Fluffy Chantilly Cake with Berries

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This fluffy Chantilly cake is made with fresh berries and layers of soft vanilla sponge cake. To finish, it's frosted with a light and airy mascarpone whipped cream and decorated with strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries!

Berry Chantilly cake with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries.

This Chantilly cake is the best dessert combining soft, layers of Genoise sponge cake, fluffy mascarpone Chantilly cream, and fresh berries!

I always serve this berry Chantilly cake during the summer when berries are at their peak. But it's also a fantastic cake to serve all year round, especially during special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The base of Chantilly cake should always be a sponge cake. For this recipe, I used my Genoise recipe which requires a bain-marie but you can also use my Easy Sponge Cake recipe if you'd like.

What is Chantilly Cake?

Chantilly cake is a delicate sponge cake filled with berries and frosted with fluffy Chantilly cream, which is another name for whipped cream. Berry Chantilly cake was invented in New Orleans by baker Chaya Conrad while working at Whole Foods.

Chantilly cake with fresh berries and mascarpone Chantilly cream.

Ingredients

Eggs - Start with room temperature eggs for a fluffy, light cake.
Cake flour - Cake flour contains less protein than regular flour which helps produce a light, delicate cake.
Sugar - Use white, granulated sugar. I don't recommend other sweeteners for this recipe.
Vanilla - Use good quality vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
Butter - Butter makes the cake moist and gives it a rich flavor.

Step by Step Photos

Whipped eggs increasing in volume over time.

Bain-marie: In a large heat-proof bowl, add the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Place this bowl inside a large bowl that's been filled with hot water.
Next, beat on high speed until the eggs become foamy and increase in volume.
The final stage should be the ribbon stage, where the beaten eggs flow down the whisk like a ribbon and keep their shape for 3 to 4 seconds. The color should be pale yellow and the volume should be at least 3 times the initial amount.

Cake flour and butter added to vanilla cake batter.

Sift the flour in three parts, gently folding after each time.
Add the melted butter to the batter. Note: To help incorporate the butter, mix about three heaping tablespoons of the batter with the melted butter.

Chantilly cake batter poured into a baking pan.

Gently fold the butter mixture with the batter, being careful not to deflate it.
Pour the sponge cake batter into a cake pan lined with parchment paper and bake.

Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack and remove all the parchment paper. Slice into layers only when the cake has completely cooled.

Chantilly cake layered with mascarpone whipped cream and strawberries.

Frost the vanilla sponge with the Chantilly cream and layer with your berries. Decorate and serve. Enjoy!

Fluffy Chantilla cake decorated with berries and mascarpone whipped cream.

Berry Chantilly cake can be served right after decorating, or you can store it in the fridge to set up. I recommend serving this the day of or within two days for the best results. Enjoy and happy baking!

Fluffy berry Chantilly cake with strawberries, blueberries, and Chantilly cream.

Chantilly Cake Tips

A proper Chantilly cake uses a sponge cake base. Use a bain-marie for best results, otherwise use this recipe for Easy Sponge Cake which doesn't require a bain-maire.
When whipping eggs with sugar, it's essential to completely dissolve the sugar. The final result should be about 3 times the volume of its initial stage and achieve a ribbon stage where the mixture keeps its shape for 3 to 4 seconds when drizzling off the whisk.
Cake syrup - To keep the cake moist and delicate, brush the cake syrup on each cake layer. This technique is used by many commercial bakeries and pastry chefs, including in my own family.
When adding butter, it's very easy to deflate the batter. Make sure the melted butter and batter are still warm. Cold temperatures will solidify the butter and deflate the batter. Fold very gently at this stage until just combined.
For the Chantilly cream, add the heavy whipping cream in parts to help achieve a fluffy, voluminous frosting.
Thoroughly dry the berries before decorating with it. It will keep it fresh for longer.
If using more than 3 layers, I highly recommend using cake dowels for extra support.

More cake recipes:

Recipe

What is the difference between Chantilly cream and whipped cream?

There's actually no difference. Chantilly cream is another name for sweetened whipped cream.

What is Chantilly cake made of?

It's made of rounds of delicate sponge cake filled and decorated with Chantilly cream and fresh berries.