About This Berry Chantilly Cake Recipe
This berry chantilly cake is a small batch copycat recipe of the viral Whole Foods cake! The recipe is made in an 8-inch square pan, slicing perfectly into 9 square slices.
Looking for more delicious copycat bakery dessert recipes? Check out this Small Batch Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding, Copycat Shake Shack Dubai Chocolate Milkshake Recipe, and Tom Cruise’s Favorite Coconut Bundt Cake (Doan Bakery Copycat).
The cake is adapted from the original recipe published in The New York Times; the recipe comes from New Orleans bakery, Bywater Bakery.
What You Need To Make This Bakery Style Cake
Let’s talk about some of the ingredients you need to make this delicious homemade version of the famous Whole Foods berry chantilly cake:
- Cake Flour. Cake flour gives this cake its signature light and pillowy crumb. If you don’t have any at home, check out my recipe for Homemade Cake Flour and save yourself a trip to the store!
- Half-and-Half. The original berry chantilly cake recipe instructs you to use half-and-half in the almond sponge cake. I never have half-and-half, so I just used ¼ cup (2 ounces or 57 grams) whole milk and ¼ cup (2 ounces or 57 grams) heavy cream. You need heavy cream to make the frosting anyway, so buy some extra for the sponge!
- Large Egg Whites. You don’t need fresh egg whites for this recipe. While testing the recipe, I found that boxed egg whites worked just as well!
- Simple Syrup. The recipe instructs you to soak each layer in simple syrup. You can use store bought simple syrup, or make your own with my 5 Minute Simple Syrup Recipe (For Cakes, Cocktails, Drinks). If making your own, I suggest making it while the frosting is chilling in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Recipe Reference Photos: Making The Cake, Frosting, and Assembling Everything
Making The White Almond Cake Layers
Making The Chantilly Cream Cheese Frosting
Assembling The Cake
My Best Recipe Tips
How To Make This Recipe Fit Your Schedule
- Plan ahead for this one! The frosting needs to chill for at least 1 hour before whipping; you also need to refrigerate the hour for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving. If you don’t want to spend all day in the kitchen, I suggest baking the cakes and making the frosting at least 1 day before assembling the cake.
- The frosting can be stored for up to three days, but will need to be whipped again if it is chilled for more than a few hours. The cakes can be stored at room temperature overnight, tightly wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap. If you like this kind of planning ahead and making the recipe fit your schedule, check out my cookbook, Weeknight Baking: Recipes To Fit Your Schedule. It has a ton of recipes that help you bake things this way.
If You Only Have One 8-Inch Cake Pan
- I used two 8-inch square cake pans (these ones from Williams Sonoma, and I whole heartedly recommend them) to make the layers for my berry chantilly cake. If you don’t have two 8-inch cake pans, use a 9 x 13-inch rectangular cake pan instead! You will just need to slice the cake in half crosswise to make the 2 layers.
On Measuring Fruit
- The original recipe lists the fruit by weight. If you don’t have a digital scale (though I highly recommend getting one), use around 2 cups of berries.
All About That Chantilly Cream Cheese Frosting
- I recently discovered that you don’t really need to sift confectioners’ sugar when making frosting. Because you’ll be mixing the frosting at high speed, most of the lumps in these ingredients work themselves out pretty easily! Save yourself time and energy—don’t bother sifting the confectioners’ sugar unless it’s REALLY necessary.
- The recipe instructs you to chill the frosting for at least 1 hour before whipping it. Pay close attention when you do so—the frosting can become grainy if overmixed. Check out my reference photos above to see the perfect texture of the frosting!
- The recipe instructs you to whip the heavy cream to “firm peaks.” The best way to see if you have this texture is to do a test with a whisk! Dip the tip of a whisk into the whipped cream, remove it, and quickly turn it upside down. If the cream is too soft, it will slide off the whisk and you’ll need to keep whisking. If the cream has a cloud-like texture with peaks that lose their shape, you’re at the “soft peaks” stage and need to continue whisking. Whisk for just a little longer and do the test again—the peaks should hold, and you’re officially at the “firm peaks” stage! Just watch out: this happens pretty soon after the “soft peaks” stage, and it’s easy to overdo it and make the cream overly clumpy.
- It will seem like there’s too much frosting for the cake. But trust the recipe! You need a surprising amount of frosting to cover the sides of the cake.
Get the Recipe:
8 Inch Berry Chantilly Sheet Cake (Copycat Whole Foods Recipe)
Make your own berry chantilly cake at home with this 8-inch sheet cake recipe! This small batch copycat of the viral Whole Foods cake features almond white cake, chantilly mascarpone frosting, and fresh berries.
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For The White Almond Cake
For The Chantilly Cream Cheese Frosting
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First, make the White Almond Cake. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously spray two 8 x 8-inch square pans with cooking spray and line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. Spray the parchment, too.
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Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
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Mix the wet ingredients. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the half-and-half, oil, and almond extract.
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Cream the butter and sugar, then add the egg whites. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter. Beat on medium until light, fluffy, and doubled in volume, 3 to 4 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary. Reduce the mixer to low and add the egg whites, and beat until the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute.
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Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the wet ingredients in 2 parts. With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat until the last of the dry ingredients are just combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more and beat for 30 seconds.
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Assemble the cakes for baking. Divide the batter evenly between the pans; if using a digital scale to measure out the layers, note that this recipe makes around 25 ounces (709 grams) of batter. Pour 12.5 ounces (355 grams) of batter into each pan.
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Bake the cakes. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. When done, the top of the cake should bounce back when gently pressed and a skewer inserted into the center of the cake should come out with a few crumbs attached.Cool completely in the pans on a wire rack before assembling the cake.
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Prep the Chantilly Cream Cheese Frosting. While the cakes are baking, prep the chantilly cream cheese frosting.In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar. Beat on medium-low for 1 minute, before increasing the mixer speed to medium-high and beating until smooth, another 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the mascarpone and beat until just combined. With the mixer still on low, slowly pour in the heavy cream, scraping down the sides of the bowl with the rubber spatula as needed. Mix until just combined.Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour while you prep the fruit.
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Prep the fruit. While the frosting is chilling, prep the fruit. Rinse the strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries in a colander. Pat the berries to dry with a kitchen towel.Hull the strawberries, and slice each strawberry into quarters from tip to stem. Slice the remaining blackberries in half.In a large bowl, mix together all the berries. Set aside about a third of the berries (around 5 ounces or 142 grams) to garnish the cake.
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Whip the Chantilly Cream Cheese Frosting. Once the frosting has chilled for at least 1 hour and you’re ready to assemble the cake, finishing whipping the Chantilly Cream Cheese Frosting.Affix the whisk attachment to the stand mixer. Whisk the frosting on medium-high until stiff peaks form, about 1 to 2 minutes. Be careful not to overwhip!
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Assemble the Berry Chantilly Cake. If necessary, level the top of both cakes. Place one of the cake layers on a cake board or serving platter in the center of a rotating cake stand. Use a pastry brush to brush 2 Tablespoons of simple syrup all over the top of the cake layer.Use a rubber spatula or cookie dough scoop to drop ½ cup of frosting (around 3.5 ounces or 99 grams) in the middle of this cake layer. Spread it evenly all over the top, just like you would spread butter on toast. Spoon the remaining berries filling over the frosting, distributing it randomly but evenly.Place the second cake on top of the berries, stacking it evenly on top of the first cake. Use the pastry brush to brush the remaining syrup all over the top of this cake layer.
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Crumb coat the cake. Cover the surface of the entire layer cake with a thin layer of frosting. Use just enough frosting to cover the entire cake completely. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 30 minutes to stiffen and “set” the frosting.
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After the crumb coat sets, finish frosting the cake. Cover the cake completely with the remaining frosting, using an offset spatula to spread the frosting all over the top and sides of the cake evenly. Garnish the top of the cake with the berries that were set aside to garnish the cake.
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Chill, serve, and store. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours before serving, but preferably overnight. When ready to serve, slice into 9 square slices. The assembled cake cane be store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Press a sheet of plastic wrap against any cut surfaces to prevent the cake from drying out.
