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December 15, 2025
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Vanilla & Red Berry Layer Cake: A Masterclass in Berry Balance

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Vanilla & Red Berry Layer Cake

A Study in Freshness: Introduction to the Vanilla Red Berry Cake

While many layer cakes rely on heavy buttercreams, this Vanilla & Red Berry Layer Cake embraces the lightness of modern French pâtisserie. It balances the airy texture of a Chiffon Sponge with the rich stability of a Whipped White Chocolate & Mascarpone Ganache.
This dessert is a lesson in moisture management. It features hidden discs of Red Berry Compote set with Pectin NH, ensuring a burst of intense fruit flavor that doesn't weep into the cream. Alternatively, it can be made with fresh berries for a rustic finish. The ganache, infused with vanilla, acts as the luxurious mortar, stabilized by the high fat content of mascarpone and the cocoa butter of quality white chocolate.
Why make this? It is the ideal celebration cake—tall, impressive, and sliceable, yet meltingly soft. It teaches the importance of emulsion in ganache and the precise temperature control required for working with Pectin NH.
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients
  

Whipped White Chocolate & Mascarpone Ganache

  • 420 g heavy cream 30% fat
  • 310 g white chocolate Valrhona Ivoire
  • 1 vanilla bean optional
  • 500 g mascarpone

Red Berry Compote or 300 g fresh berries

  • 320 g red berries fresh or frozen
  • 60 g granulated sugar
  • 5 g pectin NH or 20 g Vitpris

Cocoa-Free Chiffon Cake

  • 3 eggs
  • 80 g + 30 g granulated sugar
  • 140 g all-purpose flour
  • 5 g baking powder
  • 2 g salt
  • 45 g neutral oil grape seed or sunflower
  • 70 g whole milk

Decoration

  • 200 g red berries for topping
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Instructions
 

Preparation Notes

  • I recommend preparing everything the day before assembly. The ganache needs time to chill before whipping.
  • Store the chiffon cake at room temperature in an airtight container to keep it moist.

Red Berry Compote

  • You can skip this step if you're using fresh red berries instead.
  • You’ll need two discs of berry compote for the layer cake. If you only have one 14 cm ring, make the compote in two rounds.
  • For one disc: use 160 g red berries, 30 g sugar, and 2.5 g pectin NH.
  • Line the bottom of your 14 cm ring with cling film to prevent leakage.
  • Heat the berries to about 60 °C (not lower!).
  • Mix the pectin with the sugar, then pour into the hot fruit purée, whisking immediately. If the purée is too cold, the pectin may clump.
  • Bring to a boil and cook for about 1 minute.
  • Remove from heat and pour into the ring mold.
  • Freeze for at least 1 hour, then unmold and repeat for the second disc.
  • Keep both discs in the freezer until final assembly.
  • Whipped White Chocolate & Mascarpone Ganache
  • Melt the white chocolate gently over a bain-marie.
  • Heat the cream (with vanilla seeds if using), then pour it over the chocolate in three additions, mixing well each time.
  • For best texture, use an immersion blender to emulsify the ganache until smooth and glossy.
  • Place plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate overnight.
  • Do not add the mascarpone until the day of assembly.

Chiffon Cake

  • Preheat oven to 150 °C (fan setting).
  • Separate the eggs into yolks and whites.
  • Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, and 80 g of sugar.
  • In another bowl, beat the egg whites, gradually adding the remaining 30 g of sugar until they form soft peaks (don’t overwhip!).
  • Whisk the yolks with oil and milk.
  • Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring with a spatula.
  • Fold in the whipped egg whites carefully using a spatula until just combined.
  • Pour the batter into your ungreased ring or pan (very important!). The batter must stick to the sides to rise properly.
  • Bake for 1 hour at 150 °C.
  • Let the cake cool completely before running a knife along the sides to unmold.

Assembly

  • Whip the white chocolate ganache until it starts to thicken.
  • Add half the mascarpone, whip again, then add the rest.
  • Continue whipping until you achieve a firm and stable whipped cream.
  • Reserve 1/3 of the whipped ganache for coating and decorating the cake.
  • Slice the chiffon cake into 3 even layers.
  • If the top is domed, trim it to create flat, level layers.
  • Save the bottom of the cake (the flattest layer) for the top of the finished cake.
  • Place one cake disc directly onto your serving plate.
  • Add a layer of whipped ganache and smooth it roughly.
  • Place a frozen berry compote disc on top.
  • If using fresh berries instead: scatter about 150 g of red berries, pressing them slightly into the ganache.
  • Add another layer of ganache and smooth again.
  • Place the second cake layer on top.
  • Repeat the process: ganache, frozen compote (or berries), ganache, final cake layer.
  • Make sure the smoothest side of the last cake layer is facing up.
  • Use the reserved ganache to fill gaps and smooth the surface.
  • Decorate the top with a piping bag and a fluted tip (optional).
  • Top with fresh red berries.

Chilling & Serving

  • Chill the finished cake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to firm up the whipped ganache.
  • This also ensures the berry inserts have fully defrosted before serving.

Notes

The Science of Ingredients: Chemistry of Stability and Gel

To create a tall cake that remains soft, we rely on specific ingredient properties.

1. Pectin NH (The Thermoreversible Gel)

The fruit insert uses Pectin NH (or Vitpris).
  • The Science: Unlike the pectin found in jam sugar (which sets irreversibly), Pectin NH is a modified pectin that is thermoreversible. This means the fruit disc can be frozen, thawed inside the cake, and even melted down and reset if you make a mistake. Crucially, it creates a gel that holds water tightly (preventing syneresis), so the red juice doesn't bleed into your pristine white ganache layers.

2. White Chocolate Quality (Cocoa Butter Structure)

The recipe explicitly warns against budget white chocolate.
  • The Science: A whipped ganache relies on beta crystals from cocoa butter to hold its shape. High-quality couverture (like Valrhona Ivoire) has a high cocoa butter content (35%+). Budget brands often replace cocoa butter with milk solids or vegetable fats. If you use low-quality chocolate, there isn't enough crystalline fat to support the weight of the mascarpone and heavy cream, resulting in a ganache that is soupy and unstable.

3. Mascarpone (The Fat Scaffold)

The ganache is enriched with 500g of Mascarpone.
  • The Science: Mascarpone is a triple-cream cheese (approx. 40% fat). When whipped, these milk fat globules agglomerate to form a rigid foam. By combining this with the cocoa butter structure of the chocolate, you create a "super-stabilized" whipped cream that can support the weight of multiple cake layers without needing gelatin or excessive sugar.

4. Neutral Oil (Chiffon Mechanics)

The sponge uses 45g of oil, not butter.
  • The Science: As with the previous Exotic Cake, oil contains unsaturated fats that stay liquid at refrigerator temperatures (4°C). Since this cake contains fresh cream and fruit, it must be stored in the fridge. An oil-based sponge ensures the cake remains soft and moist when chilled, whereas a butter cake would harden into a brick.

Essential Professional Kitchen Tools

Precision is key for the "Hidden Insert" look.
  1. 14cm Ring Mold (for inserts)
    • Why you need it: The cake is 18cm (or similar), but the fruit insert must be smaller (14cm). This 2cm gap on all sides ensures the fruit is completely encased in white ganache, preventing leaks and creating a neat cross-section when sliced.
  2. Immersion Blender
    • Why you need it: For the Ganache Base. White chocolate is prone to separating. An immersion blender ensures the cocoa butter and cream form a perfect, glossy emulsion before the overnight rest. A whisk often incorporates too much air, leading to a bubbly texture.
  3. Tall Cake Ring (Ungreased)
    • Why you need it: For the Chiffon Cake. The batter needs to climb the walls of the pan to achieve its loft. Grease causes it to slip and collapse. A tall ring allows for a high rise that can be sliced into three even layers.

Expert Tips and Success Hacks

Achieve a bakery-quality finish with these secrets.

1. The "60°C Rule" for Pectin

Pectin clumps instantly if added incorrectly.
  • The Hack: Never throw pectin directly into hot fruit puree. First, mix the pectin with the sugar (to separate the grains). Second, wait until the fruit puree reaches 60°C before whisking in the sugar-pectin mix. If the puree is cold, the pectin won't hydrate; if boiling, it may gel on contact. 60°C is the sweet spot.

2. Ganache Crystallization Time

You cannot rush the ganache.
  • The Hack: The ganache base must chill for at least 12 hours (overnight) before whipping. It needs this time for the cocoa butter to crystallize into a solid network. If you whip it too soon, it might look stiff initially but will slowly collapse into a liquid puddle later.

3. The "Bottom is Top" Technique

How do you get a perfectly flat top?
  • The Hack: When assembling the cake, reserve the bottom layer of your baked sponge. Flip it over and use it as the very top layer of the cake (cut side down, smooth baked bottom facing up). This gives you a razor-sharp, flat edge for your final decoration, with no doming.

4. Whipping the Mascarpone Ganache

Mascarpone can turn to butter in seconds.
  • The Hack: When whipping the chilled ganache base with the mascarpone on the day of assembly, do it on medium speed. Watch closely. The moment the whisk leaves tracks that hold their shape (firm peaks), STOP. One minute too long, and the mixture will curdle and become grainy.

5. Frozen Assembly

Handling floppy fruit discs is messy.
  • The Hack: Ensure the berry compote discs are frozen rock-hard before peeling off the cling film. Place the frozen disc directly onto the layer of ganache. It will thaw inside the cake within 2 hours, softening into the perfect compote texture.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Can I use fresh berries instead of compote? A: Yes. Skip the compote step entirely. Simply scatter fresh raspberries or diced strawberries over the ganache layer. Press them gently into the cream so the next layer of sponge sits flat. This gives a fresher, lighter finish but a less intense fruit punch.
Q2: Can I use regular white chocolate chips? A: No. Most supermarket chips contain stabilizers to prevent melting and low cocoa butter content. This will ruin the texture of your ganache. Use high-quality couverture bars (like Valrhona, Callebaut, or Cacao Barry).
Q3: How long does the cake keep? A:
  • Compote Version: Keeps well for 2-3 days in the fridge. The pectin holds the moisture.
  • Fresh Berry Version: Best eaten within 24 hours. Fresh berries release water and will eventually make the sponge soggy.
Q4: Can I freeze the finished cake? A: Yes, especially the compote version. The chiffon and ganache freeze beautifully. Thaw slowly in the fridge overnight. Decorate with fresh berries after thawing.
Q5: Why did my cake collapse when cooling? A: You likely greased the pan or didn't cool it upside down. Chiffon cakes rely on sticking to the pan walls for support until the protein structure sets during cooling. Always cool upside down!
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