Berry Chantilly Cake, made popular by Whole Foods, is a special occasion dessert consisting of vanilla almond cake (homemade or boxed mix) layered with lots of whipped cream and fresh berries.
Berry Chantilly cake is the image that pops into so many of our minds when we think of the ultimate spring and summer dessert. It’s beautiful, it’s light and fresh, and the combination of soft cake, creamy whipped cream and sweet berries is unbeatable.
The Berry Chantilly Cake, celebrated for its fluffy layers and decadent, creamy frosting teeming with fresh berries has gone viral thanks to Whole Foods Market. It’s a vanilla almond cake layered with lush Chantilly cream ~ a French whipped cream often boosted with mascarpone or cream cheese ~ and a vibrant mix of fresh berries like raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries.
Berry Chantilly Cake ingredients
Personally I make this cake with a cake mix, but I’ve included a recipe for a homemade cake as well.
cake (boxed mix)
- A vanilla or yellow cake mix, I use Duncan Hines Signature Vanilla
or homemade cake
- all-purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- baking powder and salt
- unsalted butter
- whole milk
- vanilla extract and almond extract
- large eggs
Chantilly cream and berries
- heavy whipping cream
- whipped cream cheese
- powdered sugar
- cream of tartar
- fresh berries
Chantilly cake, step by step
step 1. Bake a cake in 2 8-inch cake pans
- Cool the cake completely before slicing each layer in half horizontally with a long serrated knife. You can bake the cake a day ahead if you like.
step 2. Whip the cream
- Whip cold heavy cream with whipped cream cheese, powdered sugar, and cream of tartar for stabilization.
step 3. Layer the cake with whipped cream and berries
- Fill the layers with whipped cream and a mixed berries. Press each cake layer down gently as you add it.
step 4. Cover the whole cake, top and sides, with whipped cream.
- Be generous, the whipped cream will serve as frosting, and it will sink into the cake to moisten it. I use a generous cup between each layer and a thick layer on top of my berry Chantilly cake.
step 5. Decorate with berries and chill
- Add berries to the entire top of the cake, or just a portion of it, as you like. Alternatively you can serve the cake with berries on the side.
- Chill the cake up to several hours ahead, until ready to serve. This will help the Chantilly cake hold together better.
You want to know…
Yes. You can make the cake layers up to a day ahead. Once you complete the cake you can refrigerate it for up to several hours before serving. Note I do not recommend making the finished cake more than a few hours ahead because the whipped cream can start to degrade.
Yes, you have lots of options. Use a vegan cake mix or recipe. Many mainstream cake mixes (including Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker) are vegan as long as you use plant based additions for the milk and eggs (check the labels.) And there are many vegan whipped toppings available:
So Delicious Dairy Free CocoWhip ~ made from coconut milk, find in the freezer section of your grocery.
Reddi-Wip Non-Dairy Whipped Topping ~ comes in almond and coconut milk versions, it’s in the refrigerated section near regular whipped cream.
Truwhip Vegan ~ a plant-based version of Truwhip’s whipped topping that is vegan-friendly.
The whipped cream cheese, powdered sugar and cream of tartar in this recipe all serve to stabilize the whipped cream. You can buy commercial stabilizers like Whip It by Dr. Oetker as well.
The cake can stay at room temperature for up to 2 hours, after that it should be refrigerated. Be sure to store it in the fridge at all times when not being served.
No, this cake works fine with just two layers.
Sure, why not? It would be delicious. See my Chocolate Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake for inspo.
Use a large sharp serrated knife and use a sawing motion to slice through the cake and berries.
More special occasion cakes for spring and summer
These cakes would be ideal for Easter, wedding showers, Mother’s Day, al fresco dinner parties, etc.
- Meyer Lemon Cake
- Raspberry Cake with Lemon Buttercream
- Blueberry Lemon Cake
- Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
- Queen Elizabethโs Chocolate Biscuit Cake
- Orange Creamsicle Cake
- Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Berry Chantilly Cake
Equipment
- 2 8-inch cake pans, preferably non-stick
- parchment paper
- electric beaters or stand mixer with balloon whisk
Ingredients
- 1 vanilla cake mix
- 1 tsp almond extract
or for homemade vanilla cake
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 1/4 cup whole milk
Chantilly cream and berries
- 3 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup whipped cream cheese
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Instructions
vanilla cake mix directions
- If using the cake mix, preheat oven to required temperature and prepare the cake according to the box directions, adding the almond extract to the batter. Bake in two 8-inch cake pans greased and lined with a circle of parchment paper at the bottom.
- Let the cake layers cool before carefully slicing each layer in two, horizontally through the middle. Use a long serrated knife.
homemade vanilla cake directions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and line two 8-inch cake pans with a circle of parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat, scraping down the sides as necessary, for 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla and almond extracts.
- Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Do not overmix to keep the cake light and fluffy.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake layers cool before carefully slicing each layer in two, horizontally through the middle. Use a long serrated knife.
Chantilly cream and berries
- Using a stand mixer with balloon whisk or a bowl with electric beaters begin whipping the cream cheese, then add the cream, powdered sugar, extracts and cream of tartar. Whip until the cream holds peaks, but be careful not to over beat the cream.
- Place one cake layer, cut side up. Spread about a cup of whipped cream over the surface. Add a layer of berries over the cream. Smaller berries can be left whole, but strawberries should be sliced.
- Continue layering 2 more layers in the same manner. Place the final cake layer on top.
- Spread more whipped cream on the sides and top of the cake. Decorate with whole berries. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours before serving.
Don’t be intimidated by this cake! It truly is like she says! Everyone loved this cake. I typically make the cakes from scratch, but this time I took a couple shortcuts. I used a vanilla cake mix, then I only had the two layers. I didn’t cut the cake layers. I wish I would have because that incorporates more of the fruit in the layered whipped cream frosting. But I served the extra fruit I had so they could add it if preferred. Best birthday cake I have made myself!
Happy Birthday Annie and thanks so much for the review ๐
I’m sure this is a good recipe, however it’s not the Whole Food’s Berry Chantilly Cakeยฎ recipe that was developed by Chaya Conrad for Whole Foods nearly 20 years ago in New Orleans. Chaya (who owns Bywater Bakery, recreated the white almond version when she became the bakery director for Rouse’s Markets. Her story and recipe are available online @ https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/eat-drink/how-to-make-whole-foods-berry-chantilly-cake-at-home-see-recipe-steps-tips-and/article_4072a023-0954-52f3-adef-a7e0e9dfe60c.html
I’ve made it several times and the Chantilly icing with heavy cream, cream cheese and mascarpone is my go to frosting recipe. Try it, you’ll love it!
I worked for the lady that ‘created” this cake for whole foods. There is marscapone also mixed in with the cream cheese and thar is what gives the chantilly cake it’s unique flavor..although your recipe also makes for a tasty cake
Wow interesting Yu! Yes, you can substitute mascarpone for the cream cheese, both give the whipped cream a nice texture boost, too!
The original recipe calls for 1# EACH of the mascarpone & cream cheese!
I wasn’t trying to recreate the actual recipe, just use it as inspiration ~ my Chantilly cream is a little lighter than the Whole Foods version, and I find that mascarpone has such a mild flavor that I didn’t feel compelled to use it.
Sue, this looks fabulous! I’m going to try it this summer. If it’s half as good as your version of Ina Garten’s chocolate cake, which I’ve made several times, this this will be a WINNER. Also, I sure would love a short video of you frosting this cake. I am no good at spreading frosting not matter how I try to be! My rating of this recipe is based on looks and imagination of glorious outcomes since I haven’t made it yet. ๐
My fiancรฉ is wild about the Whole Foods cake, I’m going to attempt to make this for her!
Fun! I think you’ll find it easy to do, let me know if you have questions.