Berry Chantilly Cake
A delightful summer cake featuring layers of moist cake, fresh berries, and whipped Chantilly cream frosting, perfect for any gathering.
Ingredients
For the Cake Base
- 2 2/3 cups cake flour (345g); or mix 310g all-purpose flour with 35g cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (330g)
- 2.5 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 14 tbsp unsalted butter (200g), softened let it sit out to cream easier!
- 1 cup buttermilk (240g), room temp you can DIY this: 1 cup whole milk plus 1 tbsp vinegar or 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) feel free to sub with vanilla
For the Berry Simple Syrup
- 1/4 cup water (60g)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (55g)
- 2 tbsp berry jam I prefer strawberry
For the Chantilly Cream Frosting
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled (720g)
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup granulated sugar, to taste (75 to 110g)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 8 oz good-quality mascarpone cheese like Vermont Creamery, slightly cooler than room temperature
For Decoration
- 3/4 cup roughly chopped strawberries
- 3/4 cup roughly chopped raspberries
- 3/4 cup roughly chopped blackberries
- 3/4 cup blueberries
Instructions
Bake the Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans (or line ’em with parchment for easy removal).
- In a big mixing bowl, combine the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Next, add in the softened butter and buttermilk. Mix until golden and delicious.
- Throw in the oil, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat until it’s smooth AS EVER—those luscious flavors need to meld together!
Make the Berry Simple Syrup
- Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
- Stir in your berry jam, simmer for a few minutes, and let that syrup cool down.
- You’re gonna use this to soak the cake layers, making them extra moist and flavorful!
Assemble the Chantilly Cream
- In a large bowl, whip the cold heavy cream until soft peaks form.
- Gradually add the sugar and vanilla while whipping until stiff peaks form.
- Fold in the mascarpone cheese gently, mixing just until combined. Tada! Your frosting is ready to make dreams come true.
Layer and Decorate
- Once your cakes are cool, slice them in half horizontally for four layers.
- Drizzle each layer with the berry simple syrup.
- Spread that dreamy Chantilly cream over each layer, followed by a sprinkle of those freshly chopped berries.
- Stack ’em all up like a delicious tower of joy!
Notes
This cake is best enjoyed fresh, but you can keep it in the fridge for about 3-4 days covered (don’t let that whipped cream droop!). If you need to freeze it, wrap those layers tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and they’ll last a couple of months. Just thaw in the fridge before serving!