Chantilly Berry Cake
This Chantilly Cake is the gorgeous, show stopping dessert everyone will be raving about! Learn how to make it 100% ahead of time or in stages with step-by-step photos, a full video tutorial, and plenty of helpful tips. This recipe is elevated with tender vanilla cake, billowy, stabilized Chantilly cream frosting that's easy to work with and doesn’t slide off, and quick macerated berries + store-bought jam for ethereal cake perfection.
Servings 8 -10 slices
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature (See DIY in Notes)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups (285 g.) cake flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into16 pieces cold room temperature (see notes)
Chantilly Cream Frosting
- 1 ½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 8-oz. block full fat cream cheese, room temperature (DON’T microwave)
- 8 oz. mascarpone cheese, softened at room temperature for 20 minutes
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar, divided
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
Berry Filling
- You don’t need to be exact with these amounts: If (fill in the blank), are on sale, use more of those berries and less of something else, if you don't like blueberries, swap with another berry, etc.
- 1/2 pound fresh strawberries
- 6 oz. fresh raspberries, divided
- 6 oz. fresh blackberries, divided
- 4 oz. fresh blueberries, divided
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2/3 cup seedless berry jam
Instructions
CAKE
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper (or I love these silicone mats). Spray with nonstick cooking spray WITH flour or butter and flour the pans.
- Mix wet ingredients: Whisk the eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract together in a 3-cup (or more) liquid measuring cup. Set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients: Using a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt on the lowest speed until combined, about 20 seconds.
- Add butter: With the mixer still running at the lowest speed, add 1 piece of butter at a time and continue to beat until all the butter is added. Increase speed to medium and continue to beat until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with butter bits no larger than small peas.
- Add wet ingredients: With the mixer running on low, add approximately half the egg mixture to the flour mixture. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, approximately 60 seconds. Reduce speed to medium-low and add remaining egg mixture and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds (batter may look slightly curdled.) DO NOT OVERMIX.
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared cake pans (I use a kitchen scale), smooth with a spatula and drop a few times on the counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350 degrees F for 18-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out with just a few crumbs. The top of the cakes will be pale. Note: If you can't fit three pans in the oven at once, it's okay to leave one cake pan on the counter while the other two bake.
- Cool: Cool cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
For the Chantilly Cream:
- The Chantilly Cream can be made at any point while the cakes are cooling, then refrigerated until ready to use.
- Combine gelatin/water: Add unflavored gelatin to a small microwave safe bowl. Add 2 tablespoons cold water and whisk together with a fork; let stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile:
- Beat cream cheese mixture: In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and mascarpone until creamy. Add 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract and salt and beat on low until combined. Increase speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 30 seconds.
- Microwave gelatin: Microwave the gelatin for 20 seconds. Stir the mixture, then set aside while you immediately begin to beat the heavy cream. If at any point the gelatin solidifies (if you get interrupted in the next step), microwave again and let cool slightly.
- Make whipped cream: In a separate large mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream and remaining 1 cup powdered sugar using a handheld mixer until soft peaks form (the peaks flop over when the beaters are lifted). Turn the mixer to low and slowly pour in the gelatin mixture. Mix until combined, then increase speed to medium and continue mixing until stiff peaks form (peaks stand straight up when the beaters are lifted).
- Combine: Add whipped heavy cream to cream cheese/mascarpone mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. Set aside or keep refrigerated until ready to use.
For the Berry Filling:
- Berries for garnish: Set aside approximately 1/3 of the best-looking berries of each kind for topping the cake.
- Combine berries: Hull and thickly slice the remaining strawberries (you want them just a little thinner than the blueberries). Place them in a bowl with all remaining berries for the filling. Gently stir with the sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Macerate berries: Allow berries to sit for 20 minutes, stirring at 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, there should be some liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of it (plus water as needed to equal 2 tablespoons) to a small microwave safe bowl. Add the jam and microwave for 10 seconds. Stir with a fork to combine. Taste and add a little powdered sugar for sweeter or lemon zest for tangier (keep in mind, you don’t want it too sweet because the frosting and cake are sweet).
ASSEMBLE
- Level cakes: Trim the domed tops of each cake using a serrated knife or cake leveler.
- First cake: Place 1 cake on a serving plate/cake stand. Transfer some frosting to a piping bag (or Ziploc bag). Pipe a ring of frosting just inside the top edge of cake. Add half the jam and spread it to the edges of the piped frosting. Add about 3/4 cup frosting and spread to the edges of the cake. Tightly layer about one-third of the fresh macerated berries over the frosting
- Second cake: Top with the second leveled cake. Gently press down. Repeat procedure with piping/jam/frosting/berries.
- Third cake: Add final cake top side down. (Make Ahead: Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you're ready to continue.)
FROST CAKE
- Crumb coat: Separate about ¾ cup frosting to use as the “crumb coat.” Frost the cake starting with the top and working down until the cake is evenly, thinly frosted. Freeze the cake for 15-30 minutes or until the crumb layer has set. Refrigerate remaining frosting separately.
- Frost cake and garnish: Frost the outside of cake as you wish with remaining frosting. Add berries on top of the cake as desired.
CHILL THEN SLICE
- Chill: Refrigerate the cake for 45 minutes to firm up before slicing.
- Serve at room temperature: After slicing, let come to room temperature, about 30 minutes, before serving.
Video
Notes
- Cake flour: This flour is almost 30x finer than all-purpose flour! It has a lower protein content (8-9%) than all-purpose flour (10-13%) so it is finer, lighter, and softer which translates into meltingly tender cake layers that are lighter and softer, with a fine, close crumb. You should be able to find cake flour in the baking aisle.
- Don’t pack the flour: Don’t scoop the measuring cup into the flour bag/container or else the flour will compress; packed flour yields denser, drier cakes. Rather, fluff the flour, then use a spoon to scoop the flour into a measuring cup, then level. Better yet, weigh the flour. I highly recommend investing in a kitchen scale (this is the exact one I have).
- DIY Buttermilk: Add 1 1/4 tablespoon white vinegar to a measuring cup and add whole milk to equal 1 1/4 cups. Let come to room temperature or microwave for 10 seconds or so.
- Butter: The butter should not be warm or visibly greasy; your finger should NOT easily stick into the butter. Instead, butter should only give slightly when pressed.
- Unflavored gelatin: This is a common baking ingredient and can be found next to the packages of Jell-O and pudding at your grocery store. It is what makes this “stabilized” whipped cream and not just whipped cream. For vegetarians, use 1 1 1/2 teaspoons agar-agar instead of gelatin.
- Storage: Chantilly cake can be stored in the refrigerator covered with a cake cover or foil for up to 3-4 days. However, it's at peak freshness/tenderness the first two days. Slice the cake, then bring to room temperature before serving.
Make Ahead
- Frosted Cake: Assemble the entire cake, cover with a cake cover or tent with foil. Refrigerate for 24 hours before slicing, then allowing to sit at room temperature before serving.
- Frosting: Can be made up to 24 hours, covered and refrigerated. Let it come close to room temperature before using.
- Cakes: Make, cool, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate one day in advance or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Crumb Coated Cake: Let the crumb coat set completely in the fridge, then tightly wrap the cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze until ready to finish frosting.