Cake with Berries & Whipped Cream

This cake with berries and whipped cream is a German-style strawberry torte at its most relaxed: a one-bowl butter cake brightened with lemon, split horizontally, and layered with vanilla pudding, strawberries (or raspberries), and fresh whipped cream. It’s the kind of summer dessert you build at the table when the berries are at peak ripeness and you don’t want to fuss with a proper sponge or a Chantilly torte.

The pudding-cream-berry layering does the heavy seasonal work. The cake itself is a forgiving base: butter, sugar, lemon zest, eggs, flour, baking powder, and a splash of milk creamed and baked until the top springs back. Cool fully before splitting, or the cream layer slumps and the whole thing slides apart on the plate.

Pro Tips

• Bake the cake the day before. Day-old cake cuts cleaner in half without crumbling and holds the cream filling better.
• Use a long serrated knife and saw gently when splitting. Press a hand on top to keep the layer level.
• Whip the cream just to soft-medium peaks. Stiff peaks turn grainy under berry juice and pudding.
• Assemble close to serving time. The berries weep and the bottom layer goes soggy if it sits more than a couple of hours.

Variations

• Use a mix of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries for a multi-color berry crown.
• Brush the cut cake layers with a tablespoon of orange liqueur or kirsch before adding the pudding for a grown-up version.
• Swap the vanilla pudding for pastry cream for a more classic torte feel.