couldn’t stop eating the chantilly cream haha. I’m actually sad there’s nothing left, I was thinking of having a slice for breakfast! Thank you for this amazing recipe Zoha! Can’t wait to make it again x

      1. Zoha

        Your 4 year old has GREAT taste!! 😂😍 So happy it was an Easter winner for the whole family. Thank you for this wonderful message Siulin 🙏

  9. Mon

    Made this with frozen berries and was delicious the next day 🙂
    Also it’s hard to maintain the shape and we ended up with a dome.
    Taste is just 🫶🏼

    1. Zoha

      Frozen berries work so well and honestly the dome is charming!! 😂 For a flatter top next time, smooth it with an offset spatula before chilling. But honestly if the taste is 🫶🏼 then you’ve already won! Thank you Mon 😍

      1. Miranda

        made this for mothersday. couldnt find lady fingers so I had to substitute and I bought these soft sweet eggwafels. really delicious and so very easy! everybody loved it, a real crowdpleaser!

        1. Zoha Malik

          What a helpful substitution, Miranda! Thank you for your kind review and glad you liked the recipe 🙂

  10. Beenish Dar

    A simple recipe which taste heavenly. A beautiful treat for the taste buds 😋.
    thank you zoha for sharing ❤️

    1. Vivianne Broekman

      For how many people is this cake

      1. Zoha Malik

        Depending on the size of your slices I’d say you can easily serve ~15 people!

    2. Zoha

      Aw, thank you so much!

  11. Virginia

    I am wondering if it would work to replace some of the liquid for the lady fingers with Gran Marnier or Chambord? Similar to Tiramisu

    1. Zoha

      Hi Virginia! I think it could be worth a shot, but can’t be sure as I don’t consume alcohol.

  12. N

    Hi
    I wanna do a round cheesecake shape and demould it. Should I dip the outer layer biscuits or should I leave them dry so that they hold a round cake shape when I remove them from the cheesecake cake mould ?

    1. Rishda

      hello. I did this tiramisu style & honestly, it was an absolute win! so delicious, rich & creamy. The layers blended so well and it was a hit in our home! finished within a day ❤️😍

      1. Zoha Malik

        WOOOO so happy to hear that! Tiramisu style is definitely quicker and still packs a punch

    2. Jackie Schwartz

      Hi! Can you add food coloring to the chantilly cream? Thanks!

      1. Zoha Malik

        Yes, that’s fine, but add it before you start mixing. if you add it to already whipped cream, there’s a risk of overmixing.

    3. Kimberly

      This looks amazing! I was wondering if I could make this with frozen berries between the layers. Would it work?

      1. Zoha

        Hi Kimberly! Frozen berries usually release a lot of moisture and have a strange texture. If you don’t have fresh berries, I would recommend making a compote with frozen berries and using that instead!

        1. Dordy

          hi there just responding to the lady that added basil to her Berries iv never tried this..it will bring out such a different flavour..
          I would add mint before anything..this is one I must try..thank you..

          1. Zoha Malik

            Thanks for your suggestion, Dordy!

    4. Zoha

      I think you can dip all ladyfingers like normal. But just don’t try to transfer the cake from the bottom of the pan to another pan. Once you remove the sides, keep the cake on the same base. Don’t demold before chilling 🙂

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