Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake
Indulge in a rich and moist chocolate cake layered with fresh strawberry buttercream and topped with chocolate-dipped strawberries, perfect for any celebration.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 cups All purpose flour Sifted
- 1.5 cups Unsweetened cocoa powder Natural cocoa preferred
- 1.5 teaspoons Salt
- 2.25 teaspoons Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1.5 cups Granulated sugar
- 1.5 cups Unsalted butter Room temperature
- 4 large Eggs Room temperature
- 3/4 cup Sour cream Room temperature
- 1.5 tablespoons Pure alcohol-free vanilla extract
- 1.5 tablespoons Instant espresso powder
- 2.25 cups Buttermilk Room temperature
For the Strawberry Buttercream
- 3 cups Unsalted butter Softened to room temperature
- 12 cups Powdered sugar Sifted
- 3/4 cup Strawberry purée Cooled completely
- 4-6 tablespoons Heavy cream or milk As needed to adjust consistency
- Pink gel food colouring Optional
For the Ganache
- 2 cups Dark chocolate chips Chopped
- 1 cup Heavy whipping cream
Decoration
- 10 large Fresh strawberries Rinsed and dried
- 8 oz Dark chocolate Chopped
- 1 tablespoon Vegetable shortening
- 1/2 cup Pink candy melts
Instructions
Preparation
- Make the reduced strawberry purée by puréeing 2 cups of fresh strawberries in a blender until smooth and simmering in a saucepan over medium heat for 20–25 minutes until reduced to roughly 3/4 cup. Chill after cooling.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Prepare four 8-inch round cake pans with parchment and grease the sides.
- Sift dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together and set aside.
Baking the Cake
- Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer for 4-5 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing just until combined.
- Incorporate sour cream, vanilla, and espresso into the batter. Mix until combined.
- Combine the dry and wet ingredients, adding alternately with buttermilk.
- Divide batter into pans and bake for 20–25 minutes until a toothpick comes clean. Cool the cakes for 10 minutes in the pans before transferring to racks to cool completely.
Making the Ganache and Buttercream
- Microwave the heavy cream with dark chocolate chips until steaming. Stir until thick to make ganache.
- Beat softened butter until fluffy, then incorporate powdered sugar and reduced strawberry purée. Adjust consistency with heavy cream; beat until fluffy.
Assembling the Cake
- Prepare the dipped strawberries by melting chocolate and shortening. Dip strawberries and chill until firm.
- Place the first cake layer on a board, frost with buttercream, add ganache and fresh strawberries, and repeat until all layers are stacked.
- Apply a crumb coat and chill. Finish with additional layers of frosting, a ganache drip, and decorative swirls with piped buttercream and dipped strawberries.
Notes
For best results, use room temperature ingredients and chill cakes flat-side up before stacking. This cake is best served at room temperature.