Learn how to make this gorgeous semi-naked cake with fresh berries and a light mascarpone frosting as beautiful and delicious as my berry and cream Victoria cake recipe.
This is a very simple berry layer cake recipe with no outside frosting, The perfect summer wedding cake recipe, birthday naked cake or baby shower cake.
Naked cake or "nude cake" as the name suggests, is a cake with no, or very thin layer of frosting on the outside, so it's called a semi-nude or semi-naked cake like this berry semi-naked cake.
This rustic naked cake style is much loved for its simplicity and clean design, made with cake layers with no outside frosting that reveals the layers of sponge cake and its delicious filling.
We see a lot of semi-naked cakes at weddings, in semi-naked wedding cake like my nude flower cake filled with buttercream and decorated with fresh fruit and fresh flowers, or this version of chocolate naked cake decorated with a piping tip.
More Fruit Cakes

Why we love this recipe
My recipe is delicious, with a soft and tender vanilla buttermilk sponge cake, filled with mascarpone whipped cream frosting and, of course, red berries.
- Super easy and quick to make, this cake calls for only 2 preparations and this step-by-step recipe and video (coming soon).
- Light and delicious at the same time, with its airy sponge cake and light mascarpone frosting.
- Perfect for beginners, no need to worry about the outside frosting. ( one step less in this layer cake)
- Pretty design for any occasion, wedding cake, birthday cake, etc.

Materials you need for this recipe
Even if it's a simple recipe, we don't forget the essential tools needed to make a success of every stage of this red fruit layer cake, from preparation to baking and assembly.
Materials: Use 3 cake pans 6 inches / 15 cm in diameter (or bake in 3 batches in the same cake pan), a stand mixer, and an electric mixer for mixing.)
>> You'll also love the 10 best cake-decorating tools for beginners!

Ingredients and substitutions
Here's an overview of the composition and possible substitutions to make this semi-naked cake at home, scroll down to see the quantities in the recipe card.
Vanilla cake
I always use my favorite vanilla buttermilk cake to make naked cakes, it's soft with a moist, flavorful texture (no need to soak it).
You can replace it with a vanilla molly cake, a simple genoise sponge, a chiffon cake, a chocolate buttermilk cake or chocolate molly cake for a chocolate version.
Filling
A light inside frosting like mascarpone whipped cream, which you can replace with diplomat cream, a buttercream recipe like this Swiss meringue buttercream, cream cheese frosting, chocolate ganache or white chocolate ganache.
Fruits
Fresh berries, such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and cherries, can replace with exotic or other fresh fruits.
⚠️ You'll find quantities and instructions in the recipe card at the end of the page.

How to Make Berries Naked Cake Recipe
Vanilla sponge
- Preheat oven to 329°F / 165°C and line 3 round cake tins, each 6 inches/ 15 cm in diameter with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, mix and sift together the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Place the softened butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat for approx. 3-5 minutes until creamy and smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract and eggs one at a time, leaving the mixer running at medium speed, then leave the mixer running at medium-high speed for 5 minutes until the mixture is voluminous.
- Add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the mixing bowl alternately and in batches, and mix with a flexible spatula.
- Divide the cake batter into 3 and pour evenly into the prepared cake pans, then bake in the oven for around 30 minutes until golden brown on top.
- Leave the sponge cakes to cool slightly, then carefully remove from the pans and cool them completely on a cooling rack
Baking advice: At the end of the baking time, check by plunging a toothpick into the center of the cake. It should come out clean, with no crumbs or liquid batter. If not, extend the baking time by 5 minutes.

Mascarpone frosting
- Place the very cold cream, cold mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl.
- Beat with an electric whisk at medium speed for approx. 3 - 4 minutes until smooth and stiff.
- Set aside in the fridge until ready to assemble.
Tip: Be careful not to overbeat the frosting, as this will cause it to slice and your cream to become grainy.

Assembling
- Cut the bump of the 3 cake layers using a sponge leveler or large saw knife.
- Place a cake plate on your cake stand turntable and place the first cake layer on it.
- Fill with a layer of mascarpone frosting, then add some sliced fresh berries and cover again with mascarpone frosting.
- Place the second cake layer and repeat this last step, finishing with the last cake layer.
- Cover the entire cake with a thin layer of frosting like a crumb coat (for a semi-naked frosting cake).
- Decorate with fresh fruit - strawberries, raspberries, cherries, blackberries, and blueberries and place the assembled cake in the fridge at least an hour before serving.


Serving and Recipe variations
Here are a few ideas for delicious toppings to complement your delicious fresh fruit naked cake or other naked cake ideas:
Toppings :
- Homemade fruit coulis, like homemade strawberry coulis, raspberry compote, blueberry compote etc.
- Homemade whipped cream (chantilly) or a vanilla custard.
- Vanilla ice cream with a drizzle of strawberry compote.
- Hot chocolate sauce.
Replace the whipping cream filling with a whipped chocolate ganache which go perfectly with red fruit.
Add a light and fruity filling like this Strawberry whipped cream frosting or my raspberry whipped cream frosting.

Storage and tips
Fridge: Store in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container, for 3-4 days.
In the freezer: The cake will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer, but I don't recommend freezing the whole cake as the fruit doesn't thaw well.
Make the sponge cake up to 2 days in advance, and keep it covered with plastic wrap in the fridge until you're ready to assemble the cake.
Allow the sponge cake to cool completely before starting to assemble, otherwise, the filling will melt and the cake will collapse.
For better stability, apply a thin and smooth buttercream frosting layer to the outside of the cake only.

You will also love
- Lemon meringue cake
- Vanilla birthday cake
- Chocolate birthday cake
- Strawberry layer cake
- Chocolate drip cake
Did you like this recipe? Don't forget to rate it and leave me a review in comments! And to not miss any recipes follow @sweetlycakes on Instagram and tag me to share it if you make this recipe 😊!
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Semi Naked cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices
Description
How to make a fresh berry semi-naked cake with mascarpone frosting and fresh berries (for a 6 inches / 15 cm diameter cake, 8-10 slices)
Ingredients
Vanilla buttermilk cake
- 152 g (⅔ cup) Butter - unsalted and softened
- 300 g (1 ½ cups) Sugar - granulated
- 3 Eggs - large at room temperature (approx. 155 g)
- 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- 270 g (2 cups)Cake flour -
- 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 220 ml (1 cup) Buttermilk
Mascarpone frosting
- 200 g (1 cup) Mascarpone cheese - cold
- 250 ml (1 cup) Heavy cream - full fat and very cold
- 2- 3 tbsp. Powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract - or seeds from ½ vanilla pod
Garnish
- about 2 ½ cups Fresh Berries (strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, cherries and blackberries)
Instructions
Vanilla buttermilk cake
- Preheat the oven to 329°F / 165°C and line 3 6 inches / 15 cm diameter cake pans with parchment paper. (If you only have one pan, bake in 3 batches).
- In a large bowl, mix and sift together the dry ingredients, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then set aside.
- In the mixing bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the softened butter with the sugar on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes, until the mixture whitens and is creamy.
- Reduce speed to medium-low and add the vanilla extract and egg, one by one, until fully incorporated.
- Then continue on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is voluminous.
- Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately and in batches, using a flexible spatula just until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous.
- Divide the mixture into 3 parts and divide between the prepared pans.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden and puffed on top. ( dip a toothpick or knife blade into the center of each cake to check that the center is baked, it should come out clean and with no liquid batter, otherwise extend the baking time by 5 minutes).
- Leave your cakes to cool in their pans for a few minutes before carefully removing them from the pans and placing them on a wire rack to cool.
Mascarpone frosting
- Place the cold mascarpone cheese, cold heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl.
- Using an electric mixer, beat at medium speed for about 3 minutes until thick and creamy.
- Keep in a cool place until ready to assemble.
Assemble the cake
- Using a cake leveler or a large saw knife, cut out the bumps in your 3 layers of cake.
- Place the first cake layer on a cake plate set on a rotating cake tray.
- Fill the inside of the cake with mascarpone frosting, smooth with an angled spatula, place a few pieces of red fruit and cover with a bit of frosting.
- Place a second layer of cake and repeat until you reach the last layer of cake.
- If desired, apply a very thin layer of mascarpone frosting to the outside, then decorate the top with fresh berries.
- Place the semi-naked cake in the fridge for 1 hour before serving.
Notes
Storage: Up to 4 days in the fridge, wrapped in plastic film or in an airtight container.
Notes :
- If you don't have baking soda, use 1 sachet baking powder (approx. 11 g).
- Replace buttermilk with semi-skimmed milk and a tablespoon of white vinegar (or lemon juice).
- Add a fruit coulis with the filling.
- Use a vanilla buttercream or Swiss meringue buttercream to solidify the outside structure of the naked cake.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: cake, Dessert, naked cake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 408
- Sugar: 28
- Sodium: 231
- Fat: 23
- Saturated Fat: 14
- Carbohydrates: 46
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 6
- Cholesterol: 78
Keywords: Naked cake, semi naked cake, berries naked cake, naked cake with berries
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