This Berry Chantilly cake has moist and soft vanilla cake layers, fresh fruit and a mascarpone whipped cream. It is the perfect cake for any special occasion.

The first time I’ve tried the berry Chantilly cake was from Publix. And then many months later I heard about the Whole Foods Berry Chantilly Cake that went TikTok viral. And even though the closest one is over an hour away from house I made the drive and had to try it. It was either you’re a Publix Chantilly cake fan or a Whole Foods Market Chantilly Cake fan.

My final verdict was they are both very good. Publix has layers of delicate vanilla cake but it’s slightly drier. The Whole Foods Berry Chantilly cake was somewhat dense, moist and it has a slight almond taste that I enjoyed. So overall they were both good but the Whole Foods Berry Chantilly cake got my vote!

Now I can’t ever truly replicate the Berry Chantilly Cake recipe, but if you’ve never tried the Berry Chantilly cake, I’ll make sure with my recipe you’ll be able to make your own at home.

The Publix Berry Chantilly Cake is very basic it just has a vanilla sponge with a Chantilly frosting and fresh fruits. The Whole Foods Berry Chantilly Cake has a moist vanilla cake layer with an almond raspberry jam syrup soaked into each layer with fresh fruits in every layer and it has a mascarpone Chantilly cream frosting. The Publix Chantilly cake is a more beautiful cake appearance wise, while the whole foods one is a bit too simple, but both are still so good for a grocery store cake.

What is a Chantilly Cake?

A Chantilly cream is just a whipped cream that’s sweetened and flavored with vanilla extract.

My own version of the berry Chantily cake will be the best of both worlds! A moist and soft vanilla almond cake with a quick berry compote, fresh fruits and a vanilla bean mascarpone Chantilly frosting.

If you’re looking for more cake recipes make sure to check out my ultimate coconut cake recipe and my extra moist triple chocolate cake.

Why you’ll love this Berry Chantilly cake?

Not too sweet, which means it’s an instant hit for everyone of all ages will love this cake!
Has fresh berries in every bite!
It’s made with a Chantilly cream, so it’s not too heavy like buttercream
An impressive dessert that will surely please anyone and any occasion.

Berry Chantilly Cake Ingredients:

This Berry Chantilly Cake does not require a stand mixer or hand mixer but is recommended. Full recipe and measurements are below.

Cake Layers

Cake Flour: Don’t substitute with all-purpose flour
Sugar: Sweetens the cake and helps with texture
Eggs: Use large room temperature eggs
Butter/Oil: Use unsalted butter at room temperature and a neutral flavored oil like canola oil and vegetable oil.
Baking Powder/Baking Soda: Read more about baking soda and baking powder
Vanilla/Almond Extract
Milk: Use Whole Milk
Sour Cream: Full Fat

Three Berry Compote:

Frozen or Fresh Berries: Use any combination of berries you’d like.
Sugar: Sweetens the berries, feel free to substitute with any other sweetener
Cornstarch: Thickens the compote

Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Chantilly Cream:

Mascarpone Cheese: Cream Cheese can be a substitute
Heavy Whipping Cream: Full fat heavy cream
Sugar: Powdered sugar can be substituted
Vanilla bean Paste: Optional vanilla extract can be used instead.

How to make Berry Chantilly Cake:

Vanilla Almond Cake

In a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment add the butter, and oil. Cream butter, oil and then add in the egg yolks, sour cream, almond extract, vanilla extract, and mix until all the ingredients are combined.

Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar) to the wet ingredients, mix until just combined, and then scrape the sides of bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Heat the milk mixture until hot and then pour it into the cake batter.

In a separate clean bowl add in the egg whites and whip until it starts foaming. Once bubbles appear add in the sugar and whip on high until the egg whites are stiff. Fold in half the whipped egg whites into the cake mixture and then the rest until the batter is thoroughly mixed. The cake batter should be thin.

Preheat oven to 350F and line 3 8-inch cake rounds with parchment paper.

Divide and pour batter into three pans and bake the cakes for 18 to 24 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cakes to check if it’s clean, once the cakes are done baking allow them too fully cool. Take a butter knife and line it to the sides of the cake pan to release the cake easier. Wrap the cakes with plastic wrap and set them to the side until ready to assemble.

Three Berry Compote

If using fresh berries wash thoroughly in a large bowl under cold water and remove any stems or leaves, if using strawberries cut and hull the stems.

In a medium saucepan, combine the berries and sugar over medium heat.

Let them cook for about 5-7 minutes until the berries begin to release their juices and soften.

Mix the cornstarch with water to create a slurry. Stir this into the simmering berries and mix it in.

Continue to cook for just a couple more seconds, stirring frequently, until the compote thickens. Remove from heat.

Let the compote cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It can be refrigerated and prepped ahead up to a week.

Vanilla bean Mascarpone Chantilly Cream:

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream the mascarpone, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla bean paste. Mix on medium speed to make the mixture creamy.

Add 1/3 of the heavy cream and mix on low speed until the mixture comes together without lumps. Once the mixture seems consistent and not lumpy add the rest of the heavy cream.

Remove the paddle attachment and replace it with the whisk attachment and whip on medium-high speed until you get stiff peaks. Make sure not to overmix the Chantilly cream.

Berry Chantilly Cake Assembly:

Take a serrated knife and cut the tops of the cakes off to have a leveled cake.

Place a cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Pipe an edge of the whipped cream on the outer edges of the cake and fill the inside with half of the berry compote. Place cut fresh berries on top of the compote and then using an offset spatula spread a thin layer of the whipped cream. Top with the second layer and repeat until the third layer.

Spread a thin layer of frosting on top of the cake and sides and then refrigerate for 20 minutes to let the cake set. Spread the rest of the frosting on the Berry Chantilly Cake and then garnish the top with additional fresh berries. Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour if time allows before serving and for best results consume the next day to allow the cake layers to soak up all the flavors. Cover the cake tightly and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Layer cake in this pattern( Repeat 2x)

Cake layer (Bottom)
Border of Chantilly cream on edges of cake
Thin layer of berry compote
Fresh fruits
Mascarpone Whipped Cream

Berry Chantilly Cake Baker’s Tip:

Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure that all your ingredients, especially eggs, butter and sour cream are at room temperature before you start baking. This helps them combine more evenly and creates a smoother batter.
Mixing: Avoid Overmixing the cake batter. Once the flour is incorporated into the wet ingredients the gluten begins to form. If you continue to mix it’ll create a hard cake.
Measure Accurately: Use a kitchen scale to measure accurately.
Preheat Oven: Always preheat your oven to the temperature specified in the recipe before you start mixing your ingredients. This ensures that your cake bakes evenly and rises properly.
Proper Pan Preparation: Grease and flour your cake pan or line them with parchment paper to prevent the cake from sticking. This helps make sure that your cake layers don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
Evenly Distributed Batter: Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans to ensure that each layer bakes uniformly.
Cooling Properly: Allow the cake to cool in the pans for about 10-15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Cooling too quickly can cause the cake to collapse.
Frosting on Cooled Cakes: Make sure that your cakes are completely cooled before frosting them. Otherwise, the frosting may melt and slide off.

Frosting Cake Tips:

Make sure before you frost your cake that your cake layers have fully cooled.
Cut the top domes of the cake layers to create an even cake.
Place a small square sheet of parchment paper in between the cake and the cake stand to help with cleaning.
Spread a thin layer of frosting around the entire cake once all layers have been assembled. And then refrigerate the cake to let is set for 20 to 30 minutes. This step is called crumb coating and helps prevent lopsided cakes that might collapse.

Simple Variations:

Change the vanilla cake layers to chocolate cake
Use your favorite fresh fruits
Replace the Chantilly frosting with a cream cheese frosting
Don’t have time to make the cake from scratch? Replace with a simple cake mix from the box like Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I halve or double this recipe?

Yes, adjust the time according to the size more or less.

Can I make cupcakes instead?

Yes! Bake the cupcakes for roughly 12 to 16 minutes.