Chantilly cake is a delightful dessert bursting with fresh flavor and airy charm. This popular cake features layers of fluffy vanilla sponge cake generously filled with a tart and sweet berry medley, all enveloped in a light and luscious Chantilly cream frosting.
Imagine soft, melt-in-your-mouth cake with fresh berries, all bound together by a cloud of creamy goodness – that's the magic of a Chantilly cake!
Why You'll Love This Dessert
Our Chantilly cake boasts a beautiful, yet simple two layer structure, adorned with fresh berries, making it perfect for special occasions. Yet, its simple construction allows for everyday enjoyment as well.
This Chantilly cake recipe is a dream come true for bakers of all levels. Here's why you'll love it:
- Simple & Elegant: This Chantilly cake comes together surprisingly easily, perfect for bakers of all levels. No fancy techniques required, yet the finished product looks stunning!
- Light & Refreshing: The hot milk sponge cake is incredibly airy and pairs beautifully with the light and fluffy cream cheese whipped cream frosting.
- Berry Burst: Fresh seasonal berries like strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries add vibrant pops of color, flavor, and a delightful touch of tartness in every bite.
So What is a Chantilly Cake and What is Chantilly Cream?
Chantilly cake is a celebration of fresh berries nestled between layers of fluffy cake and a luxurious frosting. The cake itself is typically a hot milk sponge cake, known for its light and airy texture. It was created at Antoine's in New Orleans in 1829.
The frosting, however, is where the name truly shines. "Chantilly" refers to a type of sweetened whipped cream, sometimes with the addition of cream cheese or liqueur for extra richness. It was supposedly created in the 1670 for one of Louis XIV's extravagant parties near the village of Chantilly, France.
This stabilized whip cream frosting blankets the cake and complements the vibrant berry filling, making Chantilly cake a flavor explosion of sweet, tart, and airy textures in every delightful bite.
The Ingredients You'll Need
This cake is all about celebrating the beauty of fresh berries. The combination of tart and sweet creates a delightful explosion of flavor in every bite!
- Flour. All-purpose flour works great for this recipe. You can also use cake flour if you have it on hand.
- Sugar. Regular white granulated sugar.
- Eggs. The eggs should be room temperature or slightly warmer. Warmer eggs will whip better and hold more air.
- Butter. Use real butter and not margarine for the best results.
- Milk. Real milk works best in this recipe. Milk replacements do not have the same fat content and do not give you the same results.
- Baking powder. Make sure you use baking powder and NOT baking soda.
- Salt. Just a pinch of salt enhances the flavors.
- Vanilla extract. Another flavor enhancer that makes a big impact.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Our Chantilly Cake
Once you have the eggs beaten to ribbon stage, you're home free. So, just set up your stand mixer, and allow for about 10-15 minutes for those eggs to whip.
Prepare and Whip The Eggs
- Place the eggs (while still in the shell) in a bowl of warm water. This will warm them up and help them whip to a higher volume. Let them sit while you prep the cake pans and the ingredients.
- While the eggs are warming, preheat the oven to 350°F and grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans and place some parchment paper in the bottom of the pans.
- Place the milk and butter in a saucepan and warm it over low heat until the butter melts. Keep the pan on the lowest heat setting to stay warm while you beat the eggs.
- Crack the eggs in a large mixing bowl and add the sugar. Beat on high speed for about 8 to 10 minutes. The eggs should triple in volume and become pale yellow in color. (see notes). A stand mixer with the whisk attachment is recommended but an electric hand mixer will do the job.
Sift The Flour
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add half of the flour to the egg mixture and fold in with a spatula until it is combined. Fold in the second half of the flour.
- Add the vanilla to the warm milk mixture and gradually pour the milk into the batter. Stir the mixture by hand or on low speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl with a spatula to make sure all the flour is incorporated.
- Divide the batter into the cake pans and bake for 25 to 32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (see the notes if you are using a different size pan).
- When the cakes are finished baking, set the pans on a wire rack on the counter and let them cool in the pans.
Make The Chantilly Cream Frosting
Cream cheese acts as a delicious stabilizer for any variety of whipped cream, but especially when making a Chantilly cake! The addition of the cream cheese will allow this cake to even stand up longer set out.
- Place the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat on high speed until smooth.
- Slow the mixer to low speed and slowly pour the heavy cream into the bowl, gradually increase the speed of the mixer to high speed. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.
Assemble The Cake
- Brush or drizzle simple syrup on each cake layer.
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand, spread with a thin layer of the strawberry jam then a thin layer of the frosting. Top with berries and spreada layer of frosting over the berries.
- Place the other cake layer on top and spread the rest of the frosting on the top. Decorate with the remaining berries.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few delicious variations or substitutions when making this recipe.
- Use any combination of berries available or in season.
- You can use just jam instead of both simple syrup and jam, but prick the cake with a toothpick so the jam and seep in more than it would otherwise.
- Make a gluten-free version by using a high quality gluten-free cake flour.
Tips for Success
Here are a few tips for making this recipe:
- Let the cakes cool completely before frosting. This prevents the frosting from melting.
- Use softened cream cheese so that your Chantilly cream is light, airy, and has no lumps.
- A stand mixer is a a godsend, as you can let the eggs whip into the ribbon stage without holding the mixer.
- If you do use a handheld mixer, placing the bowl in an empty sink will catch most of the splatter.
- Use a serrated knife to cut the cake. This will give you clean and even slices.
Serving Suggestions
This Chantilly cake is perfect for any occasion, from afternoon tea parties to baby showers and birthday celebrations. It's the perfect summer party cake. Serve it chilled or at room temperature for a refreshing and delightful dessert experience.
Related Recipes
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when making this dish.
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Storage and Reheating
- Store leftover Chantilly cake in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- This cake does not freeze well, as defrosting berries make the cake and frosting watery. So sad, you'll have to eat it all now!
Frequently Asked Questions
No, don't use frozen berries as even squeezed of juice, they are just too wet. Additionally, one of the biggest charms of a Chantilly cake is the FRESH berries.
Since the frosting is stabilized whip cream, it will hold up at room temperature for a few hours. But, it should be kept in the refrigerator chilled until ready to serve, and after serving.
Yes, the cake layers can be baked a day in advance and stored at room temperature. Assemble and frost the cake just before serving.
More Five Start Desserts
Chantilly Cake with Fresh Berries
Equipment
- 2 9 inch Cake Pans
Ingredients
FOR THE HOT MILK SPONGE CAKE
- 5 Eggs
- 1¼ cup Whole milk
- 12 tablespoon Butter
- 2 cup Sugar 400 grams
- 3 cup All-purpose flour 360 grams
- 4 teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
CHEESECAKE MOUSSE FROSTING
- 12 ounces Cream cheese room temperature
- 1⅓ cups Powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2½ cups Heavy whipping cream
FOR ASSEMBLY
- 1 cup Vanilla syrup
- ½ cup Berry jam
- 5 cup Berries Fresh, mixed
- Garnish Optional: flowers and mint leaves,
Instructions
FOR THE HOT MILK SPONGE CAKE
- Place the eggs (while still in the shell) in a bowl of warm water. This will warm them up and help them whip to a higher volume. Let them sit while you prep the cake pans and the ingredients.5 Eggs
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans and place some parchment paper in the bottom of the pans. (see notes for different size pans).
- Place the milk and butter in a saucepan and warm it over low heat until the butter melts. Keep the pan on the lowest heat setting to stay warm while you beat the eggs.1¼ cup Whole milk, 12 tablespoon Butter
- A stand mixer with the whisk attachment is recommended but an electric hand mixer will do the job.
- Crack the eggs in a large mixing bowl and add the sugar. Beat on high speed for about 8 to 10 minutes. The eggs should triple in volume and become pale yellow in color. (see notes)2 cup Sugar
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add half of the flour to the egg mixture and fold in with a spatula until it is combined. Fold in the second half of the flour.3 cup All-purpose flour, 4 teaspoon Baking powder, ½ teaspoon Salt
- Add the vanilla to the warm milk mixture and gradually pour the milk into the batter. Stir the mixture by hand or on low speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl with a spatula to make sure all the flour is incorporated.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Divide the batter into the cake pans.
- Bake for 25 to 32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (see the notes if you are using a different size pan).
- When the cakes are finished baking, set the pans on a wire rack on the counter and let them cool in the pans.
CHANTILLY CREAM FROSTING
- Place the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat on high speed until smooth.12 ounces Cream cheese, 1⅓ cups Powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- Slow the mixer to low speed and slowly pour the heavy cream into the bowl, gradually increase the speed of the mixer to high speed. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.2½ cups Heavy whipping cream
ASSEMBLE THE CAKE
- Brush or drizzle the simple syrup on each cake layer.1 cup Vanilla syrup
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand, spread with a thin layer of the strawberry jam then a thin layer of the frosting. Top with berries and spread or pipe a layer of frosting over the berries.½ cup Berry jam, 5 cup Berries
- Place the other cake layer on top and spread or pipe the rest of the frosting on the top. Decorate with the remaining berries, some mint leaves and baby's breath.Garnish
Notes
- If you are using a stand mixer be sure to use the whisk attachment.
- Warmer eggs will whip up to higher volumes than cold eggs. Place the eggs (while still in their shells) in warm water for about 5 minutes to get them slightly warmer than room temperature. The goal is to just warm them up, not cook them. The water should feel like hot bath water.
- Beat the eggs and sugar until they triple in volume. The mixture will become pale yellow and when you stop the mixer and raise the whisk, the mixture will fall back in a ribbon-like pattern. This process takes about 8 to 10 minutes in a stand mixer and a bit longer with a handheld electric mixer. It will take all day if you whisk it by hand so get out an electric appliance for this step.
- Prepare the cake pans and let the oven pre-heat before you start to mix the batter. Do not let the batter sit for too long after you mix it or it will settle and create a very dense layer on the bottom of the cake pans.
- Do not use pans that have a removable bottom. The batter is pretty thin and will leak out of springform pans.
- You can purchase vanilla syrup in the coffee aisle of most grocery stores or you can make your own very easily. To make your own simple syrup, combine ½ cup sugar with ½ cup water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for about 30 to 60 seconds then remove from heat, add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and let cool before using.
- You can bake the cake in three 8-inch cake pans for 22 to 28 minutes (rotate the pans half-way through the baking time). You can also bake the cake in a 13x9 inch cake pan for 30 to 34 minutes.
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