This berry vanilla cake has plush vanilla cake layers, filled with homemade mixed berry compote, and is frosted with a mascarpone whipped cream frosting! I then decorated this berries and cream cake with fresh blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries! This layer cake is the perfect showstopping dessert for birthdays, weddings, or any celebration (and invite me, please!)

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The gasp I gusped when I took the slice out of this berry chantilly cake! This is seriously the perfect Spring or Summer cake - I mean, look at it!

I'm using my tried and true vanilla cake recipe that I use over and over again (like in my strawberry funfetti cake with strawberry frosting!). It's extra soft and moist thanks to the combo of oil and butter.

I wanted something a little different for the frosting. I tested swapping out cream cheese for mascarpone from this cream cheese frosting recipe without butter, and it was perfect. The mascarpone stabilizes the whipped cream, and it gives the cake so much freshness.

Finally, I decided to fill the cake with homemade mixed berry compote. I actually created this recipe to use frozen fruit to make your life a little easier, but you could swap it out for fresh fruit if you've got a ton hanging around! Or use store-bought jam - I won't tell on you!

Grab your ingredients

All the ingredients needed to make a berry vanilla cake, weighed out into small bowls.

Fresh Berries: I used a mixture of blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries to decorate the cake. If you want even more fruity oomph, you can chop up fresh berries and layer them on top of the compote filling.
Oil: Make sure you use a neutral oil like sunflower, canola, or vegetable. The oil is going to keep the cake soft for daaaays.
Mascarpone: Mascarpone is a soft Italian cheese; you'll usually find it near the cream cheese in the dairy aisle at the grocery store.
Buttermilk: I love, love, love adding buttermilk to my cake recipes. It makes them super soft and moist.
Berry Compote: You'll need some compote or jam to fill the cake. I have a from-scratch recipe, but feel free to use a store-bought jam in a pinch.
Almond Extract: With fruity recipes, I like adding a dash of almond extract. Don't have it? Just leave it out.

Let's make this recipe!

A large glass mixing bowl with creamed butter and sugar in it.

Glass mixing bowl filled with pale cake batter, with a red and white spatula resting inside on a light countertop.

Combine butter with sugar, and oil. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the room temperature butter with sugar and oil until light and fluffy.
Add the wet ingredients. Add the eggs one at a time (make sure you scrape the sides and bottoms of the bowl so everything is getting mixed!), then add in the extracts.
Mix in dry ingredients. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a small bowl. Add a third of the dry ingredients, followed by the buttermilk. Repeat this, ending with the last third of the flour mixture!
Bake in the oven! Pour into two greased and lined 8-inch cake pans in the oven for 30-35 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before removing to a wire rack, then let them cool completely.

A large glass bowl with heavy cream in it.

A large glass bowl filled with mascarpone whipped cream frosting.

Mix cold heavy cream with the sugar, salt, and vanilla extract until the sugar has dissolved. I recommend using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
Increase the speed and mix until it looks really thick, almost like Greek yogurt. Then add the mascarpone and mix on high speed for 20 seconds.

Decorating Your Cake

A vanilla cake layer is on parchment paper, a hand is spread over whipped mascarpone frosting with a small offset spatula.

A vanilla cake is on brown parchment paper, it has a ring of white mascarpone frosting around the edges and the middle is covered with a mixed berry compote.

Place on layer down onto your cake plate. I like to line the plate with strips of parchment paper, so that way I don't get frosting all over the cake plate!
Spread some of the mascarpone frosting on top of the first layer with an offset spatula. This creates a barrier between the compote and the cake so that cake doesn't get soggy.
Place some of the frosting into a piping bag with a round tip and pipe around the edges of the cake. This will stop the jam from spilling out of the sides!
Spoon some of the mixed berry compote into the middle and use the back of a spoon or small offset spatula to spread it up to the piped frosting.
Place the second cake layer on top. Use the remaining frosting to decorate the sides and top of the cake. Decorate with fresh berries and enjoy!

A round berry vanilla cake with white frosting, topped with fresh strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries, sits on a white surface next to a bowl of berries and a jar of jam.

Storage & Make Ahead

I recommend storing this cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days (less if you've decorated the top with fresh berries!). For any exposed slices, press a piece of parchment paper across the cut slice so it doesn't dry out.

You can make the cake layers up to 2 days ahead of time. Once cool, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

You can make the mixed berry compote up to a week ahead of time. Store in a sealed jar in the fridge.