Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake
Layers of moist and decadent chocolate cake, strawberry buttercream, and rich chocolate ganache that's inspired by (and topped with!) chocolate covered strawberries!
Servings 15 slices
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 2 Cups (265g) all purpose flour
- 1 2/3 Cups (340g) granulated sugar
- 2/3 Cup (60g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 Cup (240ml) buttermilk*, room temperature DIY recipe in the notes
- 1 Cup (240ml) hot coffee or hot water
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 Cup (185g) semi-sweet chocolate high quality chocolate chips or bar
- 1 Cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream
Strawberry Buttercream*
- 1 1/2 Cups (34g) freeze-dried strawberries
- 2 Cups (452g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 6 Tbsp (90ml) whole milk, room temperature
- 6 Cups (720g) powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
Cake Toppers
- 6-8 fresh strawberries
Instructions
Make the Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with baking spray and fitting the bottoms with a parchment cake circle.
- Place all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and stir on low for 30 seconds to fully combine them. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and mix on low until just combined. With the mixer still on low, add the hot coffee (or hot water) in a slow stream, then turn the mixer to medium and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. The batter will be very thin.
- Pour into prepared cake pans and bake for 32-36 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing from the pans and cooling completely on a cooling rack.
Make the Chocolate Ganache
- Place chocolate chips into a heat resistant bowl (glass or metal). If you’re starting with a chocolate bar, chop it into small pieces until they’re about the size of chocolate chips.
- In a saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the heavy whipping cream while whisking occasionally until it just starts to simmer. I always look for small bubbles forming around the edge and a soft simmer starting in the middle. When it's reached this point, pour the cream into your bowl of chocolate and let sit for about 30 seconds.
- Whisk it together until it’s uniform in consistency and there are no bits of chocolate left on your whisk. Cool ganache at room temperature for 10-20 minutes, or until the ganache itself is room temperature.
Make the Strawberry Buttercream
- With a food processor, grind the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder and set aside.
- Whip the butter using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed until it’s creamy and light in color, about 5 minutes. Add the strawberry powder, vanilla, and milk. Continue to mix on medium speed for 1 minute, scraping down the bowl and paddle afterwards.
- Add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time and mix on low speed until fully incorporated, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each addition. Add the salt and continue mixing on low speed until the buttercream is fully combined and silky smooth.
Assembly
- Once the chocolate cake layers are completely cooled, level them to get rid of any domed tops and create even layers. Add a swipe of strawberry buttercream onto a cardboard cake circle and place the first cake layer on top. Add a layer of strawberry buttercream and use an offset spatula to create a slight dip in the center. Drizzle (room temperature) chocolate ganache into the dip in the buttercream filling, then place the next cake layer on top. Continue the process of filling and stacking the cake layers with the strawberry buttercream and ganache before placing the final cake layer on top, upside down so that the bottom of the cake becomes the top. Then, crumb coat the cake with strawberry buttercream. Refrigerate the cake for 15-20 minutes to let the crumb coat firm up.
- Use more of the strawberry buttercream to frost a smooth buttercream finish on the cake, then place it back into the refrigerator for another 10-15 minutes while you prepare the chocolate ganache for the drip.
- Create the Ganache Drip: at this point, the chocolate ganache has probably thickened too much at room temperature. To create the perfect consistency for a drip cake, add the remaining chocolate ganache into a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 5-second increments, stirring after each one, until the ganache is just slightly above room temperature. Feel free to do a practice drip on your cake to make sure it stops before reaching the bottom of the cake (which would indicate it's too thin and needs to cool more). When the consistency feels right, drip the sides of the cake before filling in the top. You can use a spoon to do this or add the ganache into a piping bag to create the drips. Here's a more detailed tutorial on how to drip a cake if you need it! When you're finished with your drip, place the cake back into the refrigerator to let the ganache set while you dip the strawberries.
- Dip the Strawberries: line a plate or small baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Add the remaining ganache into a small bowl and dip the strawberries into it, one by one, to coat them. Place the coated strawberries onto your prepared plate or baking sheet and place them into the refrigerator to let the ganache set.
- Place the remaining strawberry buttercream into a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 1M. Pipe swirls on top of the cake spaced about 1 inch apart, then place a chocolate covered strawberry in between each swirl.
Notes
*DIY Buttermilk recipe: add 1 Tbsp of white vinegar to a jar and top it with 1 Cup of whole milk. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes before using in the recipe.
*Strawberry Buttercream: if you don't have access to freeze-dried strawberries or simply want to use fresh strawberries in your buttercream, make a double batch of this recipe instead.
Make Ahead Tips:
- The chocolate cake layers can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered tightly in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing to room temperature.
- The strawberry buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-mix in your stand mixer on low speed to bring back to smooth buttercream consistency.
- The chocolate ganache can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it as a drip, microwave it in 10 second increments, stirring after every interval until your ganache is room temperature and uniform in consistency.