This gorgeous triple berry cake is made with Genoise cake layers, filled with luscious mascarpone filling, and decorated with fresh mixed berries. It is perfect for a dinner party, birthday celebration, or another special occasion.
Berry cake recipe
This simple berry cake is made with basic ingredients and berries of your choice. Thanks to the vibrant colors and flavors of fresh red fruit, it makes the best birthday berry cake in summer.
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It pairs wonderfully with sparkling wines and champagne, creating a perfect dessert for a romantic ambiance.
The berry cake recipe comes with a make-ahead option for your convenience. Prepare Genoise cake in advance to save time and ensure a stress-free baking experience.
Ingredients
For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.
- Eggs: Use large-sized whole eggs at room temperature. Bring them to the kitchen counter about an hour before you start.
- Sugar: Use white granulated or caster sugar. Use superfine sugar for mascarpone frosting.
- All-purpose flour
- Unsalted butter with 82% fat content.
- Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream with at least 30% fat content.
- Mascarpone cheese brings a beautiful taste and flavor and also helps stabilize the whipped cream.
- Vanilla extract brings a beautiful flavor.
- Fresh berries: fresh blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries. Three types of berries are just enough, although you can experiment with other combinations.
- Flaked almonds: Toast them in the oven at 300°F (150°C) for 10-15 minutes. But keep an eye on their color!
How to make berry cake step-by-step
Step 1. To make Genoise cake, heat 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.
Pro tip: Consult the Genoise sponge cake recipe for step-by-step photographed explanations, helpful tips, and tricks.
Step 2. In the heat-proof bowl, place eggs and sugar and beat with a hand whisk a few times.
Step 3. 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.
Step 4. 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.
Step 5. 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.
Step 6. 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.
Step 7. 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.
Step 8. 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.
Step 9. To make sugar syrup, pour water and sugar into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, add vanilla extract or strawberry liqueur (optional), and let the syrup cool.
Step 10. To make mascarpone whipped cream, bring the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl to the freezer for 10 minutes.
Pro tip: Consult a mascarpone frosting recipe for step-by-step photographed explanations, helpful tips, and tricks.
Step 11. Pour the cold heavy cream, add cold mascarpone, and whisk at low speed until soft peaks (photo 1).
Step 12. Add the caster sugar and continue beating at medium, then high speed. The cream will go through medium peaks until stiff peaks (photo 2).
Step 13. To assemble the cake, cut a few strawberries into half, then into more slices each, and place aside (photo 3).
Step 14. Adjust a mousse cake mold cake to a diameter of 8 inches (20 cm) and line it with an acetate strip. Place it on a cake board or a serving plate.
Step 15. Use a large serrated knife or a cake leveler to cut the cake into three sponge layers. Place the first cake layer inside the ring (photo 4) and soak the cake with the cold sugar syrup using a pastry brush.
Step 16. Add â…“ of the mascarpone filling and spread it with a spoon or spatula. Place a handful mix of berries over the cream, sinking them slightly (photo 5).
Step 17. Add the second cake layer and slightly press it to adhear to the cream. Soak it, and fill it with cream and a new layer of berries. Place the third layer of cake and press it slightly.
Step 18. Cover the ring with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Using plastic film, cover the bowl with the cream and chill until the cake is firmed up.
To serve, take the cake and cream from the fridge. Remove the ring and acetate collar. Coat the top and sides of the cake with the remaining cream with the spatula. Sprinkle the cake's sides with toasted flaked almonds (photo 6).
Decorate the top of the cake with the remaining berries, dust with confectioners’ sugar (if desired), and serve.
Expert Tips
- Don't skip the soaking of the cake. Genoise cake requires additional moisture during the assembling process.
- Alternate the layers of berries if desired: a layer of raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries.
- If you plan to serve the cake within 1-2 hours, you may complete its entire preparation without using a mousse cake ring. However, if you plan to do it later, it is advisable to finish coating and decorating the cake just before serving to preserve the freshness of the red berries on top.
- Recalculate ingredients for cake pans of different sizes using this simple cake pan size converter.
- Make ahead option: Bake Genoise cake in the evening and store it covered with plastic wrap at room temperature. Finish the cake the next day.
Recipe variations
- Berry layer cake: Cut a Genoise cake into two equal layers and adjust the frosting quantity by reducing it by 25%.
- Berries and cream cake: Swap the mascarpone frosting for sugar-free whipped cream, cream cheese, sour cream frosting, or Chantilly cream. All the options make a great berry and cream combination and are easy to make. You can mix berries and cream but don't forget to save some cream for covering the cake.
- Milk and berry cake: Soak the cake layers with tres leches syrup. Make it yourself by stirring equal parts of evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk, mixed with one-quarter the amount of heavy cream.
- Fresh berry cake: Play with fresh berry filling by exploring other flavor combinations and having fun creating your perfect berry cake. Depending on the time of year, select your preferred berry cake, ranging from mixed or triple berry cake to single berry options.
Storing and freezing
Keep the berry cake under a glass dome to prevent it from drying out and absorbing the odors of other foods in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
Store the leftover cake in an airtight container.
Freezing an assembled berry cream cake is not recommended, but you can bake the Genoise cake ahead and freeze it for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQ
While in most cases, you can make a berry cake with frozen berries but not prepare a layer cake with cream frosting. This is because thawed berries release extra juices and can't be used between cake layers and for decoration.
Among the various types of berries, red raspberries are the sweetest, claiming the top spot in natural sweetness.
Love fresh fruit desserts? Try these next!
If you like this easy berry cake, check out other fruit dessert recipes, from simple mixed red fruit muffins to elaborate Coconut Dacquoise cake with berries on top.
- Strawberry Charlotte
- Mixed Berry Muffins
- French Strawberry Tart
- Coconut Dacquoise Cake
- Uruguayan Cake Chaja
- Jordgubbstårta (Swedish Strawberry Cake)
- Triple Berry Cake
- Fresh Fruit Cake
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PrintRecipe card
Triple Berry Cake
This gorgeous triple berry cake is made with Genoise cake layers, filled with luscious mascarpone filling, and decorated with fresh mixed berries. It is perfect for a dinner party, birthday celebration, or another special occasion.
- 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
- ⅔ cup + 4 ½ tablespoons (120 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For syrup:
- â…“ 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
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) caster sugar
For filling and decoration:
- 1 ½ lb (660 g) mixed fresh fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)
- 2.5 oz. (70 g) toasted flaked almonds
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 and 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 the sugar syrup, pour water, sugar into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, add vanilla extract or strawberry liqueur (optional), and let the syrup cool down.
-
To make mascarpone whipped cream, bring the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl to the freezer for 10 minutes. Pour the cold heavy cream, add cold mascarpone, and whisk at low speed until soft peaks. Add the caster sugar and continue beating at medium, then high speed. The cream will go through medium peaks until stiff peaks.
-
To assemble the cake, cut a few strawberries into half, then into more slices each, and place aside. Adjust a mousse cake ring to a diameter of 8 inches (20 cm) and line it with an acetate strip. Place it on a cake board or a serving plate.
-
Use a large serrated knife or a cake leveler to cut the cake into three sponge layers. Place the first cake layer inside the ring and soak the cake with the cold sugar syrup using a pastry brush. Add â…“ of the mascarpone filling and spread it with a spoon or spatula. Place a handful mix of berries over the cream, sinking them slightly.
-
Add the second cake layer and slightly press it to adhear to the cream. Soak it, and fill it with cream and a new layer of berries. Place the third layer of cake and press it slightly. Cover the ring with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Cover the bowl with the cream using plastic film and chill until the cake is firmed up.
-
Once ready to serve, take the cake and cream from the fridge. Remove the ring and acetate collar. Coat the top and sides of the cake with the remaining cream with the spatula. Sprinkle the cake's sides with toasted flaked almonds. Decorate the top of the cake with the remaining berries, dust with confectioners’ sugar (if desired), and serve.
Notes
- Don't skip the soaking of the cake. Genoise cake requires additional moisture during the assembling process.
- Alternate the layers of berries if desired: a layer of raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries.
- If you plan to serve the cake within 1-2 hours, you may complete its entire preparation without using a mousse cake ring. However, if you plan to do it later, it is advisable to finish coating and decorating the cake just before serving to preserve the freshness of the red berries on top.
- Recalculate ingredients for cake pans of different sizes using this simple cake pan size converter.
- Make ahead option: Bake Genoise cake in the evening and store it covered with plastic wrap at room temperature. Finish the cake the next day.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 783
- Sugar: 54.5 g
- Sodium: 64 mg
- Fat: 34.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 15.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 114.3 g
- Fiber: 41.1 g
- Protein: 15.6 g
- Cholesterol: 172 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.
Cathy says
I made this cake for my mom's birthday. What a gorgeous treat that turned out perfect. Thanks a lot for the detailed instructions that helped easily make the cake!