Berry Cake is made with two fluffy layers of moist vanilla cake sandwiched with freshly whipped cream, and topped with sweet, juicy berries. This elegant cake is easy to assemble and tastes like a berry shortcake in cake form!
Why you’ll love this Berry Cake recipe:
- Soft Vanilla Cake – A tender & moist vanilla cake is the perfect base for our cream & berries. It’s full of vanilla flavor!
- Juicy Berries – Sweet blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries mingle in juicy harmony on a bed of fresh cream in this Triple Berry Cake!
- Fresh Cream – Lightly sweetened fresh whipped cream is the perfect thing to tie together our vanilla cake layers and berries.
Ingredient Overview:
As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found at the bottom of this post.
- Butter – I prefer salted, but you can use unsalted butter if that’s your preference.
- Egg Whites – Use large eggs for best results. Using just egg whites and not the egg yolks lends the lightest texture to this cake.
- Milk – I used 2% milk.
- Sour Cream – Use full-fat sour cream at room temperature for best results.
- Cake Flour – Cake flour gives this cake a lighter, more tender crumb than all-purpose flour, so I highly recommend using cake flour here.
- Vanilla Extract – Since the flavor in this cake comes from simple quality ingredients, be sure to use real vanilla instead of imitation for the best flavor.
- Vegetable Oil – Using a combination of oil and butter gives this cake the best of both worlds – oil keeps the cake tender and moist, while butter adds flavor.
Ingredient Substitutions:
- Sour Cream – Full fat greek yogurt will work in place of the sour cream.
- Dairy-free – Try your favorite, trusted dairy-free products in place of the dairy in this recipe.
How to Make this Fresh Berry Cake Recipe Step-by-Step:
Step 1: Make Cake Layers. Cream together butter & oil with an electric mixer or standing mixer. Then, add the sugar & beat on high for two full minutes.Add the egg whites, one at a time, mixing between each for 45 seconds. Mix in the sour cream and vanilla until just combined.
Step 2: Add the Dry Ingredients. Slowly add in the whisked flour mixture while the mixer runs on low. Then, slowly repeat this with the milk.
Step 3: Bake. Divide batter between two prepared 9-inch cake pans and bake as directed in the recipe card below. Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 4: Prepare the Berries. In a medium bowl, toss together the whole blueberries & blackberries (halve them if they’re quite large) along with the sliced strawberries. Add vanilla, sugar, and a spoonful of jam for a nice shine. Let macerate (to get the juices going).
Step 5: Make the Cream & Assemble the Cake. Beat together cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric hand mixer until thick, and stiff peaks form. Place the first cake layer on your cake plate or stand. Spread half the cream on the first cooled layer of cake, and top with slightly less than half the berries. Add the second layer and repeat by adding the remaining cream and berries to the top of the cake.
Serving + Storing this Easy Berry Cake:
Serve immediately or chill for 30-60 minutes first. This is best served the day it’s assembled due to the fresh whipped cream. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge, with plastic wrapped pressed over the sliced portion of the cake, for 1-3 days.
Expert Success Tips:
- Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
- Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.
- Whipped Cream – Don’t over mix your cream! Stop when the mixture is thick and stiff peaks form when you turn the mixer off and lift it out of the bowl. If you over mixed it and it lost a little of it’s smooth texture, pour in a splash more cream and gently mix again to help smooth things out.
FAQs:
Yes, scale the recipe up to make three layers.
Yes, you certainly can halve it to make a single layer cake.
You could use a 9×13 pan for the recipe as written (two layers), or if you scale it up to make three layers. Use an 8×8 or 9×9 square pan if you scale down to one layer. Keep an eye on the bake time as I believe the cakes will bake a bit faster in any of these options.
Recipe Variations:
- Berries – Feel free to mix in raspberries if you like! They were pricey at the time I made this cake, so I went with blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries with raspberry for my jam choice.
- Lemon – Add 1-2 tbsp of lemon zest to the cake batter, and a pinch to the whipped cream if you want a pop of lemon flavor.
- Frosting – This cake is simply divine with the whipped cream, but if you are a big frosting lover, you can make a batch of my brown butter cream cheese frosting from my Guinness Cake recipe. The brown butter is also incredible, but if you’re in a pinch you can skip that.
- Cake Mix – If you’re pressed for time, use your favorite vanilla or white cake mix, and prepare the berries and whipped cream yourself.
Special Tools:
- Offset Spatula – Offset spatulas make assembling this delicious dessert so easy! They can also be used for spreading cake and brownie batters evenly in your pan.
- Cake Pans – These are my absolute favorite 9-inch cake pans! I’ve had them for 6+ years and use them for every cake recipe, and they are still in great shape.
More Cake Recipes to Love:
- Tuxedo Cake with Whipped White Chocolate Ganache
- Perfect White Birthday Cake
- Salted Butterscotch Crunch Cake
- White Forest Cake
- Mini Chocolate Cake
- Peach Cobbler Cake
- Mojito Cake
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Berries & Cream Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 and 1/3 cups cake flour, spooned & leveled 256 grams
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 7 tbsp salted butter, softened at room temperature 99 grams
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil 75 mL
- 1 and 3/4 cup granulated sugar 358 grams
- 5 large egg whites I removed 1 tbsp to get the ratio perfect as this was scaled down from 7 whites, giving me 160 grams total
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup full fat sour cream, at room temperature 120 grams
- 1 cup milk, at room temperature 240 mL
For the Berries
- 2 and 1/2 cups fresh sliced strawberries 375 grams
- 3/4 cup fresh blackberries slice in half if huge, 112 grams
- 3/4 cup fresh blueberries 154 grams
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar 13 grams
- 2 tbsp raspberry preserves or your favorite preserves/jam
For the Whipped Cream
- 2 cups cold heavy cream 472 mL
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp powdered sugar 44 grams
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prep: Make sure all cold ingredients have come to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 350° F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans. Use a paper towel to rub shortening all over the inside of each pan, coating them evenly & completely. Cut a round of parchment paper to fit inside each (or purchase pre-cut rounds). Place this on top of the greased pan bottom, then grease over the parchment paper as well. Add a handful of flour, and tap the pan around to evenly coat the entire inside with flour, tapping out the excess.
- Make the Cake Batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter for about 30 seconds, until creamy. Add the vegetable oil and beat together for 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2 full minutes. The mixture will be fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl down throughout, to ensure everything is combined. Add the egg whites, two at a time and then the last one on its own, beating on medium speed between each addition, for 45 seconds. The mixture will be very fluffy. Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix on medium low speed until just combined.Add half of the dry ingredients with the mixer running on low speed. Add the milk and rum with a few streaks of flour remaining, then when the milk is almost mixed in, add the remaining dry ingredients. When just a few streaks of flour remain, turn off the mixer and use a spatula to make sure everything is combined – don't over mix!
- Bake:Â Divide cake batter evenly between the pans. (You can eyeball this or use a kitchen scale – 656 grams per prepared pan.) Bake the cakes for 21-26 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through (my oven has hot spots, so I need to do this). A toothpick inserted into the center will pull out moist crumbs. Let cakes cool in the pans on cooling racks for 10 minutes. Then, invert onto cooling racks to cool completely.
- Prep the Berries: Add berries, sugar, and jam to a medium bowl and let rest while you prepare the next item. This will allow the juices to start flowing.
- Make the Whipped Cream: Add all ingredients to a large bowl and beat on medium high until stiff peaks form, then stop mixing.
- Assemble: Place one cake layer on a cake plate or cake stand, and spread with half the whipped cream. Add slightly less than 1/2 the berries, spooning on some of the juices. Repeat with the second layer and remaining components, piling the berries high on top.
- Serve & Store:Â Slice and serve immediately, or chill in the fridge for 30 to 60 minutes. Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container, with plastic wrap pressed over the cut portion of the cake, for 3-4 days.
- Make-Ahead Tips: I do not recommend assembling this cake a day ahead, or making the whipped cream ahead, as it is best served fresh. Cake layers can be baked, cooled, and stored on plates tightly wrapped in plastic wrap a day ahead of assembling. Mix the berries up the day of, as well.
Nutrition
Karen Stutsman says
absolutely wonderful! Very light and refreshing.
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much, Karen!
Chantal says
This cake was really good. Everyone in my house was a fan. I think the vanilla cake might be my new go to. I’m not big on frosting, it can be too sweet so I love that this used whipped cream. I didn’t have blackberries so I used raspberries instead and I loved that after a day the juices soaked up into the cake and made it that much better.
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much, Chantal!
Giovanna says
A new favorite cake recipe! I made this for Mothers Day and everyone loved it! Even my husband and son(who are not big fruit eaters) loved this cake! I can’t wait to try more of blue bowl recipes. Definitely a crowd pleaser!!!
Stephanie Simmons says
Aw, thanks so much Giovanna! So glad this cake was a hit. 🙂