Layers of lemon-scented vanilla sponge cake, mascarpone whipped cream and fresh berries make this Chantilly cake a dreamy, showstopping dessert.
What is Chantilly cake?
Chantilly cake is a delicious cake consisting of layers of sponge cake sandwiched with whipped cream and fresh berries.
Ingredients
Full recipe and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Flour. I used cake flour but all purpose flour can also be used.
- Caster sugar.
- Baking powder.
- Greek yogurt.
- Eggs. Extra-large eggs.
- Oil. I used canola oil but you could also use melted coconut oil. The oil results in a really soft sponge.
- Vanilla extract.
- Lemon zest.
- Salt.
- Cream. Heavy / whipping cream.
- Mascarpone.
- Icing sugar / Powdered sugar.
- Fresh berries.
How to make Chantilly cake
- Lemon-scented vanilla sponge cake: Grease and line three 20cm/7.8inch cake pans with baking paper and preheat the oven. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk the yogurt, sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla and lemon zest together in a separate bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients then mix until combined and smooth. Divide the batter between the three prepared pans. Place in the oven and allow to bake for 25-30 minute or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- Make the Mascarpone whipped cream: Whip together the cream and icing sugar until soft peaks form. Add the softened, room temperature Mascarpone and whip until stiff peaks form. It’s important for the mascarpone to be soft and at room temp otherwise it might not incorporate into the cream smoothly. The icing/powdered sugar along with the Mascarpone stabilizes the cream, allowing it to keep its shape for longer.
- Assemble and decorate the cake: Layer the cooled cakes with the whipped cream and berries. I used raspberries, sliced strawberries and blueberries in the layers and added fresh cherries to the top. Blackberries and gooseberries can also be used.
Can I make this cake in advance?
The cake layers can be baked up to 24 hours in advance. Wrap the cooled cakes well to avoid them drying out. The layers can also be frozen for up to 3 months. The assembled cake is best eaten immediately but to test its longevity I left it in the fridge for a day and it was still absolutely delicious. On cool days you could perhaps leave it at room temperature but I would still advise refrigerating a Chantilly cake to keep the cream and fruit fresh.
