Berry Cheesecake Cake
A creamy, flavorful layer of strawberry and blueberry-filled cheesecake is sandwiched between two moist vanilla cake layers and filled with whipped cream and fresh berries in this amazing Berry Cheesecake Cake dessert. Yum!
Table of Contents
How to Make a Berry Cheesecake Cake
This is the perfect summer dessert- keep it in mind for just about any occasion, from July 4th to picnics, birthdays, or just because!
We've also made a Lemon Cheesecake Cake, Chocolate Cheesecake Cake, Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake and Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake! If you love cheesecake cakes like we do, you're going to want to try them all ;0)
You can find our full, printable Berry Cheesecake Cake recipe further down in this post, but here is a rundown of our steps.
How to Make the Berry Cheesecake Layer
As much as we love the Vanilla Velvet Cake layers in this cake recipe, the berry cheesecake layer is the star of the show- so creamy and delicious!
The cheesecake layer is super easy to make, but it does have a longer bake time and requires additional time for chilling so you will want to make it first.
Water Bath:
Some bakers wrap the bottom of the springform pan in foil and bake it in a water bath. However, this alternate method works very well!:
- Place a 9×13 or roasting pan or sheet cake pan filled with about an inch or so of water in the oven on a lower rack and preheat to 300 degrees F. Doing this step helps to promote even baking and prevents cracking.
Prepare the Cheesecake Batter
- Prepare the Springform Pan: Line the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with a circle of parchment paper.
- Mixing Cream Cheese with Dry Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, mix softened cream cheese until smooth. Mixing on low speed, add sugar, salt, flour.
- Sour Cream & Vanilla: Add vanilla extract and sour cream. Mix at low speed until smooth and incorporated.
- Eggs: Add eggs one at a time. Mix until well combined.
- Berries: Fold the strawberries and blueberries into the batter.
- Pour the cheesecake batter into springform pan lined with parchment and place on a rack just above the pan of water.
Time to Bake!
- Bake for 45-50 minutes. The cheesecake should be set at this point- it may jiggle slightly. There was a slight dip in my cheesecake at this point, but it leveled out with the next step.
- Turn off Heat and Leave it: Turn off the oven and leave cheesecake inside for 30 more minutes with the oven door slightly open. (This helps the cake to gradually cool without cracking.)
Cool and Chill the Cheesecake Layer
- Then, allow the cheesecake to cool on the countertop. Then, place foil on the pan and chill in the freezer for 2-3 hours. If you are not in a hurry, you can refrigerate the cake for 5-6 hours or overnight.
Vanilla Velvet Cake
We used our Vanilla Velvet Cake for the two 9 inch round cake layers in this recipe. This is a super moist vanilla cake- it has cream cheese in the cake batter which gives it an extra tender, soft texture.
However, feel free to substitute any favorite vanilla or white cake (whether from a mix or scratch) for your cake layers.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9 inch pans, adding a circle of parchment or wax paper to the bottom of each pan.
- Flour Mixture: In a medium bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt for 30 seconds and set aside.
- Buttermilk Mixture: In another bowl, add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
- Butter & Cream Cheese: In the bowl of your mixer, add the butter and cream cheese and mix at medium speed until smooth.
- Sugar: Gradually add the sugar and mix at medium speed for 2-3 minutes.
- Eggs: Add the room temperature eggs one at a time, mixing until the yellow of the yolk disappears.
- Dry & Wet Ingredients: With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture (We did 3 additions of the dry mixture, 2 additions of wet).
- Pour Into Pans: Mix the batter just until well combined- be careful not to over-mix. Divide the batter between the two prepared 9 inch cake pans.
- Time to Bake!: Bake at 325 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Let cool for 5-10 minutes in the pans on a wire rack before turning out. Baking times may vary. This recipe makes approximately 7 ½ cups of batter.
Sweetened Whipped Cream Filling
If you love cream cheese frosting, feel free to skip the whipped cream filling and spread a layer of cream cheese frosting and fruit instead! (You may need to increase the cream cheese recipe by half if you do this.)
We love whipped cream and berries together and so we decided to whip up a quick whipped cream filling for our Berry Cheesecake Cake.
- Chill: Chill the mixing bowl and beaters/ whisk attachment in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Whip the Cream: Pour the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla into the chilled mixing bowl, begin beating on low speed gradually increasing to medium high speed. Once the cream has reached the "stiff peak" stage (when you can lift the beaters and the cream holds a peak) it is ready.
Cream Cheese Frosting
We love any excuse to make cream cheese frosting- this recipe is SO delicious and easy to make!
Its nice having the wonderful cream cheese flavor both in the frosting as well as in the berry cheesecake layer!
This cream cheese frosting recipe is a simple combination of softened cream cheese and butter, with confectioners sugar and a bit of vanilla. It comes together in no time and works great as a filling as well as a frosting.
In fact, in our other cheesecake cake recipes, we use a thin layer of cream cheese as the filling rather than whipped cream. Either way is delicious!
Softer Consistency of Cream Cheese Frosting
*Keep in mind that cream cheese frostings are a bit softer (more sensitive to heat).
Because of this, we usually return our cream cheese frosting to the refrigerator for a few minutes after making a batch.
Also, chill the frosting bowl, piping bag, or even the frosted cake as needed when decorating if it becomes too soft. A quick chill will firm it right up!
How to Assemble a Cheesecake Cake
Now for the fun part! Let's assemble our Berry Cheesecake Cake.
- First, place the first cooled vanilla cake layer on the cake plate or pedestal. Pipe a dam of frosting about ½ inch from the edge of the cake. Spread the top with whipped cream, and arrange a single layer of thinly sliced strawberries and a few blueberries here and there (as many as you like) on top.
- Cheesecake Layer: Run a thin knife (I like to heat it with hot water) between the cake and side of the springform cake pan to help prevent sticking.
- Release the sides of the springform pan.
- Carefully place the cheesecake layer upside down onto the first cake layer. Remove the bottom of the cake pan. If it sticks at all, use a thin, hot knife to slide between the pan and the cake to release.
- Remember to remove the parchment from the berry cheesecake layer if you haven't already!! It becomes a bit invisible sometimes as it bakes and so don't forget to peel it away!
- Pipe a dam of frosting around the edge of the cheesecake layer, fill with whipped cream and fruit. Top with the second vanilla cake layer.
- Fill in any gaps between the cake layers with frosting. (I do this with the same piping bag that I used for piping a dam).
- *If your cheesecake layer is slightly wider than your cake layers, just trim away the excess with a hot knife.
- Frost the cake as usual with cream cheese frosting. If at any time the frosting becomes too soft, or the layers are sliding, just pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm things up. (And you can refrigerate the bowl of frosting also as needed.)
- I decorated the cake around the sides using a metal cake comb, and added a simple shell border using a star tip 21 around the top edge. I topped the cake with strawberries and blueberries.
Our Berry Cheesecake Cake is finished- Look how pretty!
More Fruity Summertime Cakes to Try!
Enjoy the Recipe!
Thanks so much for stopping by! If you give our Berry Cheesecake Cake recipe a try, we would love for you to leave a comment and photo below!
Berry Cheesecake Cake
This moist, delicious cake consists of a berry cheesecake layer sandwiched between two vanilla velvet cake layers, filled with whipped cream, strawberries, and blueberries. It is the perfect summertime dessert!
Ingredients
For the Cheesecake Layer
- 2 (8oz ) packages Cream Cheese (453 total gram weight) Use full fat cream cheese. Do not use reduced fat or cream cheese in the tub containers. Soften slightly.
- 1 cup sugar (200g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 3 Tablespoons (23g) All Purpose Flour
- ¾ cup (182g) Sour Cream
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ cup (80g) sliced strawberries (we used fresh)
- ½ cup (80g) blueberries (we used fresh)
For the Vanilla Velvet Cake Layers
- 1 (8oz)(226g) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 ½ sticks (¾c)(168g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups (400g) sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 3 cups (342g) cake flour- see Notes for substitution
- 2 teaspoons (8g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3g) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
- 1 cup (242g) buttermilk - See Notes for substitution
- ¼ cup (54g) vegetable oil (we used canola oil)
- 1 Tablespoon (12g) vanilla extract
Sweetened Whipped Cream Filling
- 1 cup (240g) heavy cream
- ¼ (29g) cup powdered sugar
- 1 (4g) teaspoon vanilla
- *Additional blueberries and strawberries for in between cake layers (and on top)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 sticks ,1 cup, (226g) unsalted butter, slightly softened
- 2 (8oz) packages cream cheese (total weight 452g), Slightly softened. I use full fat cream cheese. Using reduced fat or the spreadable cream cheese will cause the frosting to be too soft.
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt (2g) optional - it will cut the sweetness, popcorn salt is best to use because it is fine and dissolves faster
- 6 to 6 ½ cups (690g to 747g) powdered sugar
Instructions
For the Berry Cheesecake Layer
- Place a 9x13 (or similar size) pan filled with one inch of water on a rack in the bottom â…” of the oven. (Just under the rack where your cheesecake layer will bake)
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F
- Line the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan with a circle of parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, mix softened cream cheese until smooth.
- Mixing at low speed, add sugar, salt, flour.
- Add vanilla extract and sour cream. Mix at low speed until smooth and incorporated. Add eggs one at a time. Mix until well combined.
- Fold the strawberries and blueberries into the batter.
- Pour the cheesecake batter into springform pan lined with parchment and place on a rack just above the pan of water.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes. The cheesecake should be set at this point- it may jiggle slightly. There was a slight dip in my cheesecake at this point, but it leveled out with the next step.
- Turn off the oven and leave cheesecake inside for 30 more minutes with the oven door slightly open. (This helps the cake to gradually cool without cracking.)
- Then, allow the cheesecake to cool on the countertop. Then, place foil on the pan and chill in the freezer for 2-3 hours. If you are not in a hurry, you can refrigerate the cake for 5-6 hours or overnight.
Vanilla Velvet Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9 inch pans, adding a circle of parchment or wax paper to the bottom of each pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt for 30 seconds and set aside.
- In another bowl, add the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your mixer, add the butter and cream cheese and mix at medium speed until smooth.
- Gradually add the sugar and mix at medium speed for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the room temperature eggs one at a time, mixing until the yellow of the yolk disappears.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture (We did 3 additions of the dry mixture, 2 additions of wet)
- Mix the batter just until well combined- be careful not to over-mix. Divide the batter between the two 9 inch pans.
- Bake at 325 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Let cool for 5-10 minutes in the pans on a wire rack before turning out. Baking times may vary.
- This recipe makes approximately 7 ½ cups of batter.
Sweetened Whipped Cream
- Chill the mixing bowl and beaters/ whisk attachment in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Pour the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla into the chilled mixing bowl, begin beating on low speed gradually increasing to medium high speed.
Mix just until the peaks reach stiff peak stage. This is the stage at which you can lift up the beaters and a peak remains in the whipped cream- it holds it shape. Be careful not to over-mix.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cut the butter into slices and add to the bowl of your mixer. Beat on low to medium speed until the butter is softened and smooth.
- Cut the slightly softened cream cheese into pieces and add to the butter, beating at low to medium speed until incorporated. If you are using a hand mixer you may need to soften the cream cheese a bit more.
- Add the vanilla. Gradually add the powdered sugar beating on low speed until blended. Cover the bowl with a towel to keep down the cloud of powdered sugar.
- Increase mixing speed and mix until fluffy. Don't over-mix or it will become too soft. If it becomes too soft, just refrigerate a short while to firm it up a bit.
- This frosting will pipe best if used while still chilled. You can make it in advance, refrigerate and when ready to use let it soften slightly (do not microwave) and remix.
Assemble the Cake
*The vanilla cake layers should be fulled cooled and the cheesecake should be chilled for the recommended time before assembling the cake.
- Place the first cooled vanilla cake layer on the cake plate or pedestal. Pipe a dam of frosting about ½ inch from the edge of the cake, spread top with whipped cream, and arrange a single layer of thinly sliced strawberries and a few blueberries here and there (as many as you like) on top.
- Cheesecake Layer: Run a thin knife (I like to heat it with hot water) between the cake and side of the springform cake pan to help prevent sticking.
- Release the sides of the springform pan.
- Carefully place the cheesecake layer upside down onto the first cake layer. Remove the bottom of the springform pan. If it sticks at all, use a thin, hot knife to slide between the pan and the cake to release.
- Remember to remove the parchment if you haven't already!!
- Pipe a dam of frosting around the edge of the cheesecake layer, fill with whipped cream and fruit. Top with the second vanilla cake layer. Fill in any gaps between the cake layers with frosting.
- *If your cheesecake layer is slightly wider than your cake layers, just trim away the excess with a hot knife.
- Frost the cake as usual with cream cheese frosting. If at any time the frosting becomes too soft, or the layers are sliding, just pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm things up. (And you can refrigerate the bowl of frosting also as needed.)
- I decorated the cake around the sides using a metal cake comb, and added a simple shell border using a star tip 21 around the top edge. I topped the cake with strawberries and blueberries.
Refrigeration
Because of the cream cheese layer, whipped cream, and fresh fruit, this cake should be refrigerated until closer to serving (1-2 hours before).
Wow that looks delish! Beautiful too! :-)
Made this for my daughter's birthday this past weekend. It was a big hit with the family and I will def make it again. However, while the family raved, I was a bit disappointed in the cake layers. They seemed a little bit dry to me. I may substitute a different batter recipe next time.
I used fresh berries from our garden (blueberries, wild black raspberries and regular raspberries) to decorate on top with a clear lemon glaze.
Our celebration was delayed by a day, and if you're going to make this cake to serve at its best, I would suggest constructing the morning of (optimal) or evening before. The whipping cream layers around the cheesecake layer seemed to collapse a bit under the weight of the cake over time.
This one is definitely worth the effort! Thanks for the recipe My Cake School!
Hi Jackie! So glad that you made the recipe, your cake looks beautiful!
For the Vanilla Velvet layers, I wonder if something could have been mismeasured or left out? It's just such a super moist cake not only because of the block of cream cheese in the batter but also the cup of buttermilk in addition to the butter & oil. Cake flour makes it more tender also.
If you don't have a digital scale, it's definitely worth it as it's the only way to know for sure that you're using the intended amount of flour, etc.
Finally, allowing the cake to sit out for an hour or two before serving allows it time to soften up for the best texture- but even then it shouldn't have been dry. Thanks for your feedback, I'm glad that your family enjoyed it ;0)
I'm wondering if you think there's a way to modify this into a sheet cake? I've been thinking about it and I don't think I've ever seen a square cheesecake so that's the part I'm stuck on. I'd like to make this for a send off party for dancers and I think it would be a big hit but the round cake size isn't going to cut it.
Hi Amanda- It seems like it could work somehow but I can't tell you how many times you would need to increase the recipe, etc. - Would love to try it sometime! You may want to check out recipes for cheesecake bars to get an idea of how much cream cheese, etc. would be needed for a sheet cake. Good luck!
Hi Keryn- you found a typo ;0) - There are only two 9 inch vanilla velvet layers and the cheesecake layer in between. Hope you enjoy it!
Hi!
We would like to turn the cheesecake part of the cake into a new york style cheesecake (no crust cheesecake). We doubled the recipe so that we can have a thicker cheesecake. How long should we bake it for? Thank you!