Berry Chantilly Cake

4.83 from 164 ratings

Berry Chantilly Cake

This berry Chantilly cake is made with fluffy whipped cream frosting and the best mixed berry filling! It tastes just like Summer.

Prep Time30

Cook Time35

Additional Time1

Total Time2 5

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Servings: 24

Calories: 455kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Equipment

Ingredients

Berry Cake Filling

2 cups fresh or frozen mixed berries like raspberries, blackberries, blueberries etc. 290g
1/2 cup granulated sugar 100g
1 Tbsp water, room temperature 15g
1 Tbsp cornstarch 8g
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 12g
2 tsp lemon zest - about 1 large lemon 6g

Soft Vanilla Cake Layers

3 cups cake flour 360g
3 cups granulated sugar 600g
2 1/2 tsp baking powder 10g
1 tsp fine salt 6g
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 226g
1 cup carton egg whites or 7 large egg whites, room temperature 240g
1 1/2 cups full-fat sour cream, room temperature 360g
2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil 28g
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g

Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup (8 oz) full-fat cream cheese, cold 226g
1 cup powdered sugar 125g
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold 600g

Decorations

1-2 cups fresh berries
fresh mint sprigs
edible flowers

Instructions

Berry Cake Filling

Make the filling first so that it has time to cool and thicken. It needs a few hours to cool.
Pour 2 cups of mixed berries and 1/2 cup of sugar into a large saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
In a separate small bowl, stir together the 1 Tbsp of cornstarch and 1 Tbsp of water to make a slurry. Pour the slurry into the saucepan and stir to combine.
Let the berry mixture cook for several minutes until it thickens, stirring constantly. If you use frozen berries it will take a few minutes longer to thicken. Once the mixture has thickened, turn off the stove and mix in 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice and 2 tsp lemon zest.
Pour into a separate bowl and set aside to cool. To accelerate the cooling process, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge.

Vanilla Cake Layers

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line and grease three 8” pans or four 7” pans with parchment rounds. You can also use this recipe to make 4, 6-inch cake layers but the bake time will be a few minutes longer. If you don't have 4 cake pans, the batter can sit at room temperature for a few hours. Bake as many layers at a time as you can at a time.
Whisk together 3 cups cake flour, 3 cups sugar, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1 tsp salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl.
Mix in 1 cup of room-temperature butter slowly with a paddle attachment on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture looks like moist sand.
Pour in 1 cup of egg whites and mix on low until just incorporated.
Add in 1 1/2 cups sour cream, 2 Tbsp oil, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Mix on a low speed until the batter is smooth.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on a medium speed for 30 more seconds to make sure everything is properly combined.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 33-36 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the pans cool for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around the perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan. Place cake layers on a wire rack to finish cooling.
Place the cake pans into the freezer for 45 minutes to accelerate the cooling process. Once the layers are fully cooled, carefully flip the pans, and remove the layers from the pans. Use a serrated knife to level the tops of the layers. Set aside.

Whipped Cream Frosting

Chill your mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 30 minutes to help this whipped cream frosting whip up better.
Place 1 cup (8 oz. block) of cold cream cheese into the chilled mixing bowl and mix on a medium-low speed until smooth.
Pour in 1 cup of powdered sugar, and mix on low at first to avoid powdered sugar clouds/explosions. Increase the speed to medium-high once the powdered sugar is incorporated, and mix for about 1 minute. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed throughout this process.
Add in 1 tsp of vanilla extract, then turn the mixer to a medium-high speed and gradually pour in 2 1/2 cups of cold heavy cream. I like to do this in about 4 additions and focus on pouring the heavy cream down the side of the bowl to prevent it from splattering.
Watch the mixture closely once the heavy cream is fully mixed in. It should thicken and take shape shortly after this (mine usually does within about 30 seconds of mixing in the heavy cream). Take care not to over-mix your whipped cream frosting!! It will become soupy and sadly, you won't be able to fix it.
As soon as you see the frosting start to take shape, turn off your mixer and do a quick whisk test. Dunk your whisk attachment into the frosting, then put it out and flip it upside down. The frosting should keep its shape and form a nice peak. If it doesn't, continue to mix the frosting on a medium-high speed for 30-second intervals until it does.
Place 2/3 of the frosting into a large piping bag and cut a 2 cm opening at the tip of the bag.

Assembling This Berry Chantilly Cake

Build this cake on a greaseproof cake board or flat plate using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
Pipe a thick frosting ring (about 1-inch wide) around the edge of the cake layer to act as a frosting dam for the berry filling.
Spread a thick layer of cooled berry filling into the ring of frosting. Top with additional fresh berries (optional) and cover with an even layer of whipped cream frosting. Flip the top cake layer upside down to make it easier to frost.
Add a thin layer of frosting around the cake to fully cover the cake layers. We're going for a semi-naked look, so it's ok if you can see the cake layers peeking out through the frosting.
Smooth using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (30 minutes) or freezer (10 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
Top the cake with fresh berries and edible flowers, then enjoy!

Video

Notes

This recipe was updated in June 2023, and the frosting recipe has been changed to make the process simpler. If you want the original recipe, please email me at hello@chelsweets.com.

Substitutions and Swaps

If you need to make any substitutions or swaps in this recipe, please check out the section on ingredient substitutions in the post above.

Making this Berry Chantilly Cake in Different Sizes

One batch of batter is about 1800g or 10 cups, so I add roughly 600g to each of my cake pans when using 3, 8-inch cake pans.

You can also use one batch of batter to make 2, 9-inch cake layers or 4, 6-inch cake layers. Bake time will be a few minutes longer at 350°F/175°C.

If you want to make a tiered cake with this recipe, check out my cake batter calculator to see how many batches of batter you'll need.

If you want to make berry chantilly cupcakes, bake them at 350°F/175°C for 18-21 minutes. One batch of batter will make about 3 dozen cupcakes (yield will vary based on the size of your liners).

Tips for Making the Best Berry Chantilly Cake

Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
Use a serrated knife to level your cake layers once they’re fully cooled to let the berry filling seep into the cake layers.
Use fresh berries for the cake filling if they are in season, and frozen if they aren't.
Chill the cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake, to make it easier to stack and frost.
If your cake layers turn out less than perfect, read my cake troubleshooting guide to see where things might've gone awry.

Making This Berry Chantilly Cake in Advance

I highly recommend making the components of this cake in stages. It breaks the process up and makes it so much more approachable!

The berry filling can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the fridge.

The cake layers can also be made in advance and frozen for up to a month. They taste just as great when they're frozen as when they're fresh, I promise!

You can make the frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container or piping bag in the fridge for up to 3 days and will keep its shape. There's no need to re-whip it once you're ready to use it; just use it cold straight from the fridge.

If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Nutrition