I have a confession: I have never had Whole Foods’ Famous Berry Chantilly Cake. In fact, the first time I heard about this cake was when, for a brief moment, WF tried to cut corners making the cake. A social media storm of resistance ensued, and Whole Foods capitulated. The cake controversy was my introduction. Yet I never got around to trying the cake. Recently, the Pancake Princess (an amazing bake-off blog) tested different knock-off recipes for the Berry Chantilly Cake. Broma Bakery won the day with its version, and I thought hmmm, maybe I’ll give it a try.
I don’t bake many cakes, and here’s why. My kids adore their Dad’s Carrot Cake. It has graced EVERY family birthday celebration (except mine, call me petty Debbie) and many holiday get-togethers. In fact, “Daddy’s Little Girl” requested it for her wedding.
My oldest does like Ina Garten’s Country Berry Cake and will ask me to make it-occasionally. Maybe, just maybe, this cake will stand a chance in the birthday cake sweepstakes.
Let’s Gooooo…Note
Despite the many steps in the recipe, it is not as daunting as the recipe looks, really. Break up the production if you like. Make the cake and simple syrup one day, and the whipped cream frosting and fruit the next. Assemble and store in the fridge until you are ready to razzle-dazzle your friends and family.
The cake is made with both butter and oil. Butter adds flavor, and oil keeps the cake moist and tender. I followed the original recipe and made a 3-layered, 8-inch round cake, but it can be made as a sheet cake, too.
Start by combining the oil and room-temperature butter. The butter should be soft but not runny. Add the sugar and beat until it is light and fluffy. Add eggs and extracts, and continue beating until it is light. I’m not a fan of that much almond extract in the cake, so I would reduce it to 1/2 teaspoon and increase vanilla to 2.5 teaspoons.
A big fan of weights for consistency, I used a standard of 120 g/cup for the cake flour (2-2/3 cups = 320 g of flour) as weights weren’t provided. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mix to combine, add milk, then the remaining flour. Do not overbeat, which will toughen the cake. The finished batter will have some lumps of flour; that’s A-ok.
The batter was pourable and easy to divide between the 3 pans. The original recipe calls for spreading the batter, which makes me think it should be thicker. 🤷🏻♀️ The cake will pull away from the sides of the pans and have a few brown spots, but it will be pale in color when it is done. If the cake domes (although mine did not), use a serrated knife and trim the top to make it flat. Be generous with the raspberry simple syrup when brushing the cake. It keeps the cake moist, adds a hint of citrus and sweetness-the bomb.
The frosting is luscious, satiny, and a bit heavier than a whipped cream frosting due to the addition of mascarpone and cream cheese. To frost the cake, each layer’s top takes approximately 1 cup of frosting. Spread ~half cup, top with fruit, and cover the fruit with the remaining half cup. Note: 1-1/2 cups of fresh fruit is not enough fruit for each layer and the top of the cake. Consider having at least 3 cups of fruiton hand. You can tell my layer of fruit is way too sparse.
So, for your next celebration, consider this deliciously decadent showstopper cake. Not to mention, if you make it you won’t have to buy one from Whole Foods. Jeff Bezos hardly needs our hard-earned cash.
Berry Chantilly Cake
Equipment
- 3 8-inch cake pans
Ingredients
The Cake
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract I thought the almond extract was a bit too much, reduce to 1/2 teaspoon if desired.
- 2 2/3 cup cake flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/3 cups whole milk
THE BERRY SYRUP
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons mixed berry or raspberry jam
THE CHANTILLY CREAM FROSTING
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 8 ounces mascarpone cold
- 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- Pinch of salt
The Fruit & Garnish (You really need more fruit than this~3 cups)
- 1/2 cup fresh raspberries rinsed
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries rinsed
- 1/2 cup fresh strawberries rinsed and quartered
Instructions
The Cake:
- First, make the cake. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 3 8-inch round pans with parchment paper and grease the sides with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter and oil on low speed until combined so the oil doesn’t fly everywhere. Gradually increase the speed to medium-high and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- With the mixer running, slowly pour in the granulated sugar and continue to beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is light, fluffy, and turns a very pale yellow color, about 2 minutes.
- Use a silicone spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the eggs, vanilla and almond extract. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding in the dry ingredients and the milk in 3 additions (you’ll add half the dry, then all of the wet, then the other half of the dry). It’s okay if the batter still has a few lumps in it–you don’t want to over mix.
- Divide the cake batter evenly between your prepared pans, using the spatula to spread the batter into a flat, even layer. Bake until the cake has risen, the top springs back to the touch, and a butter knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Place the cakes on a cooling rack and allow them to cool slightly. To remove from the pan, drag a butter knife around the edge of the cake, then carefully flip the cakes out onto a cutting board, peel away the parchment paper, and re-invert it, right-side up onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
The Simple Syrup:
- Once the cake has cooled, make the berry syrup. Combine the water and sugar in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir until the sugar is melted completely into the water. Add the jam and lemon zest and stir to combine. Set aside to cool.
The Frosting:
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream together the mascarpone and cream cheese until completely smooth, about 45 seconds. Add the powdered sugar and heavy whipping cream and beat on low speed gradually increasing to high until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla, almond extract and salt. Beat until medium peaks form, keeping an eye on the frosting the whole time. It can quickly curdle so you want to make sure to not over beat it! Transfer about half the frosting to a piping bag.
Assemble the Cake:
- Place the first cake down on a cake stand to serving plate. Dip a pastry brush into the berry syrup and generously dab the syrup into the top of the cake. Pipe a thin layer of the chantilly cream all over the top of the cake. Top with about ⅓ cup of the fresh fruit, gently pressing the berries down into the cream. Pipe another thin layer of chantilly cream over the top to cover the berries and use an offset spatula to smooth out the top. Repeat with the second cake layer.
- Use the rest of the chantilly cream to frost the top and sides of the cake. Top with the remaining fruit to garnish and place in the fridge until ready to serve!
Notes
Here’s how to make your Berry Chantilly Cake look (and taste) as if it came straight from a fancy bakery:
Don’t over-whip the frosting: Keep an eye on the frosting once you’ve added the cream and only beat until medium peaks form and the frosting holds its shape.
Soak generously with the berry syrup, which gives the cake extra moisture and a hint of berry-citrus flavor.
Cool the cakes completely before assembling: The last thing I want for you is for your warm cake to melt the Chantilly cream. How to Assemble Berry Chantilly Cake Like a Pro
Assembling homemade cakes can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be! Follow the recipe closely and you’ll have a beautiful cake on your hands!
Bake and cool your cake layers. (Pro tip: chill them before assembling for less crumb.)
Brush with raspberry syrup. Let it soak in!
Spread a layer of chantilly cream, then top with fresh berries.
Repeat for all layers, then frost the whole cake with a thin crumb coat.
Chill, then finish frosting with a swoopy, rustic finish. Top with berries. How to store your cake so it stays fresh for days
This cake is amazing chilled, so don’t stress about last-minute assembly.
Fridge: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The chantilly cream holds up beautifully!
Make ahead: You can bake the cake layers 1–2 days in advance. Wrap tightly and keep at room temperature.
Freezing: You can freeze the cake layers (unfrosted) for up to 2 months. Just thaw before assembling.