Chantilly Cake

I have never heard of Chantilly cake which I read about recently. The most popular apparently is the one that Whole Foods Market bakes and sells. Well, I hardly go to that store anymore. I used to more than 20 years ago when it opened in Reston, VA.

The cake got its name from the frosting, not the style of cake, which is just ordinary yellow cake or sponge, and frosted with sweetened whipped cream. The recipe from Whole Foods Market uses yellow cake recipe and frosted with a combination of heavy cream, mascarpone cheese, and cream cheese. The website claims it's healthy. I laughed so hard because the recipe has a whopping 3½ cups of sugar. The link to their recipe is here.

For my experimental Chantilly cake, I opted for a sponge cake recipe without any baking powder. I baked a very small cake using 2 whole eggs and half cup of cake flour, plus 1 cup of whipped heavy cream. I baked the cake in an 8 x 8 inch square pan and divided it into 4 to make a 4-layer mini cake. I'm not keen on putting fruits or anything bulky in between layers because IMHO they make the cake look messy.

The verdict: meh.

My Chantilly Cake
4 layer 8 inch cake

optional
simple syrup
mixed berry extract

sponge cake
2 cups cake flour, sifted twice
pinch of fine sea salt
8 large eggs
1 cup sugar (I used ¾ cup mixture of xylitol and white sugar)

frosting
3 cups cold heavy cream
½ to ¾ cup very fine white sugar

garnish
whole strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries

• Make simple syrup, if using: Heat ½ cup water until it boils; add ½ sugar and cook over low heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Add ¼ teaspoon extract. .
• Line two 8 inch round cake pans with parchment paper; set aside. 
• Preheat oven to 325°F. 
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs and sugar on medium high for 20 minutes until very thick and pale in color. 
• Sift and fold a third of the flour into the egg mixture; add the salt. Repeat with the remaining flour, a third at a time. 
• Divide into the prepared pans. 
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. 
• Transfer cakes onto a wire rack and let cool in the pans. 
• In a standing mixer with a wire whisk, beat heavy cream until foamy. Slowly add sugar and beat to peaks but not dry. 
• To assemble cake: Divide frosting into 6 equal parts. Remove cooled cakes from pans; remove parchment paper and discard. Split each into 2 layers, 4 layers total. Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; sprinkle with 1½ tablespoons flavored syrup, if using. Frost top. Repeat with the remaining 3 layers. Frost the sides with the remaining frosting. Decorate top of cake with fruits, or you can layer them inside the cake. Chill the cake for 4 hours or overnight before serving.