Keto Berry Chantilly Cake is a tender vanilla layer cake with fresh berries and a rich chantilly cream frosting. This nut free keto cake is a summer classic!
Summer berry season is in full swing and you want to make the most of it. That’s why you need this keto Chantilly cake in your life! Tender coconut flour cake layered with fresh berries and a light but rich mascarpone frosting.
Have I sold you yet? Well how about this for a testimonial? After giving some to a friend, the first words out of her mouth were “You’re a low carb sorceress! Oh this frosting!”. And she isn’t even keto.
I have to admit, I feel exactly the same way. I am really enjoying creating stellar keto layer cake recipes these days. And this fresh berry chantilly cake is perfect for any spring or summer celebration.
What is Chantilly Cake?
I’d never heard of this cake until a reader emailed me last summer, requesting a keto version. She linked me to a Berry Chantilly Cake on the Whole Foods website. It’s hugely popular and may have its origins in Louisiana.
But this take on chantilly cake may or may not be the original. There is also a version from Hawaii that features chocolate cake layers with a coconut caramel frosting.
While both of them sound delicious, the recipe request was for the berry Chantilly Cake, and that appears to be the most widely known version.
So now I’ve gone and made it keto. And since it’s a coconut flour based cake, it’s also completely nut-free!
How to make Keto Chantilly Cake
Don’t panic when you see the recipe. While there are a lot of moving parts here, it’s not difficult to make at all. Let me walk you through the process a bit.
- This is a coconut flour based cake and for accuracy’s sake, I recommend weighing out your coconut flour. I have also included the volume measurement for those who do not own a kitchen scale.
- Yes, the protein powder is required for a better rise, but you can use egg white protein instead of whey, if you prefer.
- Using egg whites in addition to whole eggs makes the cake lighter in color and texture, which is perfect for a Chantilly cake recipe.
- I used both vanilla and almond extract here but you can simply use vanilla if you prefer. The almond extract gives it something special, though!
- Prepare the berry “syrup” while the cakes are baking. That way, it’s cool and ready when the cake layers are done. You only need to spread this over the bottom and middle layer, not the top layer.
- As always, make sure your cream cheese and mascarpone are properly softened for the frosting. You won’t be able to get it truly smooth otherwise. If you can’t find mascarpone, you can use all cream cheese here.
- The fresh berries go both between the cake layers and on top of the cake. Remember to save enough for garnishing the cake!
Decorating your Berry Chantilly Cake
I do not consider myself a very good cake decorator. I am not deft enough, more do I have the patience, to make perfect rosettes and other fancy frosting creations.
But a berry chantilly cake does not need much more decoration than a few beautiful fresh berries on top.
However, if you want to make it a little special, try doing a swirled pattern on top of the cake, as I did here. I was very pleased at how it came out. I simply put my cake on a turntable, held a spoon to the center of the frosted top, and turned it. You do need to move your spoon outward from the center as you turn.
It’s a super simple decorating technique that looks so elegant!
How to store keto Chantilly Cake
This is a cake that must be kept cool at all times. The mascarpone Chantilly frosting gets very soft when left out of the refrigerator. It’s also much easier to cut into nice slices when chilled.
And all of those fresh berries can go mushy pretty easily when subjected to warm temperatures.
To store the leftovers simply place plastic wrap over the cut edges of the cake. Leave the rest exposed and keep refrigerated.
More keto nut-free recipes
- Keto Banana Muffins
- Keto Mocha Mini Muffins
- Keto Rosemary Parmesan Crackers
- Chewy Keto Bagels
- Nut Free Keto Cheesecake
- Keto Flourless Chocolate Cake
Keto Chantilly Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 96 grams coconut flour (about ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp)
- ¾ cup Swerve Sweetener
- ⅓ cup whey protein powder
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 4 large egg whites
- ½ cup melted butter
- ½ cup unsweetened hemp milk (or a mix of cream and water)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Berry "Syrup"
- ¼ cup chopped strawberries
- ¼ cup raspberries
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoon powdered Swerve Sweetener
- ¼ teaspoon glucomannan (or xanthan gum)
Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 8 ounces mascarpone softened
- ¾ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream divided
Additional Berries (filling and garnish)
- ½ cup sliced strawberries
- ½ cup raspberries
- ½ cup blueberries
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325F and grease three 8-inch metal cake pans well. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and grease the paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, sweetener, whey protein, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the eggs, egg whites, melted butter, hemp milk, and extracts until well combined and the batter is smooth.
- Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans and spread to the edges. Smooth the tops. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges and the tops are firm to the touch.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pans, then run a sharp knife around the insides of the pans and flip the cake layers out.
Berry Syrup
- While the cakes are baking, combine the berries and water together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Cook until the berries are soft enough to be easily mashed up. Remove from heat and stir in the sweetener, mashing as you go. Stir in the glucomannan and let sit to thicken.
Chantilly Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and mascarpone together until smooth. Beat in the powdered sweetener until well combined.
- Beat in the extracts, then beat in ¼ cup of the heavy cream to lighten the mixture.
- In another large bowl, beat the remaining cream until it holds stiff peaks. Fold into the cream cheese mixture until well combined.
To assemble the cake
- Place one layer of cake on a cake platter, and spread with ½ of the berry syrup. Then spread with ¼ of the frosting and arrange ⅓ of the berries. Repeat with a second layer of cake.
- Place the final layer of cake on top and spread the top and the sides with the remaining frosting (you will not do any berry syrup on this layer). Top with the remaining berries.
- Refrigerate at least 1 hour to firm up the frosting.
Sue says
This is a sensational recipe no matter what the name of it is. Our Non-Keto friends loved it and both my husband and myself thought it was sensational. Thanks for converting this to a Keto recipe. I did force the syrup thru a sieve to strain out the seeds and found it to be a little thin, maybe I didn’t simmer it long enough. First time with a recipe is always a learning experience even after cooking and baking keto for years. I trust your recipes and greatly appreciate your sharing. Reading the text of your posts and reading thru your responses to postings about recipes is very helpful.
Carolyn says
So glad you like it! Thanks so much.
Katie says
i made this cake several years ago uing the kentucky butter cake as the cake and a keto friendly hack of a copy cat recipe to the Whole Foods cake as its my favorite. It was dang close too. I will have to try this recipe next time I want to make it.
hoa says
Fantastic cake! I used a 7 inch and a 4 inch pan in an attempt to create a 2-tier cake for my daughter’s bday this week. I have made the cake part. I will cut both the 7 inch and the 4 inch cake in half to make 2 layers each. I will make the frosting this Tbursday, My question is whether the chantilly cream with the mascapone is stiff enough to pipe roses. Also I just got the ultimate guide to baking book but do not see some of the highly rated recipes such as the italian cream cake; I was thinking you would include all the raved ones in there. Thanks!
Jen says
I had never heard of this cake before either but after my first bite, I’ll be singing it’s praises forever! So moist and delicious. Thank you for doing the work to make this keto too.
Betsy says
This cake is incredible! Chantilly cake is one of my favorites! I love that you created a recipe that makes it Keto friendly AND nut free! Love it!
katerina @ diethood.com says
Such a fantastic Keto Chantilly Cake! Absolutely amazing!
Diana says
Does it matter if I use confectioners or granulated swerve?
Carolyn says
For the cake, granular is best but confectioners is fine if that’s all you have. For the frosting, it needs to be confectioners
Allison says
This cake just sounds absolutely wonderful. I’m going to make it for my mother-in-law’s birthday. However I would like to make it tonight to have for tomorrow. I just read the last comment that you can make the cake ahead of time and then Frost it the day of. Do you make the cake and the syrup and the frosting but not assemble it until the day of? Thank you!
Carolyn says
I really meant just bake the cake layers. Once cool, flip them out and wrap them in plastic so they don’t dry out before you’re ready to make the rest.
Rachel says
Hi! So excited to try this recipe. I am trying to find a white keto cake that I can convert into a rainbow cake for my daughter’s birthday. I have to bake it early on a Friday night and her birthday is on Sunday. Will this cake hold up in the fridge for a two days before it is served or will it dry out? Any advise is appreciated!
Carolyn says
The cake will be fine if it’s not frosted and wrapped up tightly. Then you can frost on the day of.
Nikki Gem says
Hi. If I bake this using 4 six inches pans. How long should I bake it? Thanks!
Carolyn says
I have no idea because I didn’t test the recipe that way. You will need to watch them.
Leslie says
Thanks for this recipe. What do you think of subbing Monk Fruit for the Swerve or using a combination of the two? I get an odd after taste with Swerve so looking for an alternative.
Carolyn says
Do you mean a monk fruit blend, that’s based on erythritol? Then that should be fine.
Leslie says
Thanks! Yes, exactly. Appreciate the response.
Christina Meza says
I only have 6 inch pans or 10 inch. Can I use those instead of the 8inch pans?
Carolyn says
You could… but you will need to adjust the size of the recipe by quite a bit.
Bre says
Quick Question… the unsweetened hemp milk ( or a mix of cream and water ) part. If I did the mix of cream and water what type of cream and how much of each? Is this for the frosting part?
I can’t wait to try this!! Hopefully will try to make it this weekend! Looks so elegant, simple, and of course delicious!!
Thanks
Leslie Cichuttek says
Thank you for that information – I did not think about the area of each pan- I’ll have to bake for another event with more people
Carolyn says
It’s a tricky one people don’t usually understand. 🙂
Katie says
So glad to see this! I found a copycat recipe for whole
Foods Berry Chantilly cake and used the batter of your Kentucky butter cake as the base. It was delicious. After I am done with my cleanse, this may be on top of the list to try.
Lexi says
Hi Carolyn,
Love your recipes nd videos. Im excited to make this cake for my daughters birthday. Have a whey protein powder question, can I use Isopures whey protein isolate? Are they interchangeable to use in baked goods like this, thanks so much!
Carolyn says
Yes, that works well.
Christina De Koker says
So excited to bake this cake!!! Can I use coconut protein powder in place of the whey protein powder? Will it make a difference? I’m making it for my husband’s grandma who is turning 100 this weekend! I want it to be perfect of course. Thank you for the wonderful recipe and for the advice!
Carolyn says
I’ve never tried coconut protein powder! It should work, I think. The only one that I recommend not using is collagen protein, as it makes baked goods gummy.
Leslie says
This looks perfect for a birthday cake. Do you think I could cut all ingredients in half? Instead of 8 inch pans, use 4 inch?
Thanks again
Carolyn says
Hi Leslie. It’s a common mistake to think that a 4 inch pan is half the amount of an 8 inch pan, but we are talking square area, so it’s not. The area of an 8 inch circle is 50, so three of them comes to 150. The area of a 4-inch circle is only 12.5, so 3 of them together come to less than 50 . That’s a HUGE difference and you’d have to cut the whole recipe down to 1/3 to make a 4-inch cake.
Holly says
Can’t wait to try this! Can I skip the whey protein?
Carolyn says
Please read the full blog post, as it will tel you about the whey…
Fatima W says
Can I substitute a vegan protein like pea protein for the whey protein or will that not work?
Carolyn says
It should work but make sure it’s not green because some of them are and that won’t make for a very pretty cake!