Nothing says summer time like blue berries and strawberries...And nothing says summer like a red, white, and blue dessert. This Double Berry Very Vanilla Cake is all of that! It's made light with the perfect whipped cream cheese topping.
A little over a month ago we were in Publix doing out grocery shopping. It must have been sample day because every corner you turned they were passing out samples left and right. We snacked as we shopped, like we used to do at Sam's, back when we had a membership.
Anyway. As we rounded the corner to the produce aisle they were sampling all the berries...blue berries, strawberries, raspberries, and black berries. Kelsie was thrilled!
She had to pass up most samples because they contained one of her food allergies in them. The lady that does the Apron meals wasn't the regular one that knows she has allergies, so she didn't get to get a special plate that day.
But those berries in that little plastic condiment type container...she could have!
At the berry sampling table they had a pamphlet, one I grabbed because I was sure there were all sorts of great berry recipes. There were a couple, but mostly it was just an advertisement of what Publix had to offer.
Well, a few pages in, and I saw this beautiful cake, perfect for the fourth of July. I knew that Kelsie wouldn't be able to have it, but I knew that I could replicate at least the idea of it! I came home, and scoured my recipes for a vanilla cake.
I knew that I wanted a frosting, but nothing like buttercream. That was too heavy for the light topping I wanted on this. I knew that making whipped cream would work, but I wasn't sure how it would handle being between to cakes.
I also knew that I could use cream cheese to stabilize it. The recipe was born. The cake was made. The family raved!
Where would you serve this fresh berry cake recipe?
This Double Berry Very Vanilla Cake is perfect for fourth of July, Labor Day, Memorial Day, etc. It's also perfect for any summer cookout that you may be having...Just keep it in the house!
The heat and humidity will melt that frosting. I made the whole thing the day before, stored it in the fridge, and kept it at room temperature for a couple of hours before we ate.
After stuffing ourselves with grilled burgers, baked beans, home fries, and chips, this cake was the perfect light dessert!
This is not a sickly sweet buttercream frosting. It's not a super sweet cake, and it's very vanilla; hence the name. 😉 It's the perfect pairing for these berries.
What ingredients do I need to make Double Berry Very Vanilla Cake?
- flour and cake flour
- baking power and baking soda
- salt
- butter
- egg whites
- vanilla greek yogurt
- vanilla extract
- milk
- strawberries and blueberries
- heavy whipping cream
- cream cheese
- powdered sugar
Can I put fresh strawberries in between cake layers?
Yes! We did here, with blueberries.
More summer dessert ideas:
Double Berry Very Vanilla Cake
Nothing says summer time like blue berries and strawberries…And nothing says summer like a red, white, and blue dessert. This Double Berry Very Vanilla Cake is all of that! It’s made light with the perfect whipped cream cheese topping.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 ¼ cup flour
- 1 ¼ cup cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ sticks butter, room temperature
- 1 ¾ cup sugar
- 5 egg whites, room temperature
- ½ cup Greek vanilla yogurt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk
- 1 pint blueberries
- 1 pint strawberries
Frosting
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 8 ounces whipped cream cheese
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Cake
- Preheat oven 350 degrees. Line 2 - 9 inch round cake pans with parchment paper. (I trace the bottoms with a pencil onto the parchment paper, and cut to fit) Spray the parchment lined pans with non stick spray, and set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.In a large bowl attached to a stand mixer, beat the butter for about 2 minutes, until it's nice and creamy.
- Add the sugar, and beat for an additional 2 minutes.
- Pour in the egg whites, and beat on high until combined, another 2 minutes.Add the vanilla and yogurt. Beat until combined.
- With the mixer on low, add half the dry ingredients, and half the milk. Once combined, add the rest of the dry mix and the milk. Beat until it just comes together. Don't overmix.
- Pour batter evenly into the cake pans and baked for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a tooth pick comes out of the center clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, before turning them out on to cooling racks to cool completely.
- While the cakes are cooling, place a metal bowl with the heavy whipping cream into the fridge. Right before making the frosting, place this bowl with the whipping cream into the freezer for about 5 minutes. (you can skip this step, it just helps the whipped cream come together quicker)
- When you're ready to make the frosting, beat the heavy whipping cream until it just begins to thicken. At this point, add the powdered sugar, and vanilla. Beat until soft peaks form.
- Add the whipped cream cheese, and beat until stiff peaks form. Get your cakes ready, by leveling the tops, if needed.
- Place the bottom layer on a cake plate, and spoon about 1 cup of the frosting on to the bottom layer. Level it out, and place sliced strawberries and blueberries on the frosting.
- It doesn't have to be perfect. Just make sure you cover the entire thing with berries.Next place your top layer on and frost the cake like you normally would. I topped mine with blueberries and strawberries. You can do this or skip it. It's up to you. Store this cake in the fridge. You will want to remove it a couple of hours before you serve it.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
14Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 502Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 436mgCarbohydrates: 56gFiber: 2gSugar: 35gProtein: 7g
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife
I love the sound of a very vanilla cake! This looks like a nice summery dessert to enjoy. Love fresh summer berries on everything this time of year!
Catherine
This cake is so beautiful! Each layer looks so moist and light...absolutely perfect!
Theresa
This sounds incredible! I love all the berries in it. So fresh for summer!
Veena Azmanov
I love tall cake slices and this looks so pretty and white. Love a good vanilla cake.. The berries look so refreshing.
Angela Tolsma
The frosting is my favorite way to have frosting! Everything else is too heavy, I usually ice a few minutes before serving! Love how you decorated it for July 4th
Karen Morse
Great idea with the cream cheese it's perfect because it goes well with the berries too. I think it's a lovely dessert to serve the family even if it's not the fourth. I really like that it's light!
Amanda Dorich
This looks absolutely amazing and perfect for summer time!! I am going to try this soon!
Terri Steffes
You can tell you are a food blogger when... someone grabs a cake recipe from the table! LOL, I do the exact same thing. The cake looks luscious.
Heather
This looks so refreshing for summer! I love a good clean vanilla cake. The fresh fruit makes it perfect for summer!
Whitney @WhittyPaleo
I don't eat cake very often but when I do, it's a light frosting that gets me every time! Yours looks very light and the cake itself very homely, sounds like a lovely pairing with the berries too. Thanks for the recipe!
Kita Bryant
I love this recipe. Great use of the fresh berries.
Adriana Lopez Martn
How beautiful and lovely this cake looks. Love the use of the fresh berries and the contrast of the flavors. A fresh bite and so elegant too.
Cindy Ingalls
This is such a festive cake for summer. It looks so delicious and I love the addition of blueberries and strawberries.
Blythe Alpern
I've had such a craving for strawberries lately. I almost bought some today which would have given me a perfect excuse for making this divine cake. Guess who's going back to the store.
Molly Kumar
This is such a gorgeous and fluffy cake. It looks like a perfect summer delight and would be great for a summer party.
Noel Lizotte
so pretty! I think I have all these ingredients in the kitchen... might have found my Sunday project! What a great picnic dessert this cake is.
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
That cake looks divine....and I would eat that for any celebration. This would make the perfect birthday cake....the flavour combination is awesome.
Rebecca Brianne
This looks SO. GOOD. I have been having such a blueberry craze this summer & this looks like the perfect dessert to compliment my cravings. Yum!
Caitlin
This looks absolutely HEAVENLY! I love desserts (especially cakes!) with fresh fruit - particularly in the summer. They're indulgent without feeling so heavy. Pinned this recipe to try later!
Rachel
What a gorgeous cake! We're cake-freaks around here and I'm sure my family will love this recipe. It's perfect for summer. Thanks for sharing!
Rachel
What a gorgeous cake! We're cake-freaks around here. I can't wait to try this recipe. It's perfect for summer. Thanks for sharing!
Amy
I'm loving the fresh summer berries and vanilla cake combo. This really is perfect for any patriotic holiday!
maren
This cake looks so moist and decadent. I love the double berry concept perfect for summer!
Rimsha
This cake looks too good to eat!! :O If berries were in season here I would totally try it out!
Shannon Gurnee
Your cake looks so pretty and yummy! I would love to try making this (and eating this) sometime! Thanks for sharing.
swathi
That cake is very soft and bursting with flavor,love those addition of berries and whipped cream makes it double bonus. I am fell in love with it.
Krystle Cook
Now this is a cake that I would not be afraid to make for my kids. This looks absolutely delicious.