I Recreated the Internets Most Viral Cake

The Whole Foods Berry Chantilly cake might be the most viral cake on the internet. It's been a hit since its first release in 2002, had a few big shoutout moments online in 2021 where people raved about the dessert, and, more recently, sparked outrage when the supermarket chain changed the original recipe. Supposedly, they replaced the cake’s fresh berries with frozen berries and fruit jam, and Chantilly cake loyalists were not shy about expressing their disappointment. Fast forward to now: Whole Foods released a Berry Chantilly-flavored iced latte, and suddenly cake is once again culturally relevant.

I have to admit something: I’ve never tried it. I haven’t been able to justify buying the entire cake because I don’t love berry flavored desserts (I’m much more of a chocolate kind of gal). However, after my feed became flooded with people trying this new latte, I felt compelled to recreate the flavors of the original cake, but in a smaller and more shareable way. To me, making an entire cake is usually not worth it unless it’s for an event like a birthday party. There’s always too many leftovers. So, I set out to make little shareable cakes with all the same berry Chantilly flavors: a light, yellow sponge cake, a Chantilly frosting, and fresh berries (NOT frozen).

Here’s how I did it:

First, I made the sponge cake base in a 9x13 pan. I used this recipe but doubled the amount of eggs and swapped self-rising flour for cake flour. Plus, I added a small amount of almond extract for that extra Chantilly kick. I let the cake cool before cutting it into small, equally sized square pieces. Then I put them in the fridge while I got to work on the frosting.

The Chantilly frosting is where all the flavors come together. What makes the Whole Foods version taste so iconic is using cream cheese and mascarpone instead of butter as the fat component in the icing. This gives it a luscious thickness in both texture and flavor—Cheesier! Vanilla and almond extract also add a distinct flavor (and scent) that can often make it a bit divisive. I whipped 8 ounces of cream cheese, 8 ounces of mascarpone, the flavor extracts, added a few cups of sifted powdered sugar and a cup of heavy cream until it looked about right. I let this sit in the fridge for a bit, too.

To assemble the mini cakes, I frosted the tops generously and topped with fresh berries to my liking. This way, I could just have a little taste of the berry Chantilly deliciousness without going all in on a whole cake. I thought it tasted good, but it was not my favorite. Maybe for the true experience, I have to head to Whole Foods and try that latte!

What other trending recipes do you want to know more about? Let me know below!