Chantilly cake is a refreshing dessert adorned with lightly sweetened vanilla mascarpone buttercream and fresh berries. My cake has three layers of fluffy vanilla almond cake sandwiching fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. The cake is finished with a thick coat of intricate whipped cream icing and topped with more berries.
“Chantilly” refers to the frosting inside and around the cake.
Whipped cream frosting is sometimes referred to as “Chantilly Cream,” which came from the Hameau de Chantilly (English translation: “hamlet of Chantilly” or settlement within the town of Chantilly). This was thought to originate around the 1800s.
The difference between Chantilly cream and sweetened whipped cream is confusing; bakers use the names interchangeably. Some sources state that Chantilly cream contains vanilla flavoring, and others claim the whipped cream just has to be sweetened.
There exist many variations of this type of cake AND the frosting.
However, to be sure, the cake MUST have three layers. The cake MUST contain both vanilla and almond extracts. The frosting, though, can consist of a combination of many things: butter, mascarpone, cream cheese, cream, and sugar.
I opted to create an amazing frosting with ALL of these amazing things, and to stabilize with a bit of corn starch
The cake is a bit “rustic” looking for my sight, but Chantilly – mascarpone-cream-buttercream – is hard! (WARNING). The flavor is amazing, but artisans beware, Chantilly Lace icing is finicky.
Delicious. Amazing – nonetheless. Good luck and enjoy.
Those berries; swoon. 🍓🫐😋
Rustic Chantilly Lace Cake:
Chantilly Cake:
1 3/4 cups cake flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
½ tsp. sea salt
½ cup butter, room temperature (1 stick)
1 1/4 cup white sugar
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp. almond extract
5 large egg whites, room temperature
2/3 cup whole milk, room temperature
Berry Filling:
1 cup fresh strawberries, thinly sliced
½ cup fresh blackberries, halved
½ cup fresh raspberries, halved
½ cup fresh blueberries
Vanilla Chantilly Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting:
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
16 oz mascarpone cheese, room temp
8 oz. cream cheese, room temp
2½ – 3 cups confectioner’s sugar
⅛ tsp. salt
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tbs. corn starch
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Coat three 6” cake pans with oil and then parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla and almond extracts and beat until incorporated.
Then, add egg whites and beat until light and fluffy, about a minute.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in thirds, alternating with the milk, just until each ingredient is incorporated and the batter is smooth. Do not overmix.
Divide batter among the three prepared cake pans.
Bake in preheated oven for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Remove pans from oven and allow to cool for several hours.
Release the cakes from the pans and tightly wrap in plastic wrap to fully freeze before frosting.
Just before icing, prepare the frosting:
Using a stand mixer, cream the butter, cream cheese, and mascarpone until light and fluffy.
Then add the salt and confectioner’s sugar and mix to combine.
Slowly add in the stabilizing corn starch.
In a separate bowl, whip together the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
Do not overmix.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone cream cheese mixture until fully incorporated.
To Assemble:
Level each layer of cake with a serrated knife (ensuring the cake stays COLD – this makes icing so much easier).
Place the first tier of cake on a cardboard cake round and slather with frosting.
Top with a thin layer of sliced berries.
Slather a thin layer of frosting on the bottom of the second tier of cake and top the berries with that layer – repeating the icing and berries on top of the second tier.
Repeat the above process again.
Finally, top the third layer with thick icing, as well as all sides.
Do your thing. Slather, spread, smooth. Make it great.
Garnish with the remainder of fresh berries.
Chill before slicing and serving this Chantilly Lace masterpiece.
