Chocolate Strawberry Cake

Homemade chocolate cake layers, from-scratch frosting, fresh ganache and a crown of perfect strawberries make this cake look as if it’s from an artisan bakery. But thanks to ready-made ingredients like instant pudding and cake mix, even a baking novice can pull off this decadent layered chocolate strawberry cake. While there’s probably only an hour of hands-on time, make sure to build in a little extra wiggle room so the cake can cool. (Never frost a warm cake—trust us.) Plenty of other tips and modifications are woven throughout this recipe so you can get it exactly right the first time.

Ingredients for Chocolate Strawberry Cake

• Chocolate cake mix: Instant cake mix helps you eliminate a lot of guesswork and, of course, saves time. If you want, you can make a chocolate cake from scratch instead.
• Instant chocolate pudding mix: Adding chocolate pudding mix to cake batter imparts moisture and lightens the batter’s texture.
• Eggs: The protein in egg whites provides baked goods with structure, while the fatty yolks emulsify the ingredients.
• Sour cream: Chocolate and cocoa powder are very absorbent, so adding ingredients such as sour cream infuses extra moisture.
• Semisweet chocolate: Melted semisweet chocolate adds depth of flavor and fudginess to chocolate cake.

Frosting:

• Butter: Butter adds a rich flavor and is the base of the frosting.
• Confectioners’ sugar: Also known as powdered sugar, confectioners’ sugar easily dissolves, so it’s a common choice for frosting recipes.
• Milk: Avoid using skim milk for the frosting, as some fat helps emulsify, or bind, the liquid and solids.
• Baking cocoa: Baking cocoa is different than cocoa powder, which undergoes the Dutch process to remove its natural acidic bite. That may sound like a good thing, but for baking we want the extra flavor that baking cocoa provides.

Garnish:

• Semisweet chocolate: This chocolate is one of the two ingredients you’ll need for the chocolate ganache. You can also reserve some chocolate for shaving and sprinkling over the top of the finished cake.
• Heavy whipping cream: Cream helps stabilize the texture of the chocolate ganache. While it will change the resulting flavor, coconut cream is a suitable dairy-free alternative.
• Fresh strawberries: If you don’t have fresh strawberries, you can opt for frozen and make this strawberry cake filling recipe instead.
• Strawberry jam: This jam serves to glaze the strawberries. While it creates a beautiful aesthetic, it’s entirely optional.

Directions

Step 1: Make the batter

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the first seven ingredients and beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Next, beat on medium for two minutes. Transfer to two greased and floured 9-inch round baking pans.

Step 2: Bake the cake

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 28 to 32 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and then remove the cakes from their pans. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Step 3: Make the frosting and assemble

In a large bowl, cream the butter, confectioners’ sugar and cocoa until light and fluffy, three to four minutes. Beat in the milk until smooth.

Spread the frosting between the layers and on the side of the cake.

Step 4: Make the ganache

Place the semisweet chocolate in a small bowl. Heat the heavy whipping cream until it begins to boil. Immediately pour the cream over the semisweet chocolate and whisk until smooth.

Drizzle over the top of the cake, allowing the ganache to drape down the side.

Step 5: Arrange the garnish

Arrange the strawberries on top of the cake. If desired, brush warm jam onto the strawberries.

Recipe Variations

• Change the fruit: Instead of strawberries, feel free to decorate the cake with raspberries or blackberries. These sweet-tart berries are excellent with chocolate.
• Try a different frosting: Too much chocolate? Omit the chocolate frosting and use vanilla buttercream, cream cheese frosting, coffee frosting or peanut butter frosting instead.
• Enhance the chocolate flavor: The secret ingredient for better chocolate desserts? Espresso powder or instant coffee! Either enhances the chocolate’s flavor without adding any buzzy coffee notes.

How to Store Chocolate Strawberry Cake

Depending on how much time you have, you may want to first bake and frost the cake, then cover it and place it in the fridge for up to three days. When ready to serve, whip up the ganache, drizzle it on and arrange the strawberry topping (or whichever topping inspires you, such as berry compote or cherry pie filling).

If you’re pressed for time or want to do it all in one go, you can prepare the entire chocolate strawberry cake and store it covered in the fridge overnight.

Can you make chocolate strawberry cake ahead of time?

Yes, you can make and store it as directed above, or prepare several of the ingredients separately, then store them for assembly later. For example, you can place the ingredients for both the batter and the frosting into two separate bowls and prepare them when ready.

You can also make the chocolate ganache ahead of time. Allow it to cool at room temperature, pour it into an airtight food storage container and place it in the fridge. Stored properly, chocolate ganache can keep for up to one month. That said, it will harden over time so you’ll need to slightly reheat the ganache before using it.

Chocolate Strawberry Cake Tips

Can I make chocolate strawberry cake gluten-free?

Yes, you can make chocolate strawberry cake gluten-free, though you’ll need to either find a gluten-free instant cake mix or make the batter yourself using a gluten-free baking guide. You’ll also want to verify that the pudding mix you choose is gluten-free.

Can I make chocolate strawberry cake vegan?

Yes, you can make chocolate strawberry cake vegan with some alterations. Instead of this recipe’s cake, bake our vegan and gluten-free chocolate cake in two 9-inch round pans. For the frosting, substitute vegan butter for the butter. You may need to omit the ganache entirely. Check out our ultimate guide to baking substitutes for inspiration and guidance.

How can I make the best chocolate strawberry cake?

Allow the ingredients to come to room temperature before you use them. This ensures that they incorporate evenly as you mix them together, resulting in the best texture and flavor possible. Also allow the cake to cool to room temperature before assembling.