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Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake

Karissa Parrish
This chocolate covered strawberry cake is a three layered chocolate cake with strawberry buttercream frosting. It's filled with a fresh strawberry puree and is topped with a chocolate drip and chocolate covered strawberries!
5 from 6 votes
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Decorating Time 45 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 slices

Equipment

  • Three 6-Inch Cake Pans
  • Electric Stand Mixer
  • Mixing Bowls
  • Saucepan
  • Cake Decorating Tools

Ingredients:
 
 

Chocolate Cake

  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • ¾ cup cocoa powder, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 cup milk, room temperature
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • cup vegetable oil (or canola)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Strawberry Frosting

  • 2 cups strawberries, pureed and reduced
  • 1 ½ cups unsalted butter (3 sticks), room temperature
  • 5 ¼ cups powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup strawberry reduction
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

  • 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped and melted
  • 10 small-medium strawberries, washed and dried

Chocolate Ganache

  • 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
  • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Instructions:
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper then nonstick spray. Set aside.

Chocolate Cake

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the warm water, milk, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until combined. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry, whisking until a wet batter forms (do not overmix).
  • Divide the batter amongst the three prepared cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes come out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 20 minutes before removing and placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.

Strawberry Frosting

  • Slice the tops off of the strawberries and puree them in a food processor or blender for 5 seconds. Place them in a medium-sized saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickened (about 5-10 minutes). Be sure to stir occasionally. Cool completely in a small bowl in the refrigerator.
  • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until light and creamy. Add the powdered sugar, ¼ cup strawberry puree, and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until combined (about 30 seconds). Then increase the speed to high and beat for another 1-2 minutes (frosting should be light and creamy).

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

  • Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. Wash the strawberries and dry them off really well. The chocolate won't stick to the strawberries if they're wet.
  • In a microwave-safe bowl melt the chopped chocolate in 20-second intervals, stirring well after every 20 seconds until melted and smooth.
  • Dip each strawberry into the chocolate one at a time and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Then place the pan into the refrigerator so the chocolate can harden.

Chocolate Ganache

  • In a small bowl, add the chopped chocolate. Set aside. In a microwaveable-safe bowl, heat the heavy whipping cream until bubbling (30-45 seconds). Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate and allow it to sit for 3 minutes. Then whisk together until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

Assemble

  • If needed, use a serrated knife to level off the tops of each cake layer to create a flat surface. Place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate and spread about ⅔ cup of frosting. Then spread 2-3 tablespoons of the strawberry reduction in the center of the cake using an offset spatula.
  • Repeat with the second layer. Top the cake with the last layer and spread on about ¼ cup of frosting. Frost and smooth the outside of the cake with a thin crumb coat. Place the entire cake in the refrigerator or freezer for 10 minutes to chill.
  • Remove the cake from the refrigerator and finish frosting. Cover the sides and top of the cake again until frosted to your desire (use a cake scraper for a smooth finish). Place the cake in the freezer for 5 more minutes.
  • Pour the chocolate ganache over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Chill for another 5 minutes. Decorate the top of the cake with extra frosting and the chocolate covered strawberries.
  • Keep any leftover cake slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes:

Cake Pans: This recipe calls for three 6-inch cake pans. Line each pan with parchment paper and non-stick spray.
Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.
Room Temperature Ingredients: Any ingredient that needs to be at room temperature should be taken out of the refrigerator at least 1 hour before you want to bake. Do not skip this step! It's super important so that the ingredients can incorporate properly.
Chocolate Covered Strawberries: Once assembled, place the strawberries on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and set it in the refrigerator to chill. This helps the chocolate to firm up quickly.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 747kcalCarbohydrates: 106gProtein: 7gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 274mgPotassium: 215mgFiber: 4gSugar: 82gVitamin A: 863IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 2mg
Keyword chocolate cake, chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate covered strawberry cake, chocolate drip, strawberry frosting
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