diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-appsync/README.md b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-appsync/README.md
index 1d217960b79ed..d15051d191a25 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-appsync/README.md
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-appsync/README.md
@@ -107,9 +107,13 @@ const secret = new rds.DatabaseSecret(stack, 'AuroraSecret', {
   username: 'clusteradmin',
 });
 
-// Create the DB cluster, provide all values needed to customise the database.
-const cluster = new rds.DatabaseCluster(stack, 'AuroraCluster', {
-  engine: rds.DatabaseClusterEngine.auroraMysql({ version: rds.AuroraMysqlEngineVersion.VER_2_07_1 }),
+// The VPC to place the cluster in
+const vpc = new ec2.Vpc(stack, 'AuroraVpc');
+
+// Create the serverless cluster, provide all values needed to customise the database.
+const cluster = new rds.ServerlessCluster(stack, 'AuroraCluster', {
+  engine: rds.DatabaseClusterEngine.AURORA_MYSQL,
+  vpc,
   credentials: { username: 'clusteradmin' },
   clusterIdentifier: 'db-endpoint-test',
   defaultDatabaseName: 'demos',
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-appsync/lib/data-source.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-appsync/lib/data-source.ts
index 6eb23053d11ee..ac22771916400 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-appsync/lib/data-source.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-appsync/lib/data-source.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { ITable } from '@aws-cdk/aws-dynamodb';
 import { Grant, IGrantable, IPrincipal, IRole, Role, ServicePrincipal } from '@aws-cdk/aws-iam';
 import { IFunction } from '@aws-cdk/aws-lambda';
-import { IDatabaseCluster } from '@aws-cdk/aws-rds';
+import { IServerlessCluster } from '@aws-cdk/aws-rds';
 import { ISecret } from '@aws-cdk/aws-secretsmanager';
 import { IResolvable, Lazy, Stack } from '@aws-cdk/core';
 import { Construct } from 'constructs';
@@ -303,9 +303,9 @@ export class LambdaDataSource extends BackedDataSource {
  */
 export interface RdsDataSourceProps extends BackedDataSourceProps {
   /**
-   * The database cluster to call to interact with this data source
+   * The serverless cluster to call to interact with this data source
    */
-  readonly databaseCluster: IDatabaseCluster;
+  readonly serverlessCluster: IServerlessCluster;
   /**
    * The secret containing the credentials for the database
    */
@@ -327,12 +327,12 @@ export class RdsDataSource extends BackedDataSource {
       type: 'RELATIONAL_DATABASE',
       relationalDatabaseConfig: {
         rdsHttpEndpointConfig: {
-          awsRegion: props.databaseCluster.stack.region,
+          awsRegion: props.serverlessCluster.stack.region,
           dbClusterIdentifier: Lazy.string({
             produce: () => {
               return Stack.of(this).formatArn({
                 service: 'rds',
-                resource: `cluster:${props.databaseCluster.clusterIdentifier}`,
+                resource: `cluster:${props.serverlessCluster.clusterIdentifier}`,
               });
             },
           }),
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ export class RdsDataSource extends BackedDataSource {
     });
     const clusterArn = Stack.of(this).formatArn({
       service: 'rds',
-      resource: `cluster:${props.databaseCluster.clusterIdentifier}`,
+      resource: `cluster:${props.serverlessCluster.clusterIdentifier}`,
     });
     props.secretStore.grantRead(this);
 
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-appsync/lib/graphqlapi-base.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-appsync/lib/graphqlapi-base.ts
index 4e28e337fd1c5..060d57a34c276 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-appsync/lib/graphqlapi-base.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-appsync/lib/graphqlapi-base.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { ITable } from '@aws-cdk/aws-dynamodb';
 import { IFunction } from '@aws-cdk/aws-lambda';
-import { IDatabaseCluster } from '@aws-cdk/aws-rds';
+import { IServerlessCluster } from '@aws-cdk/aws-rds';
 import { ISecret } from '@aws-cdk/aws-secretsmanager';
 import { CfnResource, IResource, Resource } from '@aws-cdk/core';
 import { DynamoDbDataSource, HttpDataSource, LambdaDataSource, NoneDataSource, RdsDataSource, AwsIamConfig } from './data-source';
@@ -97,14 +97,14 @@ export interface IGraphqlApi extends IResource {
    * add a new Rds data source to this API
    *
    * @param id The data source's id
-   * @param databaseCluster The database cluster to interact with this data source
-   * @param secretStore The secret store that contains the username and password for the database cluster
+   * @param serverlessCluster The serverless cluster to interact with this data source
+   * @param secretStore The secret store that contains the username and password for the serverless cluster
    * @param databaseName The optional name of the database to use within the cluster
    * @param options The optional configuration for this data source
    */
   addRdsDataSource(
     id: string,
-    databaseCluster: IDatabaseCluster,
+    serverlessCluster: IServerlessCluster,
     secretStore: ISecret,
     databaseName?: string,
     options?: DataSourceOptions
@@ -206,14 +206,14 @@ export abstract class GraphqlApiBase extends Resource implements IGraphqlApi {
   /**
    * add a new Rds data source to this API
    * @param id The data source's id
-   * @param databaseCluster The database cluster to interact with this data source
-   * @param secretStore The secret store that contains the username and password for the database cluster
+   * @param serverlessCluster The serverless cluster to interact with this data source
+   * @param secretStore The secret store that contains the username and password for the serverless cluster
    * @param databaseName The optional name of the database to use within the cluster
    * @param options The optional configuration for this data source
    */
   public addRdsDataSource(
     id: string,
-    databaseCluster: IDatabaseCluster,
+    serverlessCluster: IServerlessCluster,
     secretStore: ISecret,
     databaseName?: string,
     options?: DataSourceOptions,
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ export abstract class GraphqlApiBase extends Resource implements IGraphqlApi {
       api: this,
       name: options?.name,
       description: options?.description,
-      databaseCluster,
+      serverlessCluster,
       secretStore,
       databaseName,
     });
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-appsync/test/appsync-rds.test.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-appsync/test/appsync-rds.test.ts
index 12c2f5d91cf8c..5a1b278dfc10f 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-appsync/test/appsync-rds.test.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-appsync/test/appsync-rds.test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import '@aws-cdk/assert/jest';
 import * as path from 'path';
-import { Vpc, SecurityGroup, SubnetType, InstanceType, InstanceClass, InstanceSize } from '@aws-cdk/aws-ec2';
-import { DatabaseSecret, DatabaseCluster, DatabaseClusterEngine, AuroraMysqlEngineVersion } from '@aws-cdk/aws-rds';
+import { Vpc, SecurityGroup, SubnetType } from '@aws-cdk/aws-ec2';
+import { DatabaseSecret, DatabaseClusterEngine, AuroraMysqlEngineVersion, ServerlessCluster } from '@aws-cdk/aws-rds';
 import * as cdk from '@aws-cdk/core';
 import * as appsync from '../lib';
 
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ beforeEach(() => {
 describe('Rds Data Source configuration', () => {
   // GIVEN
   let secret: DatabaseSecret;
-  let cluster: DatabaseCluster;
+  let cluster: ServerlessCluster;
   beforeEach(() => {
     const vpc = new Vpc(stack, 'Vpc', { maxAzs: 2 });
     const securityGroup = new SecurityGroup(stack, 'AuroraSecurityGroup', {
@@ -31,16 +31,13 @@ describe('Rds Data Source configuration', () => {
     secret = new DatabaseSecret(stack, 'AuroraSecret', {
       username: 'clusteradmin',
     });
-    cluster = new DatabaseCluster(stack, 'AuroraCluster', {
+    cluster = new ServerlessCluster(stack, 'AuroraCluster', {
       engine: DatabaseClusterEngine.auroraMysql({ version: AuroraMysqlEngineVersion.VER_2_07_1 }),
       credentials: { username: 'clusteradmin' },
       clusterIdentifier: 'db-endpoint-test',
-      instanceProps: {
-        instanceType: InstanceType.of(InstanceClass.BURSTABLE2, InstanceSize.SMALL),
-        vpcSubnets: { subnetType: SubnetType.PRIVATE },
-        vpc,
-        securityGroups: [securityGroup],
-      },
+      vpc,
+      vpcSubnets: { subnetType: SubnetType.PRIVATE },
+      securityGroups: [securityGroup],
       defaultDatabaseName: 'Animals',
     });
   });
@@ -205,7 +202,7 @@ describe('Rds Data Source configuration', () => {
 describe('adding rds data source from imported api', () => {
   // GIVEN
   let secret: DatabaseSecret;
-  let cluster: DatabaseCluster;
+  let cluster: ServerlessCluster;
   beforeEach(() => {
     const vpc = new Vpc(stack, 'Vpc', { maxAzs: 2 });
     const securityGroup = new SecurityGroup(stack, 'AuroraSecurityGroup', {
@@ -215,16 +212,13 @@ describe('adding rds data source from imported api', () => {
     secret = new DatabaseSecret(stack, 'AuroraSecret', {
       username: 'clusteradmin',
     });
-    cluster = new DatabaseCluster(stack, 'AuroraCluster', {
+    cluster = new ServerlessCluster(stack, 'AuroraCluster', {
       engine: DatabaseClusterEngine.auroraMysql({ version: AuroraMysqlEngineVersion.VER_2_07_1 }),
       credentials: { username: 'clusteradmin' },
       clusterIdentifier: 'db-endpoint-test',
-      instanceProps: {
-        instanceType: InstanceType.of(InstanceClass.BURSTABLE2, InstanceSize.SMALL),
-        vpcSubnets: { subnetType: SubnetType.PRIVATE },
-        vpc,
-        securityGroups: [securityGroup],
-      },
+      vpc,
+      vpcSubnets: { subnetType: SubnetType.PRIVATE },
+      securityGroups: [securityGroup],
       defaultDatabaseName: 'Animals',
     });
   });