Enjoy this stunning strawberry Chantilly cake made with soft layers of delicate vanilla cake and fluffy Chantilly cream topped with fresh strawberries. It is super tasty and pretty, as in the picture.
This cake is a light twist on Whole Foods' Berry Chantilly cake, trademarked and sold by Whole Foods Market in the United States.
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The fuss-free Chantilly cake recipe is effortlessly easy and makes a light and airy cake, bursting with fresh strawberries in every bite. Perfect for novice bakers, this cake doesn't require any piping skills.
Strawberry Chantilly cake recipe
- Strawberry Chantilly cake is one the most beautiful Chantilly cakes due to the vibrant color and flavor of fresh strawberries. It is perfect for birthdays, summertime gatherings, and other special occasions.
- It is made with simple ingredients and seasonal strawberries, but you can replace them with fresh berries of your choice.
- The cake is fully customizable. Select your preferred sponge cake, cream, and berries, and create your own summertime cake.
- This Chantilly cream cake comes with a make-ahead option for your convenience. Simply make the sponge cake in advance to save time on the day of serving.
Ingredients
For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.
- Eggs: The recipe calls for large eggs at room temperature. Ensure to bring them to room temperature about 45-60 minutes before you start.
- Sugar: Use white granulated, vanilla, and icing (powdered) sugar. To make the perfect mascarpone Chantilly cream, opt for icing sugar. To turn granulated sugar into a icing sugar, process it in a coffee grinder or a food processor.
- Flour: The recipe calls for all-purpose flour. However, for optimal baking results, cake flour is the recommended choice.
- Butter is an essential ingredient for making classic Genoise sponge cake. Opt for European-style unsalted batter with 82% fat content.
- Cream: Choose heavy cream or heavy whipping cream with at least 30% fat content for the best results. It must be cold, being refrigerated for at least 3 hours.
- Mascarpone cheese brings a subtle tang to the flavor and delivers stabilizing properties to Chantilly cream.
- Vanilla extract is a flavoring added to the cream. You can replace it with 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste.
- Fresh strawberries are the stars of this gorgeous strawberry cake. Opt for perfectly ripe seasonal berries to benefit from their flavors. It is not recommended to make Chantilly cake with frozen berries. They tend to release extra juices with thawing and don't have an appealing presentation.
Recipe variations
- Sponge cake: Replace Genoise cake with an Italian sponge cake, vanilla sponge or chocolate sponge cake, angel food cake, a cake with a cake mix, or another of your favorite sponge cake.
- Flavorings: Experiment with sponge cake flavors switching vanilla extract for coconut or almond extract, rose or orange flower water. Learn more about fruit flavor pairings.
- Fruit: Choose seasonal fresh berries such as raspberries, blueberries, or a blend of various berries. This Berry Cake recipe is great for inspiration.
- Cream frosting: Play with different cream fillings, from sugar-free whipped cream and creme Chantilly to chocolate whipped cream, whipped chocolate ganache, and cream cheese frosting.
- Decoration: Opt to leave the sides of the cake plain or cover them with toasted flaked almonds, chopped pistachios, and duo chocolate curls. Additionally, garnish the top of the cake with an abundance of fresh berries.
How to make strawberry Chantilly cake
Making strawberry Chantilly cake involves a few steps, including the preparation of sponge cake, sugar syrup, mascarpone Chantilly cream, and assembling the cake.
Step 1. To make Genoise cake, follow the Genoise sponge cake recipe for step-by-step photographed explanations, helpful tips, and tricks.
Step 2. To make simple sugar syrup, pour water with sugar into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add vanilla extract or strawberry liqueur out of the heat, and let the syrup cool.
Step 3. To make mascarpone Chantilly cream, bring the bowl of a stand mixer and the whisk attachment or a large bowl to the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
Step 4. Pour the chilled heavy cream into the bowl. Add the cold mascarpone and whisk at low speed until soft peaks form (photo 1).
Step 5. Gradually incorporate the icing sugar, increasing the speed to medium and then high until the cream reaches medium-stiff peaks (photo 2).
Pro tip: Read more about the proper whipping technique and how to make the perfect Mascarpone frosting.
Step 6. To assemble the cake, wash and dry strawberries, hull them. Cut each strawberry into half, then into 6-8 slices each, and place aside. Leave a few berries for the decoration.
Step 7. With a large serrated knife or a cake leveler, cut the sponge cake into three sponge layers. Place the first cake layer on a serving plate or a cake board and soak the cake with the cold sugar syrup using a silicone or pastry brush.
Pro tip: For a neat appearance, assemble the cake using a mousse cake mold adjusted to a diameter of 8 inches (20 cm) and lined with an acetate strip.
Step 8. Spread ¼ of the Chantilly cream and place strawberry slices atop the cream, slightly submerging them (photo 3).
Step 9. Place the second cake layer on top of the cream and berries. Gently press it to ensure adherence and soak it in syrup.
Step 10. Proceed to add ¼ of the cream and another layer of strawberries. Then, position the third cake layer and press it down slightly to complete the cake.
Step 11. Cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting and smooth the top and the sides. Then use a cake scraper to create stripes (photo 4).
Step 12. Refrigerate the cake for 2-3 hours. Top the cake with sliced strawberries and sprinkle with icing sugar before serving.
Expert Tips
- Generously soak the sponge cake to bring moisture to the cake.
- For the best results, let the cake firm up for a few hours. However, if necessary, the cake can be served promptly upon completion of the decoration.
- Recalculate ingredients for cake pans of different sizes using this simple cake pan size converter.
- Make ahead option: Make Genoise sponge cake in the evening and store it covered with plastic wrap at room temperature. The next day, finish the cake.
Storing and freezing
Store your strawberry Chantilly cake for 2-3 days under a glass dome in the fridge. This prevents dryness and absorption of other food odors. Store the leftover cake in an airtight container.
Can you freeze it? It is not recommended to freeze strawberry Chantilly cake, but you can bake the Genoise cake in advance and freeze it for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQ
Chantilly refers to a sweetened whipped cream flavored with vanilla, commonly known as Chantilly cream. This type of cream originates from France.
Chantilly referring to Chantilly cream comes from Château de Chantilly (castle of Chantilly), where it was created by François Vate in the 17th century.
Traditionally, Chantilly cream is made with heavy cream and sugar and is flavored with vanilla.
Chantilly cake is made with soft and fluffy sponge cake, light and airy French Chantilly cream, and fresh fruit. Mascarpone, cream cheese, and gelatin are often blended into the cream for added stability.
Berry Chantilly Cake was first created by a baker and owner of the Bywater Bakery in New Orleans. Later, it was sold at Whole Foods Market throughout the United States and got to be known as Whole Foods Berry Chantilly cake.
Berry Chantilly cake, though originally based on French Chantilly cream, was actually created in the United States in New Orleans.
Love Chantilly cream desserts? Try these next!
- Triple Berry Cake
- Uruguayan Cake Chaja
- Fresh Fruit Cake
- Jordgubbstårta (Swedish Strawberry Cake)
- Or browse all the cake recipes.
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Strawberry Chantilly Cake
This stunning strawberry Chantilly cake is made with soft layers of delicate vanilla cake and fluffy Chantilly cream topped with fresh strawberries. It is super tasty and pretty, as in the picture.
- Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For Genoise cake:
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup + 1 ½ tablespoons (120 g) granulated sugar
- 1 sachet (9 g) vanilla sugar
- ⅔ cup + 4 ½ tablespoons (120 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For sugar syrup:
- ⅓ cup (75 ml) water
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For mascarpone whipped cream:
- 1 ½ cups (355 g) cold heavy cream, 30% fat
- 2.5 oz. (70 g) cold mascarpone cheese
- 4 tablespoons (30 g) icing sugar
For filling and decoration:
- 21 oz. (600 g) fresh strawberries
Instructions
- To make Genoise cake, heat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Butter and flour the bottom and the sides of the 8-inch (20 cm) round pan (or springform pan). Melt the butter in the microwave and let it cool.
- In the heat-proof bowl, place eggs, vanilla and granulated sugar and beat with a hand whisk a few times. Bring the bowl over a water bath or bain-marie with hot water and whisk the egg mixture until foamy. Warm it to 104°F (40°C): check with a cooking thermometer. If unavailable, the mixture should be warm to the touch.
- Bring the bowl to the counter and beat the preparation with an electric hand mixer (you can use a stand mixer with a whisk attachment) for 10 minutes until the ribbon stage. Sift half the flour over the bowl and mix with a rubber spatula from the bottom to the top. Add the remaining flour and gently mix. Mix a few spoonfuls of the batter with the warm melted butter, and add to the principal preparation. Gently mix the batter, making sure it does not deflate.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake in the middle oven rack for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Check the cake for doneness with a toothpick: it should come out clean after inserting it in the center of the cake. Remove it from the oven and rest for 5-10 minutes. Then turn the pan on a cooling rack, allowing the cake to slide off. Let the cake cool completely.
- To make sugar syrup, pour water with sugar into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add vanilla extract or strawberry liqueur out of the heat, and let the syrup cool.
- To make mascarpone Chantilly cake, bring the bowl of a stand mixer and the whisk attachment or a large bowl to the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Pour the chilled heavy cream into the bowl. Add the cold mascarpone and whisk at low speed until soft peaks form.
- Gradually incorporate the icing sugar, increasing the speed to medium and then high until the cream reaches medium-stiff peaks.
- To assemble the cake, wash and dry strawberries, and hull them. Cut each strawberry into half, then into 6-8 slices each, and place aside. Leave a few berries for the decoration. With a large serrated knife or a cake leveler, cut the sponge cake into three sponge layers.
- Place the first cake layer on a serving plate or a cake board and soak the cake with the cold sugar syrup using a silicone or pastry brush. Spread ¼ of the Chantilly cream and place strawberry slices atop the cream, slightly submerging them. Place the second cake layer on top of the cream and berries. Gently press it to ensure adherence and soak it in syrup.
- Proceed to add ¼ of the cream and another layer of strawberries. Then, position the third cake layer and press it down slightly to complete the cake. Cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting and smooth the top and the sides. Then use a cake scraper to create stripes.
- Refrigerate the cake for 2-3 hours. Top the cake with sliced strawberries and sprinkle with icing sugar before serving.
Notes
- Consult recipes for Genoise sponge cake and Mascarpone Chantilly Frosting for step-by-step photographed explanations, helpful tips, and tricks.
- For a neat appearance, assemble the cake using a mousse cake mold adjusted to a diameter of 8 inches (20 cm) and lined with an acetate strip.
- Generously soak the sponge cake to bring moisture to the cake.
- For the best results, let the cake firm up for a few hours. However, if necessary, the cake can be served promptly upon completion of the decoration.
- Recalculate ingredients for cake pans of different sizes using this simple cake pan size converter.
- Make ahead option: Make Genoise sponge cake in the evening and store it covered with plastic wrap at room temperature. The next day, finish the cake.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 433
- Sugar: 30.1 g
- Sodium: 54 mg
- Fat: 26.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 15.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 44.8 g
- Fiber: 1.9 g
- Protein: 6.5 g
- Cholesterol: 173 mg
The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.
Regina says
How many layers is this cake supposed to bake because at the top it says butter and flour 1 8 in pan, but in the directions it says to layer the cakes.
Irina Totterman says
Hello Regina, this cake consists of three sponge layers.