Strawberry Chantilly Cake With Mascarpone Whipped Cream
This strawberry chantilly cake stacks two tender buttermilk cake layers with a chantilly frosting of mascarpone whipped into cold cream, plus a pound of sliced fresh strawberries. The layers bake in 25 minutes, but the cake needs cooling and a chill, so plan on about 3 hours 10 minutes in total. It cuts into 12 slices.
Quick answer
Beat 1 cup butter with 1 1/2 cups sugar, add 4 eggs, then alternate 2 1/4 cups cake flour (with baking powder and salt) and 1 cup buttermilk. Bake in two 9-inch pans at 350°F for 23 to 27 minutes and cool 1 hour. Whip 8 oz cold mascarpone, 2 cups cold heavy cream and 1/2 cup powdered sugar to stiff peaks. Layer with 1 lb sliced strawberries, frost and chill at least 1 hour. Keep refrigerated.
Strawberry Chantilly Cake
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Strawberry Chantilly Cake Ingredients
- Cake: 2 1/4 cups cake flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla bean powder (optional)
- Chantilly frosting: 8 oz (227 g) mascarpone, cold
- 2 cups heavy cream, cold
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- Filling and topping: 1 lb (450 g) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
How to Make Strawberry Chantilly Cake
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment.
- Whisk the cake flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
- Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
- Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk in two parts, starting and ending with flour. Mix in the vanilla bean powder.
- Divide the batter between the pans and bake for 23 to 27 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely, about 1 hour in total.
- For the frosting, beat the cold mascarpone briefly to loosen it, add the cold heavy cream and powdered sugar and whip to stiff peaks. Stop as soon as it holds its shape.
- Pat the sliced strawberries dry. Set one cake layer on a plate, spread with about a third of the frosting and cover with half the strawberries.
- Add the second layer, frost the top and sides with the rest of the frosting and arrange the remaining strawberries on top.
- Refrigerate the strawberry chantilly cake for at least 1 hour before slicing. Keep it in the fridge.
Nutrition Facts
Per slice (1 of 12) (estimated)
- Calories: 610
- Total fat: 40 g
- Saturated fat: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 170 mg
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Sugar: 35 g
- Protein: 7 g
Estimated from USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy values for cake flour (FDC 169723), baking powder, salt, unsalted butter, sugar, eggs, lowfat buttermilk, heavy cream, powdered sugar and strawberries, and USDA Branded Foods values for mascarpone (FDC 2289625). The vanilla bean powder is not included.
What Is a Chantilly Cake?
A chantilly cake is a light vanilla layer cake frosted with chantilly cream, which is sweetened whipped cream. Bakery versions usually beat in mascarpone or cream cheese so the frosting is thick enough to hold between layers and on the sides. This strawberry chantilly cake uses mascarpone and fills each layer with sliced fresh strawberries.
Why the Mascarpone Frosting Holds
Plain whipped cream softens and weeps within hours. Mascarpone is about 43% fat, so whipping it with heavy cream builds a stable, spreadable frosting that slices cleanly. Both must be cold. Warm mascarpone breaks and turns grainy, and so does frosting that is whipped past stiff peaks.
| Frosting | How it holds | Taste |
|---|---|---|
| Plain whipped cream | Softens in a few hours | Lightest |
| Mascarpone chantilly (this cake) | Holds 2 to 3 days in the fridge | Rich, light, slightly tangy |
| Cream cheese chantilly | Very stable | Tangier, denser |
Strawberry Chantilly Cake Timeline
| Step | Time |
|---|---|
| Make the batter | 30 min |
| Bake the layers | 23–27 min |
| Cool completely | 1 hr |
| Whip frosting and assemble | 15 min |
| Chill before slicing | 1 hr (2 hr is better) |
| Total | About 3 hr 10 min |
Do not frost warm layers. Even slightly warm cake melts the whipped cream and the layers slide. If you are short on time, bake the layers a day ahead, wrap them and refrigerate.
Tips for the Best Strawberry Chantilly Cake
- Keep the cream and mascarpone cold until the moment you whip them. Chill the bowl too on a warm day.
- Dry the strawberries. Wet fruit makes the frosting slide.
- Level the layers with a serrated knife so the cake sits flat.
- Do not taste the raw batter. The FDA flour guidance says raw flour and batter are not safe to eat.
Variations on Chantilly Cake
- Berry chantilly cake: use a mix of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries.
- Cupcakes: bake the batter in 24 lined cups for 18 to 20 minutes, then pipe the frosting on top.
- Sheet cake: bake in a 9×13-inch pan for 30 to 35 minutes and frost the top only.
How to Store Strawberry Chantilly Cake
Because the frosting is made with cream and mascarpone, this strawberry chantilly cake must be kept in the fridge. Do not leave it out for more than 2 hours, including serving time. Covered, it keeps 2 to 3 days in the fridge; after that the strawberries release juice into the frosting. Freezing the finished cake is not recommended, but unfrosted layers freeze well for up to 2 months (see the cold storage chart for general guidance).
Strawberry Chantilly Cake FAQ
Can I make strawberry chantilly cake ahead?
Bake the layers a day ahead. Whip the frosting and assemble the day you serve it, and chill at least 1 hour.
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Fresh strawberries are better. Thawed frozen berries are soft and wet and make the frosting slide.
Why did my chantilly frosting turn grainy?
The mascarpone was warm or the frosting was over-whipped. Keep everything cold and stop at stiff peaks.
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?
Yes. Use 2 cups all-purpose flour plus 1/4 cup cornstarch for a similar soft crumb.
How many calories are in a slice of chantilly cake?
About 610 calories per slice when the cake is cut into 12, based on USDA FoodData Central values.
Sources
Featured photo: Unsplash
