This recipe for berry chantilly cake is a light and tender yellow cake with plenty of fresh berries and a fluffy melt-in-your-mouth frosting. The perfect cake for a celebration!
Chantilly cake is a popular dessert sold at Whole Foods – now you can skip the bakery and make this delicious treat at home for a fraction of the cost.
Easter is almost upon us and I can’t think of a better way to usher in the holiday than this berry chantilly cake. Each year I host Easter at my house and my girls are already so excited! Of course their favorite part is hunting for Easter eggs but I enjoy spending time with the family and of course creating a fabulous holiday meal.
I always make a ham with a variety of side dishes and a showstopping dessert. One of my favorite Easter desserts is this chantilly cake which is a copy cat of a Whole Foods recipe. This cake has four layers of yellow cake, plenty of fresh berries and the fluffiest frosting I’ve ever had that literally melts in your mouth.
How to make chantilly cake
The first step in the process for this recipe is to make the cake layers. This is a fairly standard yellow cake recipe that produces a light and fluffy cake with plenty of flavor.
After you’ve baked your cake layers, you’ll need to slice them in half. I use a cake slicing tool for this, but you can also just use a long serrated knife. The cake layers get brushed with an easy berry syrup made from raspberry jam and then are finished off with frosting and lots of fresh berries.
I am not exaggerating when I say that this is some of the best frosting that I’ve ever tasted. The frosting is made with cream cheese, mascarpone cheese and whipped cream and is delightfully fluffy. Top this chantilly cake with an assortment of fresh berries and you’ve got an Easter dessert that everyone will love!
So tell me, what’s on your Easter menu this year? I’m still working on finalizing my menu but one thing’s for sure, I’m excited to make this berry chantilly cake again to share with my family and friends.
More delicious dessert recipes
- Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
- Fresh Strawberry Pie
- Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes
- Greek Yogurt Cheesecakes
- Lemon Bundt Cake
Berry Chantilly Cake
Ingredients
For the cake layers:
- cooking spray
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 cups Bob's Red Mill Organic Unbleached All Purpose White Flour
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the berry syrup:
- 1/4 cup raspberry jam
- 2 tablespoons water
For the frosting:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese at room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup butter at room temperature
- 2 cups mixed berries plus more for garnish
- Optional garnish: Mint sprigs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Coat 2 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper cut into rounds.
- Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat for about 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
- Add egg yolks, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla.
- Stir together salt, baking powder, and flour in a large bowl. Pour half of the flour mixture into the butter mixture and beat until just combined. Add half of buttermilk, then add the remainder of the flour mixture followed by the remainder of the buttermilk. Do not over mix.
- Divide the cake batter evenly between the pans.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven, place the pans on a wire rack and allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes. Then, turn the cakes out on the cooling rack to cool completely.
- For the berry syrup:
- Combine the raspberry jam and water; heat in the microwave for 20 second increments or until melted. Press through a sieve to remove seeds.
- For the frosting:
- With a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat heavy cream and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream to a bowl.
- Put the mascarpone cheese, cream cheese, butter and confectioners’ sugar in the mixing bowl and beat until very smooth.
- Gently fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture until completely incorporated. Use immediately.
- To assemble the cake:
- Split each layer in half so that you have 4 layers. Place the first layer on your serving plate.
- Brush the berry syrup over the cake layer then add a layer of frosting (approximately 1/2 cup).
- Arrange 2/3 cup of berries over the frosting layer; if you're using larger berries such as strawberries, cut them in half first.
- Place the second cake layer on top. Brush the second layer with syrup and repeat the process from the first layer of adding the frosting and berries.
- Add the third layer of cake, brush with syrup, spread with frosting and arrange the remaining berries on top.
- Place the final layer of cake on top. Use the remaining frosting to cover the cake, smoothing the frosting with an offset spatula.
- Arrange additional berries and mint sprigs on top. Cake can be refrigerated for one day. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
This berry chantilly cake recipe is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. This post was originally published on March 14, 2016 and was updated on February 20, 2018.
Betty E chatman says
Thank that the cake is good just the way you show it on this repice .I like what I saw on yuotub and I will try it. Ms.Betty Ealem.
Gloria says
Can I use swan cake flour instead of the all purpose?
Sara says
That should be fine!
diana wong says
question, when you say 4 large eggs, do you mean 4 egg whites or do you mean the whole egg? thanks.
Sara says
It’s whole eggs!
Summer says
Thanks for the recipe! Had the sweetest quarantine day ever making this cake with my mom for her birthday. Wanted to report though that my sponge’s flavor came out very flour-y. Did that happen with anyone else? I followed the entire recipe judiciously – didn’t add less vanilla extract or too much flour or anything of the sort. I think the recipe calls for too much flour.
Sara says
It could be due to over mixing the cake batter or excess flour. How do you measure your flour? I always recommend spooning flour into the cup and leveling it off rather than using the cup to scoop it. The latter can add too much flour to a recipe.
Rose says
Frosting is way sweeter than the original, but the cake turned out great!
JOHN LANE says
Is the frosting stable enough to pipe rosettes through a pastry bag?
Sara says
This is a softer frosting, but you could add more powdered sugar to try and make it stiff!
Flora says
Do you think I could use this as a cupcake recipe for an office party?? Just make the cake to cupcakes and fill with the berries, then frost?
Sara says
I think it would work although I haven’t tried it myself!
Sheena says
Wow this looks so yummy, I am from Trinidad (the Caribbean) don’t have buttermilk, what can I use to substitute buttermilk?
Sara says
You can put one tablespoon of lemon juice into 1 cup of milk. Let it sit for 10 minutes. That will give you one cup of buttermilk!
sheena says
Many thanks, will do!
Nelocooks on Instagram says
Google how to make buttermilk, it’s really simple. One cup fresh milk and add one table spoon of lemon or vinegar to the milk, shake and let sit for 10 minutes. That’s all!
Gabrielle says
This is one of the best cakes I’ve ever made. My co-workers bought one from Whole Foods and when I looked the the price 😱 ($35) I thought I can make that way cheaper. When looking for a recipe on-line this caught my eye because it mentions Whole Foods. I have now made this for Thanksgiving, Christmas for my in-laws, now New Year’s Eve again for my family. I’ve even made it for my boss’ husband’s birthday. All in the last month. My husband is a die-hard chocolate cake/icing guy but he’s already requested this for his January birthday. Thank you for figuring out how to make it, then sharing it as well. Also, I have given you credit every time I’ve made it.
Lisa says
Hi, can I substitute the all purpose flour for Almond flour? If so, how much?
lisa says
Hi, got another question. If I wanted to make cupcakes using just the ingredients under the “cake layers” section, do you know how many cupcakes this will make?
Sara says
It should make 16-18 cupcakes!
Lisa says
Hi, how long does the butter and the cheese need to be left out of the fridge for it to be at room temperature?
Sara says
The butter you’ll want to leave out for about an hour, or you can microwave it in 5 second increments until just softened but not melted. The marscarpone should take 30-45 minutes.
Lisa says
Hi, how many cups of frosting does your recipe yield? Thanks!
Sara says
It should make about 4 cups!
JESSICA PHAN says
Hi, my family loves this cake. I want to make a bigger cake – 15 x 3 inch round. Should I triple the recipe?
Sara says
Here’s a conversion chart that should help! https://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
Anna says
Can you use almond extract versus vanilla? I also tried to find the flour and I couldn’t find it can I use all purpose flour bleached or organic coconut flour?
Sara says
Any all purpose flour will work, and almond extract is fine!