A simple puff pastry cake with berries and cream. Crisp pastry layers, a soft filling, and a cake that looks good and tastes amazing without much effort.
I like this kind of puff pastry cake. It's easy to make, uses ready-rolled pastry, and needs only a few ingredients. The berries keep it fresh, and the cream filling is light without being too heavy.
My daughter loves this cake, just like she loves anything made with puff pastry, and she asks for it regularly - great that it's so easy to make. Try more of her favorite puff pastry recipes, like Chocolate Puff Pastry or Puff Pastry Canapes.
Ingredients: 5 | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour | Servings: 8 slices | Difficulty: Easy
Recipe ingredients
Puff pastry: Use any puff pastry. Roll it out if needed and cut the pastry into circles. Puff pastry, already shaped into circles, can be used directly. Check out the Marzipan Pastries with Berries, too.
Cream: Use unsweetened heavy cream. In some countries (Germany), the whipped cream can be quite soft, so a cream stabilizer helps it hold its shape. If you don't use a stabilizer, whip the cream just until firm and use it right away.
- If you want to stabilize the cream, mix 2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar with 2 teaspoons cornstarch and add it while whipping, as described in the recipe.
Berries: Fresh berries are great for topping the cake.
- For the filling, frozen berries work very well. They're affordable, taste good, and will be cooked down anyway. I often use a mix of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, red currants, and strawberries, but any berries you like will work.
Berries and cream are a match made in heaven! Check out this Strawberry Cream Dessert or the Yogurt Bomb with Berries - the best dessert ever!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make a puff pastry cake with berries?
Tips: Start with the berries, as they need to cool down. In the meantime, bake the puff pastry circles. They need to be completely cool, too.
Step #1: Cook frozen uncovered until thick like applesauce (about 30 minutes). Let them cool completely and blend them with an immersion blender.
Step #2: Cut three circles about 9.5 inches / 24 cm in diameter.
Step #3: I use 2 pastry sheets, cut 2 circles. Place the circles on the lined baking sheets and prick them all over with a fork.
Step #4: Gently roll the scraps and cut a third circle.
Step #5: Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and puffed up. Let the pastry cool on a wire rack, pressing down any unevenly puffed parts.
Step #6: Whip the heavy cream.
Step #7: Fold the blended berries into the heavy cream.
Step #8: Place one pastry circle on a serving plate and spread one-third of the cream-berry mixture on top. Repeat with the remaining circles and cream.
Step #9: Decorate the puff pastry cake with the fresh berries.
Step #10: Cut it into slices and serve as soon as possible.
Tips
Cream stabilizer: US heavy cream usually holds well, so a stabilizer isn't necessary unless you want extra firmness. German heavy cream (where I live) has less fat and needs a stabilizer, but Sahnesteif is easy to find there.
Berries: Frozen berries are great for the filling - cheaper and cook down easily. Use fresh berries for the topping for the best flavor and to avoid excess liquid.
Cutting the cake: An electric carving knife gives the cleanest slices. A serrated knife also works, but cuts may be less neat.
Puff Pastry Cake with Berries
Equipment
- Baking sheets
- Rubber spatula
- Electric carving knife optional but recommended
Ingredients
- 1 lb mixed frozen berries for the filling, Note 1
- 5.5 oz mixed berries for topping the cake
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 packet of puff pastry sheets about 1 lb/ 500 g, or 3 sheets round puff pastry (ca 9.5 inches/ 24 cm), fresh or frozen
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 packets Dr. Oetker cream stabilizer optional, Note 2
- confectioners' sugar
Instructions
Cook the berry filling:
- Cook berries: Place frozen berries in a medium pan, add the sugar, mix well, and bring to a light simmer. Let them simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until most of the water has evaporated and the mixture has the consistency of a thick applesauce. 1 lb mixed frozen berries + ¾ cup granulated sugar
- Cool: Set the berries aside to cool completely.
Prepare the puff pastry:
- Preheat a fan oven to 360°F / 180°C. A fan oven is ideal because it lets you bake all three puff pastry circles at once. If you're using a standard oven, you may need to bake them one at a time - in this case, preheat the oven to 400°F/ 200°C.
- Cut the pastry: Take the puff pastry out of the fridge. If frozen, let it stand for 10 minutes or until soft enough to handle it; otherwise, you can start right away. Cut two circles about 9.5 inches / 24 cm in diameter. Roll the remaining pastry scraps together and cut the third circle. 1 packet of puff pastry sheets
- Tip: I had two pastry sheets. I cut one circle from each and then use the rests to roll and cut a less pretty-looking third circle. I used the bottom of a 9.5-inch springform pan, but a plate of a similar size works too.
- Bake puff pastry: Place each pastry circle on a baking tray lined with baking paper and prick all over with a fork to prevent them from puffing too much. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden. If the pastry puffs up unevenly, press down the risen parts after it cools. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the cream filling:
- Whip heavy cream: When the pastry is cold, whip the heavy cream and add the cream stabilizer or cornstarch mixture according to the instructions. 2 cups heavy cream + optional 2 packets Dr. Oetker cream stabilizer
- Add berries: Fold in the cooled berry puree, taste, and add a little icing sugar if needed.
Assemble the cake:
- Layer the cake: Place one puff pastry circle on a serving plate and spread one-third of the cream-berry mixture on top. Repeat with the remaining circles and cream. Finish by topping with fresh berries and dusting lightly with confectioners' sugar just before serving.5.5 oz mixed berries + confectioners' sugar
- Serve puff pastry cake: Keep the cake refrigerated until ready to serve.
Notes
- Berries: Frozen berries are perfect for the filling, while fresh berries make a nicer topping. If fresh berries aren't available, thaw frozen berries on kitchen paper to remove excess water before placing them on the cake.
- Cream stabilizer: Depending on the cream you use, a stabilizer may not be necessary. In that case, whip the cream just until firm. If you want to stabilize it, mix 2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar with 2 teaspoons cornstarch and add it while whipping, as described in the recipe.
- Cutting the cake: For clean slices, an electric knife works best. A good serrated knife also works, though the cuts may be less neat.
Cheryl Mumma says
I have not made this yet. Can I include frozen black cherries instead of blueberries?
I’m also looking for a recipe that uses the frozen black cherries and semolina flourC
Adina says
Sure, you can include cherries.
Karen says
That looks absolutely delicious! I've never thought of using puff pastry to make a cake!
Kelly | Foodtasia says
Adina, this cake is just gorgeous! The flaky layers and that beautiful berry cream! Sweet how your grandmother was so pleased with her freezer. My grandmother had the same - minus the lace table cloth! I remember she would make lots of apple pies from my grandfather's apple trees and pull one out when we came to visit. Lovely memories!
Brie says
This cake is gorgeous! I love that it’s made with just a few simple ingredients and juicy frozen berries. Don’t have a lot of puff pastry experience (even with the frozen kind) but I actually feel like I could make this 🙂 BTW enjoying your overall theme this year, I love reading about your grandmother and childhood in Romania.
rosita vargas says
Un postre magnÃfico y bello para cumpleaños una verdadera delicia algún dÃa haré esta maravilla,abrazos.
Chris Scheuer says
Wow, looks amazing! Being a hopeless romantic, I love the sentiment behind Valentine's Day and think this would be a delicious way to celebrate!
Anne|Craving Something Healthy says
This is SO pretty! I completely agree about Valentine's day. I actually beg my husband to not spend money on those overpriced roses that die in a day! I wish he would make this for me instead!
Marvellina says
My daughter said " Can you make this for me for my birthday?" 🙂
Nammi says
oh my would love a piece of that cake!!! I am not a fan of valentines day although I look forward to all the mushy movies they show.... I dont think to show you love some one has to be singled out to just one day, right? Love that cake !!! I mean seriously look at all those berries!!!
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
Such a stunning berry dessert! Purple makes everything so much prettier and tastier, doesn't it?