The week before I went into labor with my second son I got a serious craving for berry Chantilly cake. I’d only ever had it once or twice before from a grocery store bakery (Whole Foods), but for some reason I could not get it out of my head. The fluffy white cake, the creamy mascarpone-infused Chantilly cream frosting, the fresh berries throughout – it’s the perfect light and refreshing cake for Spring or Summer and I will say that after whipping up this recipe my cravings were fully satisfied! It’s the dreamiest. 

What is Chantilly Cake?

The name Chantilly is a French term meaning “sweetened whipped cream” and in the Southern United States, Chantilly cake pairs that beautiful sweetened whipped cream frosting with light and fluffy vanilla cake. It’s traditionally layered with fresh berries – strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and sometimes blackberries. It was made famous by a baker working at a Whole Foods and has been a staple at the grocery store chain ever since (which is where I fell in love with it). 

If you don’t like your frosting to be overly sweet, this Chantilly cream frosting is for you. It’s a subtly sweet whipped cream frosting made rich in flavor with mascarpone cheese, cream cheese, and almond extract. The cream cheese and mascarpone are the stabilizers here, making this frosting so easy to work with. You can frost a smooth finish, add some texture (like what’s pictured here), and even pipe with it! 

Let’s talk about this white cake recipe. It’s so light and fluffy, which makes it just the right match for this berry-studded Chantilly cream frosting. Even though these cake layers bake up fairly flat, it’s important to level the cake layers before assembling this cake. Not only will the finished cake be much more level and perfect overall, removing the caramelization from the top of the cake will help it soak up all the flavor and moisture of the jam, frosting, and berries. 

To decorate, I kept things simple with some rustic texture and fresh berries. I basically swiped a small icing spatula through the frosting diagonally to create the texture on the sides. The Chantilly cream frosting is so easy to work with, so feel free to go with a smooth finish, semi-naked finish, pipe some details, or just follow your heart! Top it with fresh berries for a pop of color and you’re good to go. 

How to Store Chantilly Cake

One thing that is definitely worth noting is that this Chantilly cake has to be refrigerated. I recommend taking it out of the refrigerator an hour or two before serving just to bring it to room temperature (I think it tastes better that way) but you can absolutely serve it cold. 

Also worth noting: you can assemble this Chantilly cake up to one day ahead of time, any longer than that and the berries may start weeping inside the cake. Check out the Make Ahead Tips in the notes section of the recipe below to help plan your cake baking/decorating timeline out. 

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Berry Chantilly Cake

Inspired by the iconic Whole Foods bakery dessert, this cake features layers of fluffy white cake, Chantilly cream frosting, and fresh berries throughout. The perfect cake year round, but especially refreshing in summer!

Prep Time 35 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 15 slices

Ingredients

Bakery-Style White Cake

• 2 1/2 Cups (265g) sifted cake flour* DIY recipe in notes
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 Cups (300g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 Cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 Cups (300ml) full-fat buttermilk**, room temperature DIY recipe in notes

Berry Filling

• 1/4 Cup (60ml) berry jam of your choice
• 1 Tbsp water
• 4 Oz (105g) fresh strawberries, quartered
• 2 Oz (55g) fresh blueberries
• 2 Oz (55g) fresh raspberries
• juice and zest of 1/2 small lemon

Chantilly Cream Frosting

• 8 Oz (240g) mascarpone cheese, room temperature
• 4 Oz (113g) full-fat brick-style cream cheese, room temperature must be brick-style, not the spread
• 1 1/2 Cups (180g) powdered sugar
• 1 Cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract

Garnish

• 1/4 Cup fresh berries

Instructions

Make the White Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with baking spray and fitting a parchment paper circle to the bottom of each pan.
• In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together and set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and cream it together with the butter at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl and paddle at the halfway point. Turn the mixer to low and add the egg whites one at a time, mixing until they are just combined and scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the vegetable oil and vanilla, increase the mixer speed to high and beat for 1 minute.
• Turn the mixer off and add the flour mixture all at once. Mix the ingredients on low speed until just combined, then slowly pour in the buttermilk. Continue mixing at low speed for about 30 seconds, until the batter is uniform and combined. The batter will be slightly thin.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 28 to 32 minutes. They’re done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs on it. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 5 minutes, then remove them from the pans and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the Berry Filling

• Mix together the berry jam and water. Set aside.
• Add the strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries into a medium bowl. Toss together with the lemon juice and zest. Set aside.

Make the Chantilly Cream Frosting

• In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, combine the mascarpone and cream cheese. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds. Add the powdered sugar a few spoonfuls at a time, beating on low speed until combined. Once fully incorporated, scrape down the bowl and increase speed to medium, and beat until fluffy, about 30 seconds.
• In another large mixing bowl, beat the cream and vanilla on medium speed until stiff peaks form, 2 min. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture.

Assembly

• Once the white cake layers are completely cooled, level them to your desired height. Add a swipe of Chantilly cream frosting onto a cardboard cake circle and place the first cake layer on top. Spread half of the jam mixture onto the cake layer, then add a layer of Chantilly cream frosting. Press half of the lemon coated berries on top. Place the next white cake layer on top and continue filling and stacking the cake with jam, Chantilly cream frosting, and berries. Crumb coat the cake with chantilly cream frosting, then place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let everything settle. The chantilly cream frosting will not firm up much in the refrigerator, but it will be easier to frost over after a trip to the refrigerator.
• To create the design pictured, frost the cake with Chantilly cream frosting and use a small spatula to make diagonal swipes in the frosting on the sides of the cake. Garnish with a crescent formation of fresh berries.

Notes

*DIY Cake Flour Recipe: if you can’t find cake flour locally, here’s how to make a homemade version using all purpose flour and cornstarch. 

**DIY Buttermilk Recipe: add 1 Tbsp of white vinegar to a jar and top it with 1 Cup of whole milk. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes before using in the recipe.

Make Ahead Tips: 

1. The white cake layers can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered tightly in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing to room temperature. 
2. The berry Chantilly frosting can not be made ahead because it will lose too much air when stored in an airtight container and therefore won’t be workable. You’ll want to whip up the frosting right before you’re ready to assemble. 
3. This cake can be assembled up to 1 day in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Any leftovers should be refrigerated, covered, for up to 4 days. 
4. I don’t recommend freezing an assembled berry Chantilly cake, but you can bake the white cake layers in advance and freeze them for up to 2 months.

I hope you end up loving this berry Chantilly cake as much as I did! I ate way too many slices during the photoshoot and still had zero regrets. Let me know what you think in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me! I love to see what you create with my recipes.

The post Berry Chantilly Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

Strawberry season is in full swing! I actually planted some strawberries last month and was so eager to use my little harvest in my bakes but as soon as those sweet little berries turned red, a creature of some sort had a feast. So while I couldn’t use my homegrown strawberries this time around, it didn’t stop me from heading to the store to get some fresh berries for the Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake I’ve been dreaming of. I decided to whip it up as a Father’s Day treat for my husband and it was a total hit! 

This Strawberry Shortcake Layer cake is so easy to throw together for a Summer dessert. It starts with an extra fluffy white cake that is a delicious treat all on its own. Add to that layers of homemade whipped cream, fresh sweetened strawberry slices, and the tastiest shortbread crumbs ever (inspired by the one and only Milk Bar). This cake is so light and refreshing, the perfect amount of sweet, and so pretty to look at!

For the strawberry filling, you’ll be slicing fresh strawberries and tossing them with a little strawberry jam and granulated sugar. It’s best to let them sit for about 20 minutes to bring out the fresh strawberry juices before you start piling them in between your layers. The key here is fresh strawberries – frozen berries can technically be used but will add a lot more liquid to the filling. If you want it to look pretty, use fresh berries.

The homemade whipped cream frosting is stabilized, aka uses the addition of gelatin to make it sturdier for piping and upholding the weight of the cake layers and fillings. I piped shells with it using Wilton Tip 6B, but any piping tip and style would look beautiful. For best results, you’ll want to make sure to use very cold whipped cream, a cold mixing bowl, and the whisk attachment on your stand mixer. Just pop the bowl of your stand mixer into the refrigerator for about 20 minutes beforehand and make sure your heavy whipping cream is straight from the fridge as well.  

If you’ve ever had a Milk Bar cake, you know all about the shortbread crumbs I added to this cake. It was my husband’s idea to add them in between layers, and I think they really take the cake beyond. The shortbread crumbs only take a handful of ingredients you’ll already have on deck for the cake layers, and they’ll add a great pop of flavor and texture. If you’re short on time or want a more traditional Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake, you can totally skip the shortbread crumbs if you need to. Between the sweetened strawberries and homemade whipped cream frosting, this cake will still taste amazing. 

For an extra little bit of fun, I added some cute little chamomile flowers to accent the cake. You can usually find these in late Spring/early Summer in the floral department of your local grocery store (Portland favorites are Trader Joe’s or New Seasons). You can feel free to omit this part if you want, but I think they make the cake look so dainty and sweet when paired with those fresh strawberries. Chamomile is completely edible, although bitter, so these little blooms are really more for looks than taste. 

While you can technically make this cake a day or two before serving it, it will look prettiest if you make it the day of. Since the cake layers are unfrosted, they will dry out in the refrigerator unless you wrap the cake in plastic wrap, which will most likely mess up some of the piped details. Be sure to check out the make ahead tips in the recipe notes below to help you plan out your baking and assembly. Whatever occasion this cake is for, I hope it’s as much of a hit with you and your loved ones as it was with mine!

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Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake

Inspired by the Summer classic dessert, this cake features layers of moist and fluffy white cake, homemade whipped cream frosting, fresh sweetened strawberries, and baked shortbread crumbs. It's refreshing, delicious, and perfectly easy to throw together.

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings 15 slices

Ingredients

White Cake

• 2 1/2 Cups (265g) sifted cake flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 Cups (300g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 Cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 Cups (300ml) full-fat buttermilk*, room temperature DIY recipe in notes

Baked Shortbread Crumbs

• 3/4 Cups (90g) cake flour
• 2 1/2 Tbsp (32g) granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp (42g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Strawberries

• 3 Cups (480g) sliced fresh strawberries
• 2 Tbsp (40g) strawberry jam
• 1 Tbsp (13g) granulated sugar

Whipped Cream Frosting

• 1 tsp unflavored gelatin
• 1 1/2 Tbsp cold water
• 1 1/2 Cups (360ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
• 1/2 Cup (60g) powdered sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the White Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with baking spray and fitting a parchment paper circle to the bottom of each pan.
• In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together and set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and cream it together with the butter at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl and paddle at the halfway point. Turn the mixer to low and add the egg whites one at a time, mixing until they are just combined and scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the vegetable oil and vanilla, increase the mixer speed to high and beat for 1 minute.
• Turn the mixer off and add the flour mixture all at once. Mix the ingredients on low speed until just combined, then slowly pour in the buttermilk. Continue mixing at low speed for about 30 seconds, until the batter is uniform and combined. The batter will be slightly thin.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 28 to 32 minutes. They’re done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs on it. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 5 minutes, then remove them from the pans and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the Shortbread Crumbs

• Preheat the oven to 250°F/121ºC and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
• Add the melted butter and vanilla extract. Mix with a rubber spatula until the mixture begins to form small clusters, then press the ingredients together with your hands to form even more clusters. Spread the clusters onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Cooling the crumbs completely before using in the cake assembly.

Make the Strawberries

• In a medium bowl, mix together the sliced strawberries, strawberry jam, and granulated sugar. Let sit at room temperature or in the refrigerator while you make the whipped cream frosting.

Make the Whipped Cream Frosting

• Chill the metal bowl of your stand mixer for 15-20 minutes in the refrigerator or freezer. Sprinkle the gelatin into a small glass measuring cup or microwave safe dish. Add the cold water and whisk until the gelatin is dissolved. Set the mixture aside for 5 minutes to let the gelatin set.
• While the gelatin is setting, add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract into the chilled metal bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed to combine. Turn the mixer to high speed and beat until the mixture is thickened, stopping just shy of reaching soft peaks, about 1 min.
• At this point, the gelatin should be solidified. If so, pop it into the microwave for 5-10 seconds, until the mixture has re-liquified but is still cool to the touch. Use a whisk to briefly stir the gelatin mixture together to make sure it's smooth.
• With the mixer on low speed, drizzle the liquid gelatin into the cream. Slowly increase the speed to medium-high and continue to beat until you have reached stiff, fluffy peaks, about 2 minutes. Use immediately to ensure the best consistency for piping.

Assembly

• Once the White Cake layers are cooled, level them to your desired height. Add the first layer onto a cardboard cake round on your turntable or cake stand. Add some of the strawberry juice onto the cake layer as a soak.
• Fit a piping bag with Wilton Tip 6B and fill it with the Whipped Cream Frosting before piping shells along the outer edge of the cake layer. The shells should begin at the edge of the cake layer and end with the tail pointed toward the center of the cake layer. Pipe a second row of shells to fill in the center of the cake layer. Top with about 1/3 Cup of the strawberries and sprinkle a handful of shortbread crumbs on top.
• Place the next cake layer on top and repeat the process of adding the strawberry juice soak, piping the Whipped Cream Frosting shells, topping with strawberries, and sprinkling shortbread crumbs. Repeat the filling and stacking process for any additional layers, then garnish with chamomile flowers if desired.

Notes

DIY Buttermilk recipe: add 1 Tbsp of white vinegar to a jar and top it with 1 Cup of whole milk. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes before using in the recipe. 

Make Ahead Tips: 

1. The white cake layers can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered tightly in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing to room temperature. 
2. The shortbread crumbs can be baked ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month. 
3. The strawberries can be made one day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
4. The whipped cream frosting cannot be made ahead. It must be made right before you plan on piping with it. 
5. The assembled cake or leftovers can be stored for 1-3 days in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic wrap to keep the cake from drying out. For best results, assemble the cake on the day you plan on serving it and store it in the refrigerator, uncovered, until you’re ready to serve it. 

Did you make this Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake? I want to know how it went! Let me know in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me. I love to see what you create with my recipes!

The post Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.