Whole Foods Turned Its Cult-Favorite Berry Chantilly Cake Into a Drink
The development team rigorously tested the recipe to evoke the cult-favorite dessert.
Sabrina Choudhary
A new little treat just dropped! Whole Foods is giving the people even more of what they want: Berry Chantilly Cake. For those new to the cult-favorite dessert, it’s a vanilla layer cake made with fresh fruit and a light frosting — and people are obsessed with it. Whole Foods tried to change its recipe last fall and sparked outrage online. The chain quickly reversed course, but what customers didn’t know is that it was also working on a new item inspired by the ultra-popular cake.
The new Berry Chantilly Latte is available now through July 1 at all Whole Foods locations with a coffee bar, a spokesperson confirmed with Food Network.
“Since Berry Chantilly is a well-loved flavor with a loyal following in our stores, we saw an opportunity to bring it to life in a new way,” says Beth Kilpatrick, Product Development Specialist for Whole Foods Market and Arabica Q Grader. “We wanted to incorporate the signature taste into a drinkable experience — one that would resonate with fans of the cake while offering something fresh and exciting on the menu.”
The development team spent several months turning the cake into a coffee drink. Developers tasted the cake alongside their lattes to help them nail the flavors. They tested raspberry, vanilla and a mixed berry compote, aiming for a nuanced, not-too-sweet flavor profile. In the end, they landed on a combination of strawberry and almond.
I had to try the latte for myself, and sure enough, my local Whole Foods is already spotlighting it on the coffee menu. I ordered mine iced with skim milk (which came out to $5.72 for 16 ounces). And I have to say, this drink is a winner.
As promised, the flavors are layered and balanced. The espresso taste is strong, but the syrup shines through. You get the almond scent and taste first, followed by the berry. The biggest surprise for me was that it really tastes like fresh strawberries, not the artificial grenadine flavor I expected. It’s just sweet enough to counter the bitterness of the coffee but not sugary at all. That light fruitiness makes this a perfect, fun seasonal drink; it just screams warm weather. I’ll continue to order it while I can.
So there you go — now you can have your cake and drink it, too.
Try This Recipe
Copycat Berry Chantilly Cake
Our recipe lets home bakers make a deliciously easy version of the viral cake that includes layers of ultra-tender white cake, light-as-can-be frosting and juicy fresh berries.
Related Content:
