Jammy Berries and Cream Cake
Light and fluffy vanilla cake filled with flavorful berry compote and fresh whipped cream, all topped with fresh berries. This cake is light and refreshing yet still full of delicious fruity flavor!
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Okay, confession: this was supposed to be a “throwaway” cake. As in, a cake I photographed, took a few bites of, then threw away. Not because the recipe is bad. But because I was trying to use up ingredients in our freezer before they’re too old to eat—but we already had so many desserts from Valentine’s Day and the Superbowl.
It’s just too much sugar for three people to (reasonably) eat.
So, I figured I’d use up the extra berries from my raspberry buttercream sugar cookies and get the vanilla cake layers out of our freezer. If the cake and berries were going to go bad soon, might as well test a recipe and get some photos before they have to be tossed anyway. Waste not, right?
Except this cake turned out ah-mazing. Like, I want to make it for all the things now because it’s that good. Forget throwaway cake—this is a keeper.
And it’s so simple. Just light, fresh ingredients.
Light, fresh, and unbelievably delicious?
Yes, please!
Why this recipe works
First, the cake. The use of cake flour is key in this cake. You can use store bought or make your own (see note below). It’s lighter and lower in protein, making it ideal for more tender desserts. Another key factor is using both European style butter (for the fluff factor) and a tiny bit of oil (for moisture). Using all oil yields a delicious, super moist cake, but it’s just never as fluffy as those boxed kinds (even though the stupid boxes call for using nothing but oil, which is just some kind of trickery in my opinion…but I digress…). So, beating butter and sugar gives that ideal fluff and adding just a bit of oil helps retain moisture.
Another interesting factor is that I used both granulated and brown sugar here. Brown sugar just gives such a deeper, almost caramelized flavor. Plus, it adds moisture! Win-win! Along with the brown sugar, adding more vanilla than your average recipe is key in making this cake so flavorful. You need at least a tablespoon before you get any real flavor.
Second, the filling. I used my razzleberry compote, but any jam or preserve would do. The key is a balance of sweet and fruity. That, paired with a simple whipped cream, made for this light yet creamy, flavorful and not-too-sweet filling that somehow paired perfectly with the cake. Like, this is now the only way to enjoy vanilla cake. That’s how perfectly the flavors and textures played off of each other and made this one of my new favorites.
Key ingredients
Cake flour. You can make your own. For this recipe, you’d want to use 4 1/2 tablespoons (1/4 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon) cornstarch and add that to 1 3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons flour. Sift and whisk twice before using in the cake.
Baking powder. Be sure it’s fresh—not open for longer than 6 months (regardless of the expiration date on the box).
Salt. Sea salt is ideal.
Butter. European butter is best for this recipe, as it has less water.
Sugar/brown sugar. Using both adds a bit more flavor and moisture, without making the cake dark.
Eggs. Use fresh, large, room temperature eggs.
Oil. Just a tiny bit of oil (avocado, grape seed, or canola) helps keep this cake moist.
Vanilla. Use pure extract, not imitation.
Whole milk. Whole milk will make a better cake.
Mixed berry jam/compote. I used my razzleberry compote, but any berry jam, preserve, or compote would work. You could also mix a couple different jams together to get the mixed berry flavor.
Heavy whipping cream. Also called double cream. Be sure it’s very cold before whipping.
Fresh berries. You can fill the cake with some fresh berries or just top it with them (like I did). I actually made a 4 inch cake here, so I knew filling it with berries would create structural issues and went simple instead.
How to make berries and cream cake
Make the cake
1. Sift and whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. 2-3 minutes minimum on medium high. I usually beat it for about 5 minutes, because we use organic sugar that tends to take longer to break down.
3. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat on medium 30-60 seconds after each addition.
4. Beat in oil and vanilla. Beat on medium 30 seconds.
5. Alternate adding flour and milk on low. Beat on low until mostly combined, with some flour still unmixed—the next step will take care of that.
6. Bake. Pour into prepared cake pan(s) and bake until a toothpick comes out with just some moist crumbs. I did a half recipe in an 8x8 pan for these photos, but you could also make three 6” layers, two 8” or 9” layers, or a 9x13 quarter sheet cake.
7. Make the frosting while the cake cools. You can also make this ahead and refrigerate for 1-2 weeks or freeze 1-2 months. Just let it come to room temperature on the counter for a few hours then beat with a hand mixer for about a minute to fluff it back up.
Assemble cake
8. Make jam or compote. You can make this ahead or use store bought. Just be sure it is completely cooled before using.
9. Make whipped cream. I didn’t add any sugar to my whipped cream and it was perfect when layered with the jam.
10. Fill cake with jam and whipped cream. I used three layers and cut the domed tops off of each, but you can do as many layers as you’d like. More layers is ideal if you want more filling, so it doesn’t squish out the sides as much.
Enjoy!
Tips and FAQ’s for this recipe
Make your own cake flour!
I often make my own, because it’s so easy. One cup of cake flour is just 2 tablespoons cornstarch plus 7/8 cup all-purpose flour. Our, in simpler terms, 2 tablespoons cornstarch scooped into a 1 cup measuring cup then you scoop enough all-purpose flour over that to equal 1 cup (be sure to level it off with the back of a knife). Or, for a more mathematically accurate option for this exact recipe: use 4 1/2 tablespoons (1/4 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon) cornstarch and add that to 1 3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons flour. Sift and whisk twice before using in the cake.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes! The compote can be made 1-2 weeks ahead. The cake can be made the day before you need it and kept on the counter (well-covered) or you can double wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it 1-2 months. It just needs a few hours on the counter to defrost. The whipped cream will need to be made right before decorating. I don’t recommend filling the cake ahead. That should be done the day you plan to serve it.
Spoon then level your flour
Don’t scoop your flour! I never knew this until I started blogging, but it seriously makes a big difference. You will end up with roughly 25% more flour than the recipe called for if you just doonk (official baking term right there) your measuring spoon into the flour container and scoop. Gently spoon your flour into your measuring cup then level it off with the back of a knife. Trust me! It makes a difference.
What jam should I use?
Any kind! I used what I had on hand, which was my razzleberry compote. You could use blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, or even a combination. You can make your own or use store bought. I just like being able to control the sweetness and thickness of my jams.
My cake tools
Here are my must-have tools I use for making this cake. Affiliate links provided.
All-rubber spatula (this makes scraping the bowl easier so the batter and frosting doesn’t get all over a wooden handle!)
Mesh sieve (because sifting is KEY for a fluffy cake)
Offset spatula for frosting
Jammy Berries and Cream Cake
- prep time: 30-35 minutes
- bake time: 20-40 minutes (depending on pan size)
- total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes (plus cooling time)
servings: 12-16
Ingredients:
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (244g) cake flour, spooned then leveled
- 2 teaspoons (8g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3g) sea salt
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter*, room temperature
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (150g) light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (27g) avocado or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon (13g) pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240g) whole milk, room temperature
- one batch razzleberry compote (or homemade or store bought jam of choice)
- 1 ½ cups (360g) heavy whipping cream, cold
- fresh berries to decorate
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 325F/165C (350F/175C if at high elevation). Lightly butter and flour two to three 8” or 9” or three to four 6” cake pans (or use baking spray). Line with parchment paper (or use silicone liners). This cake is ideal with 3-4 layers, so if you only have two pans, plan to cut each layer in half.
- In a medium mixing bowl, use a large fine mesh sieve to sift then whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), beat the butter on high until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl as necessary, at least once.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on medium until light and fluffy (about 30 seconds) and scraping the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and oil and mix on medium until well blended.
- Add half of the flour and mix on low until just barely blended. Add the milk and mix on low until just barely blended. Add the remaining flour and mix on low until just barely blended with some flour streaks still visible.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in sprinkles until evenly mixed in. This will also help mix in the remaining streaks of flour.
- Pour into your prepared cake pan(s), filling about ⅔ full (no more than ¾ full). Bake for 35-40 minutes (20-25 if using three 6” pans and 25-30 if using 8” or 9” pans), or until a toothpick inserted in the middle cupcake comes out clean. Check early, as climate, elevation, and individual ovens can cause the bake time to vary.
- Let cake cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cake cools, make the razzleberry compote (or jam of choice). Store bought works as well, but can sometimes be too thick. If using, be sure to stir well or mix a tablespoon of lemon juice into it to help thin it out.
- When ready to decorate, beat the cold cream with handheld beaters or the whisk attachment of your stand mixer until stiff peaks just begin to form. It should just start to lose its shine but not be fully matte.
- Cut off any domed tops from the cake. If you only used two cake pans, cut each layer in half. This is not necessary but does help prevent the cake from sliding.
- Spread a thin layer of jam on the bottom layer of cake. It shouldn’t be so thin that you can see through it, but also avoid a very thick layer. I did about ⅛ inch or a little less. Top with a thin layer of the whipped cream (just slightly thicker than the jam layer). If desired, top with some chopped fresh berries. Avoid adding too many berries or large pieces, as this can cause the cake to split or slide around.
- Continue stacking cake and filling with jam and whipped cream. Top with one final layer of jam and whipped cream and decorate with fresh berries.
Enjoy!
Keep refrigerated (in an airtight container, if possible) until serving. This cake should be assembled the day it is served. Keep a cut cake fresh by placing a piece of plastic wrap right against the cut sides then covering the entire cake well with more plastic wrap or in an airtight cake holder.
*I highly recommend European style butter! It has less water and makes a richer dessert. If your butter has become shiny or oily, put it back in the fridge for 5-10 minutes until it firms up a bit (not hard) and is matte in appearance.
