Rival the popular white berry chantilly cake with this easy, at-home version! Bake in a 9x13" pan and top with a light & super creamy frosting for the ultimate cake!
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Why I Love This
- Bake in a 9x13" pan: No need to get speciality pans to make this "layer" cake, just bake this up in the 9x13" pan you already have (I love 9x13" pans so much that I wrote an entire cookbook on it!).
- Light but flavorful texture: This white chantilly cake has a light texture but doesn't require beating egg whites or doing any fancy techniques.
- The perfect frosting: Since we're going for a Whole Foods chantilly cake copycat, this recipe uses mascarpone in the frosting for a light & not overly sweet frosting (great for those of you who don't like super sweet buttercreams!).
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Mascarpone Cheese: This is what give the cake the light, not overly sweet flavor. You can find this in a tub by the cream cheese (see below). You can substitute with cream cheese but it will be a "wetter" more tacky frosting, so I highly recommend the marscapone! It's not the cheapest (about $5) but truly makes this recipe shine.
- Cornstarch: This essentially turns the all-purpose flour into a DIY cake flour and gives the cake a tender, light crumb.
- Clear Vanilla Extract: If you want your frosting to be the classic bright white, use a clear vanilla extract. This isn't mandatory, just for aesthetic.
- Almond Extract: if you don't like almond or have an allergy, you can leave it out.
- Fresh Berries: Serving this with fresh berries is a must! Wash and dry your berries to avoid them leaking too much juice on the cake.
How to Make White Chantilly Cake
This is a simple 9x13" recipe, without any fancy layering! It's a great dessert for Valentine's Day, spring, or just any time you want something light & fresh!
Step 1: Make Cake Batter
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour (2 ¼ cups), cornstarch (¼ cup), baking powder (1 tablespoon...not teaspoon!), and kosher salt (½ teaspoon). Set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, beat unsalted butter (½ cup, i.e. 1 stick), granulated sugar (1 ½ cups), vanilla extract (2 teaspoons), and almond extract (½ teaspoons) together on high for 2 minutes. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.
- Add vegetable oil (½ cup) and eggs (3 large) and mix until just combined.
- While the mixer is on low speed, slowly alternate the previously mixed dry ingredients and milk (1 ½ cups) and mix until combined. Don't overbeat.
Step 2: Pour into Pan & Bake
Grease and line a 9x13" light-colored aluminum pan with parchment paper. Pour batter into pan and spread until smooth. Bake at 350℉ for 32-38 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to fully cool before adding milk soak and frosting.
Tip: To cool faster, run a knife along the edges of the cake and flip out on a cooling rack.
Step 3: Add Milk Soak
In a small bowl, mix together milk (¼ cup) and vanilla extract (⅛ teaspoon). Once the cake is cooled, use a pastry brush or spoon to brush or spoon milk mixture on top and bottom of cake, then place cake back in the pan. It's easiest to use two cooling racks to flip the cake over in order to get the milk on top and bottom.
Tip: If you don't want to do this step, you can simply brush the milk on top of the cake.
Step 4: Make Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, add mascarpone cheese (8 ounces), vanilla extract (2 teaspoons), powdered sugar (1 cup), and pinch of salt. Beat on medium speed for 30 seconds.
- While the mixer is on low speed, slowly pour in the heavy whipping cream (½ cup). Turn the mixer to high and beat for 1 minute, or until frosting is stiff peaks (a light, but firm whipped cream texture). It will look watery at first but will firm up as you beat it.
Tip: If using a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment.
Step 5: Frost & Enjoy!
Once cake is cooled, frost and top with washed & dried fresh berries. I like to wait until serving to add the berries, otherwise they can get too juicy and leak onto the frosting.
switch it up!
Make it layered!
If you want to get fancy, you can use a large serrated edge to slice the cake in half horizontally, add the cake soak to each side, and then fill it with half of the frosting and berries. This method is more prone to breaking but creates a delicious texture. I only recommend adding the berries to the center if you plan to eat the cake within 2-3 days, as they tend to get mushy.
Storage & Freezing
- Storage: Cover and store in the refrigerator. If not eating the same day, I recommend waiting to add the berries to the top or they will get juicy and soggy.
- Freezing: This cake is definitely best fresh but can be frozen without the berries. Because the frosting is so light like a whipped cream, the frosting may deflate a bit after thawing.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes, but fresh berries are recommended for the best texture and flavor. If using frozen, thaw and drain them well to prevent excess moisture from making the cake soggy.
Yes! You can bake the cake a day or two in advance and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. I don't recommend making the frosting in advance, as it's easiest to spread when freshly made. When ready to use, add the milk cake soak and top with frosting and berries.
Be sure to keep the cake tightly covered. The milk cake soak we're using here is also used to help retain moisture.
Looking for more easy cakes?
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White Berry Chantilly Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter (i.e. 1 stick)
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ cup milk (1%, 2%, or whole)
Cake Soak
- ¼ cup milk
- ⅛ teaspoon clear vanilla extract
Frosting
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese this comes in a tub by the cream cheese; can sub cream cheese but frosting will be looser
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract if you want bright white frosting
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- pinch of salt
Toppings
- raspberries
- blueberries
- strawberries, sliced
Before you begin! If you make this, will you do me a huge favor and leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe? This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour (2 ¼ cups), cornstarch (¼ cup), baking powder (1 tablespoon...not teaspoon!), and kosher salt (½ teaspoon). Set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, beat unsalted butter (½ cup, i.e. 1 stick), granulated sugar (1 ½ cups), vanilla extract (2 teaspoons), and almond extract (½ teaspoons) together on high for 2 minutes. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.
- Add vegetable oil (½ cup) and eggs (3 large) and mix until just combined.
- While the mixer is on low speed, slowly alternate the previously mixed dry ingredients and milk (1 ½ cups) and mix until combined. Don't overbeat.
- Grease and line a 9x13" light-colored aluminum pan with parchment paper. Pour batter into pan and spread until smooth. Bake at 350℉ for 32-38 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to fully cool before adding milk soak and frosting.To cool faster, run a knife along the edges of the cake and flip out on a cooling rack.
Make Cake Soak
- In a small bowl, mix together milk (¼ cup) and vanilla extract (⅛ teaspoon). Once the cake is cooled, use a pastry brush or spoon to brush or spoon milk mixture on top and bottom of cake, then place cake back in the pan. It's easiest to use two cooling racks to flip the cake over in order to get the milk on top and bottom. If you don't want to do this step, you can simply brush the milk on top of the cake.
Make Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, add mascarpone cheese (8-ounces), clear vanilla extract (2 teaspoons), powdered sugar (1 cup), and pinch of salt. Beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. While the mixer is on low speed, slowly pour in the heavy whipping cream (½ cup). Turn the mixer to high and beat for 1 minute, or until frosting is stiff peaks (a light, but firm whipped cream texture). It will look watery at first but will firm up as you beat it.If using a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment.
Frost
- Once cake is cooled, frost and top with washed & dried fresh berries. I like to wait until serving to add the berries, otherwise they can get too juicy and leak onto the frosting.Note: If you want to get fancy, you can use a large serrated edge to slice the cake in half horizontally, add the cake soak on each site, and then fill with half of the frosting and berries. This is more prone to breaking but is a delicious texture. I only recommend adding the berries to the center if you plan to eat the cake within 2-3 days, as they start to get mushy.
- Store covered in fridge for 3-5 days.
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe! This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Pam says
This cake was so simple to make and was delicious! The texture is light and flavorful and the frosting is perfectly balanced-not too sweet. I appreciate the way you incorporate the ingredient measurements into the body of the recipe-no more flipping back and forth the check for measurements!
Melissa says
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Pam! I really appreciate it!
Eleanor says
This cake was delicious! I’d never had a chantilly cake before, and the texture was between a sponge cake and a normal cake. I loved how easy this recipe was to follow.
Melissa says
So happy to hear that!! Thank you so much for leaving a review, Eleanor!
Marissa Miller says
Made this cake tonight and the flavor was phenomenal! I 100% recommend. I did slice it in half and filled it, so I did double the icing recipe.
Melissa says
So happy to hear you loved this recipe, Marissa! Thank you so much for leaving a review!
Carol says
Very good
Thank you
Melissa says
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Carol!