Chocolate Strawberry Cake

This layered chocolate strawberry cake is frosted with rich and velvety espresso buttercream, and topped with chocolate covered strawberries.

This Valentine’s Day, impress your loved one with a delicious and beautiful chocolate strawberry cake!

This Chocolate Strawberry Cake is the perfect dessert for any occasion! The rich chocolate cake is topped with creamy chocolate espresso frosting and fresh strawberries. And to make things even better, we’ve added some delicious chocolate-covered strawberries and a few Ferrero Rocher candies.

It’s been said that there’s nothing better than a homemade cake, and we tend to agree! The moist chocolate sponge is made completely from scratch, but don’t worry, if you are pressed for time this Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake is still amazing using a box mix!

Is there anything better than a delicious chocolate strawberry cake? The chocolate covered strawberries add a touch of elegance, and who can resist Ferrero Rocher?

So if you’re looking for a show-stopping dessert for anyspecial occasion that’s sure to impress, or a perfect valentine’s day dessert, then this is the recipe for you!

Why You Will Love this Strawberry Chocolate Cake Recipe

• Made from scratch!
• Rich chocolate flavour.
• Moist and tender cake.
• Light and fluffy buttercream frosting
• Easy to follow recipe
• Looks incredible but so easy to make!
• Chocolate lovers dream!
• Freezes well.
• Can be made with a box mix if you need a shortcut!

Tips for a Moist Chocolate Cake

This easy chocolate cake recipe results in a rich chocolate cake with a tender crumb, but you should be aware of some cake baking basics.

• Make sure NOT to over-mix the batter if you want a light, fluffy cake.
• Spoon and carefully level your flour, do not pack the flour or eyeball it.
• Use ingredients that are at room temperature.
• Do not swap butter for oil, butter tends to result in a dry cake.
• Do NOT open the oven door while baking.
• Don’t overfill your pans.
• Allow your cakes to completely cool before frosting.
• Don’t skip the boiling water, it is the real secret behind this perfect chocolate cake recipe.

How to Store Decorated Chocolate Cake

To prevent this fluffy chocolate cake with its chocolate buttercream frosting from drying out, store it on the counter. This chocolate cake should last up to three days at normal room temperature covered in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container, and about a week if refrigerated. Keep in mind that refrigerating the cake can result in the cake drying out, especially if it is not stored in an airtight container.

If you don’t plan on eating the chocolate cake within three days of baking it, you can tightly wrap the cake and place it in an airtight container and freeze for up to two months.

Thaw at room temperature for about 4-6 hours when you are ready to serve.

About the Equipment Needed to Make this Chocolate Layer Cake

9 inch round cake pans – You will need three of these.

10 inch round cake board – You will want one 10 inch road cake board. A second one is useful for levelling the cakes.

1 large piping bag with a star tip – If you don’t already have this piping on hand, I would recommend this Wilton Decorating Tip Set.

1 squeeze bottle – To help create the chocolate ganache drips.

Plus you will want a wire rack, an offset spatula, mixing bowls, and an electric mixer.

About the Ingredients for this Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake

Flour – Spoon and level the flour when measuring it, otherwise you’ll wind up with a dense cake.

Sugar – Just plain white granulated sugar.

Cocoa powder – Make sure you use unsweetened cocoa powder, and not hot chocolate mix. Also do not substitute with bakers chocolate, which can dry out the cake.

Baking powder & soda – Leavens the cake, make sure they are still active so your cake rises perfectly.

Salt – Helps to balance all the flavours and make em shine.

Eggs – Make sure you have room temperature eggs to start with.

Milk – Make sure your milk is room temperature before starting. You can use dairy or non dairy, I would recommend whole milk for the best flavour.

Oil – You can use any neutral flavoured oil, just don’t substitute with butter, oil makes for more moist cake. You can also substitute with apple sauce.

Vanilla Extract – Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavour, but artificial is just fine too.

Boiling water – Hot water creates moist chocolate cupcakes with a more tender crumb. Using freshly brewed coffee does the same but enhances the chocolate flavour. Alternatively you can use a little espresso powder with the boiling water.

Can You Use a Box Mix to Make the Chocolate Layer Cake?

Yes, if you are looking for a shortcut, you can use 2 boxes of chocolate cake mix plus the ingredients needed to make them instead of making the cake batter from scratch. I would still use freshly brewed coffee or boiling hot water instead of using water or milk as directed though to ensure you get a nice fluffy and moist crumb.

About the Ingredients for the Chocolate Espresso Frosting

Butter – It’s a buttercream frosting, so you need butter. You can use salted butter if that is what you have on hand.

Powdered sugar – Icing sugar or confectioners sugar works.

Cream – Heavy whipping cream will give you the best results but you can even use milk here.

Cocoa powder – Unsweetened cocoa powder, not hot chocolate mix.

Espresso – You can substitute regular instant coffee, preferably a dark roast, however it won’t have the same rich taste.

How to Make Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

If you are looking for a bigger kick of strawberry with the chocolate make strawberry buttercream frosting instead of the chocolate espresso frosting! Simply swap the cocoa powder and espresso out for dried strawberry powder and you will have the most amazing strawberry frosting ever!

Alternately you can dice fresh strawberries, and dry them off a bit with paper towel before folding into the frosting. I find the strawberry powder gives a stronger strawberry flavour though unless you have local strawberries to use.

About Decorating the Chocolate Strawberry Cake

We used chocolate covered strawberries, halved fresh strawberries and Ferrero Rocher candies both wrapped and unwrapped to decorate our cake. If you are looking for a more basic version simply top with sliced or halved strawberries.

Plus we dripped a simple chocolate ganache over the side of the cake.

Looking for More Delicious Cake Recipes?

Check out more delicious cakes in my cake section under desserts or check out some of these favourite cake recipes:

An easy recipe for a strawberry banana layer cake with layers of creamy whipped cream frosting made with fresh bananas and strawberries.

This Raspberry Crumble Cake features a tender cake dotted with fresh raspberries, topped with crumble, and drizzled over with a lemon glaze.

One of my favourite doughnut shop treats is the Boston Cream doughnut, this Boston Cream poke cake is a delicious way to enjoy all that Boston cream flavour!

How to Make Chocolate Strawberry Cake

Yields: 14 Servings | Prep time: 30 Minutes | Cook time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups All-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk of your choice
• ½ cup Vegetable oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¾ cup freshly brewed coffee

For the Chocolate Espresso Frosting:

• 2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• ½ Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso

For the Chocolate Ganache

• 1 Cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• ½ Cup heavy whipping cream

For the Topping

• Chocolate covered strawberries
• Fresh Strawberries sliced
• Ferrero Rochers

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 9in round cake pans with butter and lightly flour. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine.

In the same mixing bowl with the dry ingredients, add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk until just combined.

Stir in the freshly brewed coffee until a smooth consistency is reached.

Divide the batter between the 3 cake pans.

Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow the cakes to cool for 15 minutes before removing them from the pans to a cooling rack. Do not frost until completely cooled!

To make the frosting, using a small bowl, whisk the heavy whipping cream and the instant espresso until dissolved.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream, and cocoa powder until combined and stiff with peaks.

Scoop 1 cup of the frosting into a piping bag and set aside.

Place one of the cake layers onto a cake board.

Using a cake leveler, remove the dome of the cake to make an even layer.

Scoop 1 ½ C of frosting onto the top of the cake and smooth evenly.

Repeat the step to make second cake layer even.

Place the second cake layer on top and scoop another 1 ½ C of frosting on top.

Smooth the frosting evenly.

Remove dome off the third cake layer and place on top.

If you have frosting peeking out over the sides of the cake, use a flat spatula or offset spatula to smooth out the frosting. This will give the cake a rough ‘naked’ type look. It’s called ‘crumb coating‘.

Use most of the remaining frosting to frost entire cake and smooth evenly before placing into the fridge while you make the ganache. Set aside enough frosting for piping on later.

To make the ganache, using a small pot, bring the heavy whipping cream to a simmer.

Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips in a medium bowl.

Allow the hot cream and chocolate chips to sit for 1 minute before whisking until smooth.

Pour the warm ganache into the squeeze bottle.

Remove the cake from the fridge and use the squeeze bottle and pour the ganache around the top edge of the cake to create drips.

Pipe dollops of frosting all over the top of the cake with the leftover chocolate frosting.

Top with chocolate covered strawberries, fresh strawberries and ferrero rochers!