This berries and cream cake features a super light and fluffy vanilla cake that’s piled high with whipped cream & fresh berries – the perfect light, summer cake.
This post may contain affiliate links, please read the privacy policy for details. | Recipe updated 07/02/25.
berries and cream cake
My thoughts going into this cake were to create a cake to celebrate the fourth of July, but without the need to dye anything bright red or blue. The solution? This berries and cream cake! The vanilla cake is seriously so light and fluffy. Pile it high with whipped cream and some festive looking berries, and you have the perfect fourth of July cake that can easily also be enjoyed year-round.
why you’ll love this berries and cream cake:
- It’s super moist: the eggs, oil, sour cream & milk content in this cake all contribute to making it *super* moist and delicious.
- Whipped cream: if you’re not a fan of super sweet American buttercream, I think you’ll be a fan of a huge pile of lightly sweetened, fluffy whipped cream.
- Berries: I chose strawberries and blueberries – but you can pile any of your favorite berries or fruits on to this cake and it’s sure to be delicious. Think of this cake as a blank canvas for your favorite in-season fruits.
expert baking tips
Weigh your ingredients:
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale.
Be careful when mixing the cake batter:
When you over-mix your batter, you create more gluten in the batter which will make your cake go from light and moist to dense and chewy. When you mix in the wet ingredients, be sure to only mix just until that last streak of flour disappears.
Use room temperature ingredients:
This is super important for allowing the batter to come together smoothly. You’ll want to take your ingredients out of the fridge about an hour before baking to allow them enough time to come to room temperature.
Keep a close eye on the cake while it bakes:
Cakes and cupcakes like to go from under-baked to over-baked super quickly so it is important to keep a close eye on them. I’d recommend that you start checking on the cake around 35 minutes.
A note on oven temperature:
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature and might not always actually be at the temperature they claim to be at. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.
ingredients for berries and cream cake –
Vanilla Cake:
- All purpose flour: the structure of the cake.
- Baking powder: for helping the cake rise.
- Salt: for balancing and bringing out the sweetness of the cake.
- Unsalted butter: for tenderizing the cake and giving it that classic buttery taste. You can substitute in salted butter, just omit the extra salt from the recipe.
- Vegetable oil: for tenderizing the cake to make it light and fluffy. Oil stays “liquid” in the fridge, which will help the cake stay soft when you have to store it after topping it off. You can use any neutral oil, such as canola, in place of the vegetable oil as well.
- Granulated sugar: for sweetening the cake and keeping it moist. The sugar also helps aerate the butter to give this cake it’s rise and keep it light and fluffy.
- Eggs: for moisture, structure, and binding the batter together. We’re using just the egg whites to make the cake light & fluffy.
- Vanilla: for flavor.
- Sour cream & whole milk: for tenderizing the cake and adding moisture.
Whipped Cream:
- Heavy whipping cream: the base of whipped cream.
- Granulated sugar: just a little bit to lightly sweeten the cream.
- Vanilla: for flavor.
- Salt: just a pinch to help bring out the flavor and sweetness of the cream.
- Berries: I used a combination of strawberries and blueberries, but you can put any of your favorite fruits on top of this cake!
how to make berries and cream cake –
Below you’ll find a few images of the process of making this cake. You can find the full recipe & instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post!
- Beat together the dry ingredients and butter.
- Then mix in the wet ingredients followed by the whipped egg whites.
- Bake the cake.
- Make the whipped cream, then pile the whipped cream & fresh berries on the cake and enjoy!
berries and cream cake recipe q&a
Can I bake this cake in a different sized pan?
You could bake this in a 8″ springform. Just note that the cake and cream layer will be a tad thinner.
How to prevent your cake from getting stuck to the pan
To make sure your cake doesn’t stick, generously butter it, making sure to get all of the crevices. An easy way to do this is to melt 1 tbsp. of butter and use a pastry brush to brush the inside of the pan. Then, generously pour some granulated sugar into the pan and shake it around so that it completely coats the inside. Tap out any excess sugar and then you’re good to go! If you want an extra layer of protection, you can line the bottom with parchment paper before adding in the sugar.
how to store berries and cream cake
I highly recommend waiting to top this cake until you are ready to serve it. That way, you can keep the cake stored at room temperature and the whipped cream and berries in the fridge. Once the cake has been topped with the whipped cream, it can safely be out at room temperature for two hours before needing to be stored in the fridge.
tools and ingredients:
You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here!
other recipes you might enjoy:
did you make this recipe?
I’d love to see and know your thoughts! please leave a comment and review below, and tag me on instagram @freshbeanbakery. #freshbeanbakery
Berries and Cream Cake
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake
- 150 g all purpose flour (1 ¼ c.)
- 1 ¼ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- 175 g granulated sugar (¾ c. + 2 tbsp.)
- 85 g unsalted butter room temperature, cubed (6 tbsp.)
- 25 g vegetable oil (2 tbsp.)
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 60 g sour cream room temperature (¼ c.)
- 100 g whole milk room temperature (3 ⅓ oz.)
- 2 egg whites
Whipped Cream
- 240 g heavy whipping cream (8 oz.)
- 25 g granulated sugar (2 tbsp.)
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- ⅛ tsp. salt
Berries
- 1 ½ cups berries of choice
Instructions
Vanilla Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Butter a 7" springform pan*, then coat the inside with sugar.
- To a medium sized mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cubed butter. Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to beat the mixture together until the butter has completely combined with the dry ingredients and no lumps remain.
- Add in the oil, vanilla, sour cream and milk. Whisk the ingredients together just until a cohesive batter has formed.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they reach stiff peaks.
- Add the egg whites to the batter and gently fold them into the batter until the mixture is cohesive.
- Pour the cake batter into your prepared pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then put it out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
Whipped Cream
- (Save this step for when you're ready to serve the cake.) In a large mixing bowl, with a hand or stand mixer, beat together the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt until the mixture reaches soft peaks.
- Once the cake has fully cooled to room temperature, pile on the whipped cream and top with your favorite berries. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition facts are only an estimate and may vary based on different brands of ingredients and any substitutions made.