This is the BEST Homemade chocolate strawberry cake ever! Perfect for Valentine’s Day or for anyone who just loves the flavor of chocolate covered strawberries. Rich, moist and delicious, if you want the perfect valentine’s Day dessert, this is the cake to make.
If you love strawberry cake, but want it to more strawberry flavor than chocolate, try this easy Homemade Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting.
Easy Chocolate Strawberry Cake
Chocolate and strawberries are one of the best combinations. There is a reason that chocolate covered strawberries are so popular. With this easy layered cake, you are getting a delicious cake with all the same flavors. Wildly popular, this chocolate covered strawberry cake is ideal for parties, birthdays and Valentine’s Day.
Ingredients You Will Need:
- Flour – you will use all-purpose flour.
- Cocoa powder – Special dark chocolate.
- Other dry ingredients – Sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Eggs – 4 large eggs are needed for this recipe.
- Sour cream – adds a nice flavor.
- Buttermilk – this makes the cake extra moist.
- Espresso powder – adds a nice flavor and kick to the cake.
- Canola oil – vegetable oil can also be used.
- Vanilla extract – you will need this for the cake and the frosting.
- Frosting – butter, powdered sugar and strawberries and heavy whipping cream.
- Ganache – chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream.
How to Make a Chocolate Strawberry Cake
- Preheat the oven and prepare the 3 baking pans with baking spray
- In a small bowl, whisk the espresso and water.
- Using a mixer, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Slowly add in the egg, sour cream, buttermilk, espresso mixture, and vanilla.
- Divide the cake between the 3 prepared cake pans.
- Bake the cakes for 25-35. Cakes are done when a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cook for about 20 minutes.
- Using a mixer, cream the butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, diced strawberries, and heavy whipping cream forms stiff peaks.
- Add one cup of the frosting into the piping bag.
- Once the cakes are cooled, place the first layer on the cake board.
Using the ice cream scoop, scoop out several scoops, about 4 to 6 and use it frost the cake layer evenly.
Add the next layer and repeat. Finish with the last layer.
Frost the rest of the cake smoothly.
Make the Chocolate ganache bu using a small pot and heat the whipping cream until it is steaming.
Meanwhile, add the chocolate chips to a heat safe bowl. Add the heated whipping cream and let it sit for 1 minute. Whisk together until smooth.
Pipe dollops of ganache over the edge of the cake and then add dollops of frosting to the edges of the cake.
Place strawberries into the dollops of frosting
Can This Recipe Be Used For Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes?
You can easily turn this chocolate strawberry cake into cupcakes. Once you make the cupcakes, you will want to use a piping bag to frost the cupcakes. Then drizzle the cupcakes over top. Add a piece of sliced strawberry to the top.
Can I Freeze This Cake?
If you want to freeze this chocolate covered strawberry cake, you can freeze the cake as a whole or by the slice. I like to slice cakes by the slice that way I can take out a piece or two out of the freeze when I want cake. I like to freeze the slices of cake first on a plate so that the frosting freezes. This keeps it from sticking to the plastic wrap. When you are ready to thaw the cake, be sure to take the plastic wrap off first.
Other Homemade Cake Recipes:
Chocolate Strawberry cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups special dark chocolate cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 1/2 tsp espresso powder
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
Strawberry Frosting ingredients
- 2 cups unsalted butter softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup finely diced strawberries
- 5-7 TBSP heavy whipping cream
- Strawberries for topping
Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray three 9 in cake pans with pam baking spray
- In a small bowl, whisk together the espresso and the warm water until combined
- Using your standing mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt until combined
- Gradually add in the eggs, sour cream, buttermilk, espresso, oil and vanilla extract until combined and
- Divide the batter between the 3 pans
- Place in the oven to bake for 25-35 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean
- Allow cakes to cool for 20 minutes
Frosting Directions:
- Using a standing mixer, cream together the butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, diced strawberries and heavy whipping cream until combined and creamy and stiff with peaks
- Scoop 1 C of frosting into the piping bag
Directions to build the cake
- Place 1 layer of cake onto the cake board
- Using the ice cream scooper, scoop out 4-6 scoops of frosting and smooth evenly on one layer of cake
- Place another layer of cake on top and spread more frosting
- Place the last layer on top and frost the remaining cake with remaining frosting
Chocolate ganache directions
- Using a small pot, heat up the heavy whipping cream until steaming
- While heavy whipping cream is heating up, place chocolate chips into a heat-proof bowl
- Once the heavy whipping cream is heated, pour over the chocolate chips
- Allow to sit for 1 minute before whisking until smooth
- Pour ganache into the squeeze bottle
- Pipe dollops of ganache over the edge of the cake
- Pipe dollops of frosting onto the top of the cake
- Place strawberries into the dollops of frosting
- Cut and serve and enjoy
Last Step:
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16 comments on “Dark Chocolate Strawberry Cake”
Any substitute for eggs?
Can I use the same quantity if the recipe for a 10-11inch cake?
I just made a 10 x15″ cake using Sally’s Baking Addiction Zebra Cake that called for 3 nine inch cake pans. The batter filled my pan half way and it rose exactly to the top. Baked 50 min at 350. If you decide to try it, I’d fill you pan half full and use any left over for cupcakes :).
I made this for my mother in law’s birthday! It turned out spectacular! It is beautiful and delicious
Delicious, moist chocolate cake! The icing is wonderful also and even better the next day! I made this for Easter and everyone loved it! I will definitely be making this again. It will be my go-to chocolate cake.
I don’t have any espresso powder, would it be ok without?
yes…it will still be delicious!
My husband made this cake and it’s yummy, not as pretty but for his first time decorating with ganache and piping it was very pretty!
So moist and delicious!
I just made this cake and it is divine. I used yogurt instead of sour cream. Cooked it on 325 to keep it from rising too high. The taste is amazing. Thank you!!!
I cant wait to make all these different recipes. Thanks for sharing them with us.
This looks good. Would it be just as good with a marzipan or fondant lid?
For me
Really like the recipes I see on this sight
You have baking soda listed twice. Can you please advise if this is correct or what the correct ingredients are. I can’t wait to make this cake.Â
Just fixed this…so sorry. Thanks for pointing that out Tammy!