BERRY CHANTILLY CAKE (WF COPYCAT)

Have you tasted it?!

If you answered no to either of those, let me tell you a little bit about it and why you don’t have to go to Whole Foods for a little slice of heaven! (Because bakery cakes can be pricey!).

I first tried this cake at a sweet friends Baby Shower and I was SHOOK and HOOKED!

I literally have never ever tasted a cake like this in my life. A super light vanilla sponge cake, not quite as heavy as a pound cake or angel food cake, so airy and flavorful and melt in your mouth crumbly but not dry in anyway.

It was an absolute instant obsession and I found myself wanting a second helping of cake while still eating the first!

Think fresh berries- strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries- in between layers of sweet vanilla cake and then beautifully decorated on top. Berries and vanilla cake all enveloped in the most luscious light whipped cream almond flavored dreamy frosting; super thick and fluffy.

All this piled high with three layers of everything and then completely frosted in white creamy lusciousness!

After this cake entered my life, I HAD to figure out how to remake it and remake it I sure did!

I started doing my research on how to replicate this cake as simply as possible without losing any flavor and still making it a wow cake! I immediately found a ton of information on a copycat version of this cake, there is quite a following out there.

And now here’s one more version, the ALF way…

First step always- start with a box cake!
Box cakes can get a really bad rap out there but I’m a true believer and I am at a point where I almost NEVER make a cake from scratch. It’s just not worth it for me, in my opinion.
I am a true believer of a box cake, add an extra egg, and a homemade from scratch frosting, always!

The cake made and photographed in this recipe post is a three layer round cake made from a flat 9×13″ metal pan. We cut 6″ rounds into the cake to get out three layers (2 full layers and 1 layer in two halves). Please see detailed instructions on how to make this below in the recipe card. It can also be made as a 9×13″ glass/metal sheet cake, 2x 8″ or 9″ round cakes, or as 24 cupcakes. Don’t feel you have to make the three layer cake you see here if it’s not for you!

A french vanilla box cake is the base layer here which makes for a super simple start to this recipe. Each layer of cake is sprinkled with a simple syrup made with sugar and water to keep the layers moist and decadent. And the shining star is the whipped cream frosting that’s made with mascarpone AND cream cheese for a flavorful punch, and a delicate texture. It’s flavored with the tiniest bit of almond extract for the perfect flavor bomb without being overbearing in almond flavor. And lastly the whipped cream mascarpone frosting is sweetened with powdered sugar and vanilla to compliment the french vanilla cake absolutely perfectly.

Are you in heaven with me?!

The most beautiful cake from Baby Shower’s to Summer Date Night’s to USA Holiday Celebrations!

BERRY CHANTILLY CAKE (WHOLE FOODS COPYCAT)

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Ingredients

SIMPLE SYRUP

• 1/3 CUP H20
• 1/3 CUP WHITE SUGAR

VANILLA CAKE

• 1 CUP H20
• 4 EGG WHITES 1 EXTRA EGG WHITE FROM BOX INSTRUCTIONS
• 1/2 CUP AVOCADO OIL
• 1 BOX VANILLA OR WHITE CAKE MIX 15.25 OZ

ALMOND MASCARPONE FROSTING

• 8 OZ PHILADELPHIA CREAM CHEESE 226G, COLD
• 8 OZ MASCARPONE CHEESE 226G, COLD
• 1 3/4 CUPS HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM COLD
• 2 CUPS POWDERED SUGAR
• 1/8-1/4 TEASPOON ALMOND EXTRACT START WITH 1/8 THEN ADD ANOTHER 1/8 FOR MORE FLAVOR AFTER TASTING, IF NEEDED (OPTIONAL)

FRESH BERRIES

• 1 1/2 CUPS STRAWBERRIES, BLUEBERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, RASPBERRIES
• EXTRA BERRIES FOR GARNISH

Instructions

SIMPLE SYRUP

• COMBINE SUGAR AND WATER OVER MEDIUM HEAT UNTIL DISSOLVED, STIRRING, THEN LET COOL.

VANILLA CAKE

• PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES F.
• SPRAY A METAL QUARTER SHEET PAN (9"X13"X1") WITH COOKING SPRAY. LINE SHEET WITH PARCHMENT PAPER PRESSING INTO THE SIDES, CORNERS, AND BOTTOM TO STICK TO THE COOKING SPRAY.
• COMBINE BOX CAKE MIX AND 4 EGG WHITES WITH OIL AND WATER IN A STAND MIXER FOLLOWING BOX INSTRUCTIONS, BEAT FOR 2 MINUTES ON MEDIUM SPEED WHILE SCRAPING DOWN SIDES.
• POUR INTO METAL SHEET PAN AND BANG ON THE COUNTER TO LEVEL CAKE MIX. BAKE FOR 25-28 MINUTES UNTIL JUST BAKED TURNING HALFWAY THROUGH FOR LEVELING IF YOU HAVE ISSUES IN YOUR OVEN (25 MINUTES WAS PERFECTLY GOLDEN FOR THIS CAKE).
• REMOVE CAKE AND LET COOL 10 MINUTES ON A BAKING SHEET.
• BRUSH CAKE TOP VERY LIGHTLY WITH 2 TABLESPOONS OF SIMPLE SYRUP, THEN PLACE A PIECE OF PARCHMENT PAPER ON TOP AND PRESS LIGHTLY DOWN TO COVER.
• WRAP WHOLE CAKE WITH PLASTIC WRAP IN BOTH DIRECTIONS AROUND THE CAKE AND SHEET PAN. PLACE IN FREEZER FOR 2 HOURS, OVERNIGHT, OR UP TO 24 HOURS.

ALMOND MASCARPONE FROSTING

• PLACE LARGE METAL BOWL IN THE FRIDGE AND REMOVE CAKE FROM FREEZER ONTO COUNTER.
• USING A PADDLE ATTACHMENT ON A STAND MIXER, ADD COLD CREAM CHEESE AND POWDERED SUGAR ON LOW TO COMBINE, THEN SWITCH TO MEDIUM SPEED UNTIL NO LUMPS REMAIN (ABOUT 1 MINUTE).
• SCRAPE DOWN THE SIDES OF THE BOWL AND ADD COLD MASCARPONE ON MEDIUM-HIGH SPEED UNTIL COMPLETELY COMBINED (ABOUT 1 MINUTE).
• SCRAPE SIDES AND SLOWLY POUR IN HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM UNTIL COMPLETELY INCORPORATED, SCRAPING AS NEEDED THROUGHOUT.
• ADD IN 1/4 TEASPOON ALMOND EXTRACT AND MIX, THIS WILL BE LOOSE BUT DON'T WORRY. TASTE HERE AND ADD ANOTHER 1/4 IF YOU'D PREFER MORE ALMOND FLAVOR. DON'T ADD ANY EXTRA IF YOU WANT JUST THE TINIEST AMOUNT OF ALMOND FLAVOR.
• SWITCH TO WHISK ATTACHMENT IN THE STAND MIXER, START MIXING ON LOW SPEED, THEN INCREASE TO MEDIUM-HIGH SPEED SLOWLY FOR 2-3 MINUTES UNTIL YOU SEE RIBBONS START TO FORM.
• INCREASE SPEED TO HIGH FOR 1-2 MINUTES UNTIL STIFF PEAKS FORM, SHOULD BE A WHIPPED CREAM/MOUSSE TEXTURE.
• REFRIGERATE UNTIL READY TO USE.

ASSEMBLING CAKE

• USING A BREAD KNIFE, SLICE OFF TINY SLICES OF THE TOP TO MAKE THE CAKE LEVEL AND FLAT. IF YOUR CAKE IS FLAT AND LEVEL AFTER BAKING THEN SKIP THIS STEP.
• USING A 6" ROUND METAL CAKE RING OR BOWL, CUT OUT 2 FULL CIRCLES FROM THE QUARTER SHEET PAN CAKE ON OPPOSITE SIDES AS CLOSE TO THE EDGES AS POSSIBLE. THEN CUT OUT 2 HALF CIRCLES IN THE OPEN SECTIONS OF THE CAKE, USING A KNIFE TO CUT AROUND THE CIRCLES. (SEE PHOTO FOR REFERENCE).
• ON A CAKE BOARD OR FLAT PLATE PUT A LITTLE BIT OF FROSTING IN THE CENTER AND PLACE ONE FULL CAKE ROUND ON TOP, PRESSING LIGHTLY.
• BRUSH CAKE VERY LIGHTLY WITH 1/2 TABLESPOON SIMPLE SYRUP ON TOP OF THE CAKE.
• COVER LAYER WITH FROSTING, SMOOTH FLAT AND TOP WITH A MIXTURE OF FRESH BERRIES, PRESSING LIGHTLY INTO THE FROSTING.
• PLACE BOTH HALF CIRCLE CAKE PIECES ON THE EDGE OF THE CAKE AND FILL THE CENTER WITH SMALL PIECES OF LEFTOVER CAKE (NOT THE CUT ROUNDS) UNTIL THE ENTIRE CENTER IS FILLED WITH CAKE ACROSS THE TOP AND SIDES.
• REPEAT THE SIMPLE SYRUP AND FROSTING LAYER WITH FRESH BERRIES ON TOP.
• USING THE SECOND FULL ROUND PIECE OF CAKE, PLACE ON TOP AND BRUSH WITH SIMPLE SYRUP AGAIN.
• COVER WITH THICK LAYER OF FROSTING AND START SPREADING FROM THE TOP TO THE SIDES UNTIL THE ENTIRE CAKE IS COVERED IN FROSTING. KEEP ADDING LAYERS OF FROSTING AND THEN SMOOTH IT OUT FROM TOP TO BOTTOM WITH SIMPLE SWOOSHES. YOU WILL HAVE A LITTLE FROSTING LEFTOVER.
• ONCE SMOOTH, DECORATE CAKE TOP AND SIDES WITH FRESH BERRIES.
• REFRIGERATE CAKE FOR 8 HOURS OR OVERNIGHT SO IT'S COMPLETELY SET.
• CUT CAREFULLY AND SERVE STRAIGHT FROM THE FRIDGE.

DO I HAVE TO MAKE THIS CAKE INTO A 6″ ROUND 3 LAYER CAKE?

Nope! Not at all, you can make this anyway you would make a box cake- 9×13″, 2x 8″ rounds, 2x 9″ rounds, 24 cupcakes, whatever you want! I think this would be fabulous as cupcakes, I might have to make them like that for Fourth of July!!

CAN THIS FROSTING BE MADE THE NIGHT BEFORE?

Techincally yes, but I would recommend re-whipping it or seeing if it’s thickness was retained overnight before frosting.

CAN I USE ANY FRUIT IN THIS?

Berries are best for this cake as they retain their shape and juiciness without bleeding.

IS A CAKE BOARD NECESSARY?

Absolutely not, you can use a flat plate.
These cake boards can be found at your local Dollar Store, if you’re interested!
I also used a Wilton turntable decorating round cake stand that helps with frosting but is not necessary.

Much love,

P.S Is this not the perfect cake / dessert for fourth of July though?!