9 Steps to Making the Legendary Chantilly Cake at Home
This legendary Chantilly cake recreates the famous Whole Foods bakery favorite with layers of tender almond cake, clouds of mascarpone Chantilly cream, and fresh mixed berries. Each forkful delivers the perfect balance of delicate cake, luxurious cream, and bright berry flavor. While it looks like something from an upscale bakery, the technique is surprisingly approachable for home bakers. The result is a stunning centerpiece dessert that tastes as incredible as it looks, perfect for birthdays, showers, or any celebration deserving something truly special.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours (including cooling and assembly time
- Yield: 10-12 servings
- Category: Dessert, Cake, Special Occasion
- Method: Baking, Layering
- Cuisine: American, French-inspired
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Almond Cake:
- 2¾ cups cake flour
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons almond extract
- ½ cup sour cream, room temperature
Mascarpone Chantilly Cream:
- 16 oz mascarpone cheese, cold
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- Pinch of salt
Berries:
- 2 cups strawberries, sliced
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1 cup blackberries (optional)
- 2 tablespoons sugar for macerating
- Extra whole berries for decoration
Optional Simple Syrup:
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 8-inch round pans, line bottoms with parchment.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. In mixer, beat butter 1 minute, add sugar, beat 4-5 minutes until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla and almond extracts.
- Whisk together milk and sour cream. Add dry ingredients in three additions alternating with milk mixture in two additions, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until combined.
- Divide batter evenly among pans. Bake 25-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool completely.
- Macerate berries with 2 tablespoons sugar for 30 minutes. Drain well before using.
- Make mascarpone cream: Beat mascarpone, heavy cream, powdered sugar, extracts, and salt on medium-low until it begins to thicken, then increase to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks form (3-4 minutes total).
- Optional: Make simple syrup by heating sugar and water until dissolved, boil briefly, remove from heat and add almond extract. Cool completely.
- Level cake layers. Brush with simple syrup if using. Place first layer on serving plate, spread 1 cup cream, top with 1 cup drained berries. Repeat with second layer. Add final layer.
- Apply thin crumb coat of cream, refrigerate 15-20 minutes. Apply final layer of frosting, smooth with offset spatula. Decorate top with fresh berries.
- Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Remove from fridge 20-30 minutes before cutting for best flavor.
Notes
- Use cake flour, not all-purpose, for the most tender crumb
- All dairy ingredients must be at room temperature for the batter
- Mascarpone and cream must be cold for the frosting
- Don’t overbeat the mascarpone cream or it will separate and become grainy
- Drain macerated berries thoroughly to prevent soggy cake
- The crumb coat step is essential for clean, professional-looking frosting
- Cake must be completely cool before assembly or cream will melt
- Refrigerate assembled cake at least 1 hour before serving, overnight is better
- Store covered in refrigerator up to 4 days
- Unfrosted cake layers can be frozen up to 3 months
Find it online: https://recipya.com/9-steps-legendary-chantilly-cake-at-home/