• Home
  • About
    • About Olivia
    • The Pastry Diaries
    • Privacy & Disclosure
  • eBooks
  • Recipes
    • Cakes
      • Birthday Cakes
      • Bundt Cakes
      • Chocolate Cakes
      • Christmas Cakes
      • Classic Cakes
      • Drip Cakes
      • Easter Cakes
      • Fruity Cakes
      • Halloween Cakes
      • Naked Cakes
      • Thanksgiving Cakes
      • Valentine’s Cakes
      • Vanilla Cakes
    • Cookie Cups
    • Cookies
    • Frostings & Fillings
    • Holiday Desserts
  • Shop
  • Tutorials

Subscribe for the latest recipes:

Liv for Cake

Classic Cake Recipes with a Modern Twist

  • Home
  • About
    • About Olivia
    • The Pastry Diaries
    • Privacy & Disclosure
  • eBooks
  • Recipes
    • Cakes
      • Birthday Cakes
      • Bundt Cakes
      • Chocolate Cakes
      • Christmas Cakes
      • Classic Cakes
      • Drip Cakes
      • Easter Cakes
      • Fruity Cakes
      • Halloween Cakes
      • Naked Cakes
      • Thanksgiving Cakes
      • Valentine’s Cakes
      • Vanilla Cakes
    • Cookie Cups
    • Cookies
    • Frostings & Fillings
    • Holiday Desserts
  • Shop
  • Tutorials

Home » Cakes » Very Berry Layer Cake

Very Berry Layer Cake

By Olivia, 42 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full Disclosure Policy for details.
Jump to Recipe

This Very Berry Layer Cake makes the perfect use of those summer berries! Layers of vanilla cake, swiss meringue buttercream, and loads of fresh berries.

Cake on a white cake stand.

Summer berries are the best. Pretty and plentiful, it’s hard not to make a berry dessert (or multiple) during the hot, sunny months. This berry layer cake is an impressive yet super easy dessert to make, I promise! All you need is a cake of some kind (from scratch or a box mix, vanilla or chocolate), frosting of your choice (a simple vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting, etc.), and fresh berries. Then all you have to do is stack, and your impressive summer dessert is done!

Shot of the berries on top of the cake.

I first made this cake years ago for my mom’s birthday. I had seen it in a magazine and improvised the recipes. If you dig through my blog, you can find the super old post about it along with some lovely pics in the archives.

Close up of the cake.

Laziness prevailed this week, so instead of baking from scratch, I made my Almost Scratch Cake. It’s a box mix (gasp) with some extras thrown in (like sour cream) to make it even better. I actually kinda screwed up the cake. I really need to learn to read my recipes. I checked the cake at 30mins and wondered why the heck it was domed and cracking. Now I know why: I assumed that I needed to set the oven to 350F, as I do for almost every other cake, but this one needs 325F.

The Ultimate Cake Collection

Over 50 of my very favorite cake recipes all in one place! From Classic Cakes to Holiday favorites and everything in between.

Get your copy today!

A domed cake was the last thing I wanted, and it never happens thanks to some of my tricks. Thankfully, I was able to utilize the tea towel trick to flatten the cakes as soon as they came out of the oven. Not ideal, but it got the job done. The high temp also meant the cake was browned way more than I expected/wanted. Oh well! Learn from my mistakes people, read the directions!

Cake on a white cake stand.

You can really make any kind of cake for this as long as the flavour goes with berries. A chocolate one would be pretty delicious. You can use something like Angel Food cake too, but it will affect the structural integrity of the cake, since Angel Food is so light and this is cake gets heavy once all of the layers, frosting, and berries are added. If you do want to use Angel Food, I’d suggest trying whipped cream instead of buttercream and maybe not as many berries. I prefer my cakes dense though, so no Angel Food here.

Close up of the berries on top of the cake.

I made a Swiss Meringue Buttercream for the frosting since it’s lighter and less sweet than a traditional American buttercream. The berries already add sweetness, as does the simple syrup, so I wanted to balance it out.

Cake on a white cake stand.

The simple syrup is optional, but it adds more moisture to the cake. No one wants dry cake, right? Truthfully, this cake is already super moist with the addition of sour cream, but I like the syrup for that extra amount of moisture and sweetness.

Overhead shot of the cake.

There you have it. This Berry Layer Cake is a stunning simple summer dessert!

Cake on a white cake stand.
Print Rate
4.67 from 9 votes

Very Berry Layer Cake

This Very Berry Layer Cake makes the perfect use of those summer berries! Layers of vanilla cake, swiss meringue buttercream, and loads of fresh berries. 
Course Dessert
Cuisine Cake
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 690kcal
Author Olivia

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 recipe Almost Scratch Cake or any 8" layer cake

Simple Syrup

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup water

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

  • 1/2 cup egg whites* 4 oz
  • 1 cup granulated sugar 8oz
  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter room temperature, cubed
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Berries

  • 5-6 cups mixed berries sliced
  • 2 cups mixed berries whole
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cake:

  • Prepare cake as per recipe. Once cool, cut layers in half horizontally. I used a cake leveler to do this.

Simple Syrup:

  • Optional, but will add more moistness to your cake.
  • Place water and sugar into a small pot over high heat. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and cool completely. Store in fridge until needed.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

  • Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.
  • Place bowl over a hot water bath on the stove and whisk constantly until the mixture is no longer grainy to the touch (approx. 3mins).
  • Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
  • Switch to paddle attachment.
  • Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth. Add vanilla.**

Assembly:

  • Cut cake layers in half horizontally using a cake leveler or large serrated knife.
  • Place one layer onto your cake stand, brush with simple syrup. Add 1/4 of the buttercream on top and spread roughly. Spread 1/3 of sliced berries over top of the buttercream.
  • Repeat the process with the other layers, finishing with 2 cups of whole berries.

Recipes You May Like

  • A bundt cake on a white cake stand sitting on top of a wooden table.
    Rum & Eggnog Bundt Cake
  • This spiderweb cake is perfect for Halloween! A rich black cocoa cake with an orange flavoured buttercream. | livforcake.com
    Spiderweb Cake
  • A decorated cake on a table
    Pink Champagne Cake
  • Cake on a glass cake stand.
    Chocolate Orange Cake

Notes

* Ensure there is NO trace of egg yolks in your whites and that your mixer bowl and whisk is completely grease free or your meringue won't stiffen
** The buttercream may look like it's curdled at some point. Keep mixing until it is completely smooth.
Calories: 690kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 1gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 21mgPotassium: 72mgFiber: 2gSugar: 32gVitamin A: 750IUVitamin C: 2.2mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 0.2mg
The nutritional information and metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or metric conversion tool.

photo collage

Learn How to Bake the Perfect Cake!

Tips, techniques, and troubleshooting to help ensure your cakes come out perfect every single time!

Get your copy today!

Hungry for more?

Join our Baking community on Facebook!
Follow Liv for Cake on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter
Or sign up to get free recipes by email!

Subscribe for the latest recipes

July 26, 2015

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Erin says

    January 23, 2021 at 12:00 PM

    5 stars
    This looks amazing! I’m a little intimidated by the meringue buttercream frosting. Is it something I could do a day early?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      January 25, 2021 at 10:07 AM

      Hi Erin! Yes, for sure. Have a read through this detailed tutorial for tips and troubleshooting: https://livforcake.com/swiss-meringue-buttercream-recipe/ If just a day in advance I would cover the frosting in the mixer bowl with plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature. Give it a good rewhip before you use it.

      Reply
  2. Megan says

    July 5, 2018 at 12:55 PM

    I made this cake using the recipe as is. I didn’t have a stand mixer, so using a hand mixer made the meringue a bit t icky. It took much longer to get it to peak.Other than that, itwent over great! Everyone loves it!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      July 10, 2018 at 9:18 AM

      Hi Megan! A hand mixer will definitely take a lot longer, but glad it worked out!!

      Reply
  3. KANIKA says

    April 26, 2018 at 2:26 PM

    5 stars
    This so great! I want to reach out and take a slice 🙂
    In fact, about the same time you baked this cake, I did a similar one for my berry loving spouse.

    Reply
  4. Baran says

    April 10, 2018 at 5:46 AM

    4 stars
    Hello, I really want to try this AMAZING recipe for my mums upcoming birthday however, I am struggling with the cake I just wanted to knownif a normal vanilla cake will do? Thank you very much.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      April 11, 2018 at 10:28 AM

      Hi Baran! A normal vanilla cake would work perfectly fine. You can try this one if you like: https://livforcake.com/vanilla-cake/

      Reply
  5. Belinda says

    September 29, 2017 at 10:04 AM

    5 stars
    Hopefully this doesn’t post twice. :). I am making this for a wedding and wondering if I can leave it out at room temp for 24, if I cover it?
    I refrigerated it the last time I made it and the icing gets a little stiff. Not sure if it will soften up after setting out for a couple hours.

    What do you recommend? Let it set out for 24 hours or refrigerate?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      September 30, 2017 at 8:44 AM

      Hi Belinda! I would not leave it out for that long. Refrigerating should work fine. The icing will get very stiff, but will soften again once at room temperature for 2-3 hours.

      Reply
      • Melanie says

        April 8, 2020 at 6:57 AM

        I am making today for my sons birthday-cake was made last night but waiting to decorate. How long ahead of time can The icing be made and cake decorated before serving?

        Reply
        • Olivia says

          April 8, 2020 at 1:32 PM

          Hi Melanie! The buttercream can be made weeks in advance and frozen. Or it will last for up to a week in the fridge. Key thing is that you have to bring it completely to room temperature and give it a good rewhip before use. If you run into any problems you can find some tips here: https://livforcake.com/swiss-meringue-buttercream-recipe/

          Reply
  6. Mary says

    August 11, 2017 at 5:39 AM

    Hi Olivia,

    Beautiful cake. I plan to make it this weekend. I can’t wait to try it out. Since it’s a naked cake I worry it may dry out if I assemble it too early. How long before eating should I assemble the cake?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      August 14, 2017 at 9:02 AM

      Hi Mary! Ideally I would do it same day as the sides will dry out. Or you could try to wrap it loosely in plastic wrap. Let me know how it works out!

      Reply
  7. Fernanda says

    July 16, 2017 at 8:21 PM

    Dou you have a technique for sprinkling powdered sugar on top of the fruits? no matter how much I add, it keeps dispearing! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      July 18, 2017 at 9:35 PM

      Hi Fernanda! I make sure my fruit is dry (no glaze), but eventually the powdered sugar will disappear 🙁

      Reply
      • Fernanda says

        August 7, 2017 at 4:12 PM

        hey, thanks for the response. I ended up giving up trying to make the fruits look this pretty. The blue berries were a bit more cooperative than the other two fruits, but not by much. Tt was delicious anyway and everyone loved it. I love your blog!

        Reply
        • Olivia says

          August 7, 2017 at 5:27 PM

          Thanks so much Fernanda! I’m glad it worked out for you 🙂

          Reply
      • Fernanda says

        August 7, 2017 at 4:15 PM

        Hey Olivia, Do you think this recipe wold stand a bundt pan and a swirl of dulce the leche cream?

        Reply
        • Fernanda says

          August 7, 2017 at 4:16 PM

          sorry posted this in the wrong recipe.

          Reply
          • Olivia says

            August 7, 2017 at 5:28 PM

            No problem, checking your other comment now!

  8. Nancy @ gottagetbaked says

    August 17, 2015 at 6:37 PM

    Holy shizz, this cake and your photos are sooooo beautiful! Naked cakes are definitely the way to go. Love love love!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      August 17, 2015 at 9:45 PM

      I know, right?? I see more naked cakes in my future 🙂

      Reply
  9. Thamica says

    August 3, 2015 at 8:32 PM

    4 stars
    I could just stare at this recipe all day and all night. What a fun way to incorporate berries!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      August 3, 2015 at 11:00 PM

      Thank you Thamica! 😀

      Reply
  10. Andrea @ The Pineapple Cake says

    July 30, 2015 at 9:32 PM

    This cake looks beautiful, light, and delicious Olivia.
    I am pinning this now so I can make it in the summer. Love it! !

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      August 1, 2015 at 11:45 AM

      Thanks Andrea!! It’s delicious, you won’t regret it! 😀

      Reply
  11. Julia (@Imagelicious) says

    July 29, 2015 at 8:31 AM

    4 stars
    This is so gorgeous!!!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      July 29, 2015 at 8:40 AM

      Thanks Julia! 🙂

      Reply
  12. Thalia @ butter and brioche says

    July 28, 2015 at 8:52 PM

    This cake look so light and delicious.. and perfect for summer too. I wish I had a slice right now!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      July 28, 2015 at 9:35 PM

      Thanks Thalia! It was such a yummy summer dessert 🙂

      Reply
  13. Oana says

    July 28, 2015 at 2:58 PM

    5 stars
    Oh very berry indeed. So simple and yet so elegant. I kinda love this kind of naked cakes, all packed with fruits. Well done!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      July 28, 2015 at 9:35 PM

      I’m a huge fan of naked cakes too. I see many more in my future! 🙂

      Reply
  14. Daniel says

    July 28, 2015 at 1:29 PM

    5 stars
    This looks absolutely beautiful 🙂

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      July 28, 2015 at 1:32 PM

      Thanks so much Daniel! 🙂

      Reply
  15. lindsay says

    July 28, 2015 at 12:05 PM

    almond scratch cake? oh woman, you know the way to my heart. LOVE IT! <3 beautiful

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      July 28, 2015 at 1:03 PM

      Thanks Lindsay! 😀

      Reply
  16. Karen says

    July 27, 2015 at 8:36 PM

    5 stars
    This cake is so good! Super tall and elegant and bursting with a beautiful vanilla flavour. Love all the berries!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      July 28, 2015 at 8:23 AM

      Thanks Karen! So glad you liked it 😀

      Reply
  17. Kat | curlsnchard.com says

    July 27, 2015 at 12:08 AM

    Oh this is really such a good idea – it looks really impressive! I love fresh berries, so I definitely have to keep this in mind. Oh, and I love that you use a little tea egg for the sugar 😀

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      July 27, 2015 at 8:38 AM

      Thanks Kat! 😀

      Reply
  18. June @ How to Philosophize with Cake says

    July 26, 2015 at 4:51 PM

    Such a gorgeous cake!! Looks like the perfect summer dessert, with all that fresh fruit 🙂

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      July 26, 2015 at 9:46 PM

      Thanks June! 😀

      Reply
How To Bake The Perfect Cake

Learn How to Bake the Perfect Cake!

Tips, techniques, and troubleshooting to help ensure your cakes come out perfect every single time!

Get your copy today!

Featured Posts

A decorated cake on a cake stand

Baileys & Guinness Cake

Cake on a green cake stand with a glass of milk beside it.

Milk & Cookies Cake

A close up of a stack of cookies

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

A piece of cake on a plate

Lemon Blueberry Cake

This Pear & Walnut Cake with Honey Buttercream is the perfect way to kick off the Fall season. | livforcake.com

Pear & Walnut Cake with Honey Buttercream

close up of a cookie cup

S’mores Cookie Cups

featured
olivia

Welcome to liv for cake!

I'm Olivia, a professionally trained pastry chef, recipe developer, and photographer from Vancouver, BC. Creating classic cake recipes with a modern twist.
Read More

sig

Subscribe for the latest recipes:

Copyright © 2010 - 2021, Liv for Cake. All Rights Reserved. Privacy & Disclosure
Design by Pixel Me Designs