Chocolate Strawberry Cake is the easiest layered chocolate cake I’ve ever made. A very simple chocolate ganache and fresh strawberries are used for the mid layer and the topping. The best combination of chocolate and strawberries ever!
Okay our all time favorite dessert is Turkish baklava, but we love to make cake recipes too! A chocolate cake with strawberries has always a special role in our lives. It is the same for most of you, isn't it?
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I used my ultimate chocolate cake recipe here which is really simple and turned it into a wonderful chocolate strawberry cake. What I love about this recipe is everything for the cake is in one bowl. It’s always great to have less mess in the kitchen when baking something, isn’t it? I made a super easy strawberry cake filling that doesn't require any professional skills.
This chocolate cake with strawberry is perfectly fluffy and the chocolate ganache adds a wonderful richness to it. Not to mention the beauty and refreshment added by fresh strawberries.
How To Make The Cakes
First, make the wet ingredients mixture. Start with whisking eggs and sugar as we do in almost all cake recipes. Add in oil, yogurt, milk and vanilla extract. You can substitute coconut oil or olive oil for vegetable oil and buttermilk for yogurt and milk.
Second, make the dry mixture. In another bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt together.
Combine the dry and wet mixtures: Pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture in 2- batches. Mix with a hand whisk just until combined. Do not over-mix!
Share the batter into two 6-inch pans and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350F. Let them cool completely before turning them into a beautiful chocolate cake with strawberries.
Pro Tip: The type of cocoa powder you use will affect the color of the batter. Some cocoa powder brands are really dark and even one or two tablespoons will be enough to have a nice chocolate color. So please add the flour and cocoa powder gradually and if you think it is not brown enough add one or two tablespoons more cocoa powder.
Alternative Add-Ins
If you want a bit more chocolate flavor in your cake, add a handful of chocolate chips in the batter. Alternatively, you can soak some raisins into red wine or into rum and add them in the batter, which will take your cake to the next level.
Make sure you make these additions as the last step of the batter, right before pouring it into the pans. And please do not over-stir. Giving it just a few stirs with a spatula gives you the best result. Otherwise, chocolate chips or raisins will sink to the bottom.
What Kind Of A Pan?
I used two 6-inch round cake pans for this fresh chocolate strawberry cake to make things easier for me. I feel really hopeless at cutting a large cake into equal halves, so I mostly prefer making two cakes and then combining them to make a two-layered cake.
You can definitely choose a larger cake pan if you are good at halving the cake step. If you bake it in one large pan, you might prefer leaving it as a whole and drizzling the top with ganache and then placing fresh strawberries on the top. Still soooo good!
Easy Strawberry Cake Filling
You need to wait until the cakes completely cool down before combining and layering them. This cake has the easiest filling as the only thing you need to do is slicing the strawberries lengthwise and placing them on top of the first cake after spreading the ganache.
I recommend you to wait for 5-10 minutes before placing the strawberries so that you give the ganache some time to set a bit.
Put the second cake right on the strawberry slices and then pour over the rest of the ganache. Again wait for about 10 minutes or more and top your cake with whole strawberries.
I’m sure some pretty chocolate curls on this wonderful looking cake would make it look even more impressive, but first I need to learn how to make them and practice a bit.
More Chocolate Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Cake With Strawberry Filling
INGREDIENTS
Cake:
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- ⅓ cup oil vegetable oil or sunflower oil
- ½ cup yogurt
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1⅕ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
Chocolate Ganache:
- 160 ml heavy cream
- 160 g chocolate chips
Filling and topping
- 1½ cups strawberries
- 2 sprigs Fresh mint
INSTRUCTIONS
- Lightly oil two 6'' round spring form cake pans, line their bottoms with parchment paper and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
- Beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer or a hand whisk until creamy.
- Add in oil, yogurt, milk and vanilla extract. Mix well.
- In another bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture in two or three batches. Stir with a hand whisk just until combined. Don't over-mix!
- Share the batter into two pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove them from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then carefully remove them from the pans. Allow them to cool completely on a cooling rack.
- Meanwhile prepare the chocolate ganache.(See the video above).
- Put chocolate chips in a bowl.
- Heat the heavy cream just until it boils and pour it over the chocolate chips. Wait for 2 minutes and stir until smooth.
- Let it reach room temperature.
- Spread ¼ of your chocolate ganache on the first cake. Wait for about 10 minutes so that the ganache sets a bit.
- Thinly slice ½ cup of strawberries lengthwise and place them on the chocolate ganache you spread on the first cake.
- Carefully place the second cake on the strawberries, gently press on it just to help it set.
- Pour the rest of the ganache over it. Wait about 10 minutes and then place the rest of the strawberries as they are on the top.
- Place a sprig of fresh mint on the very top.
NOTES
- If you think it is not brown enough, you can add one or two tablespoons extra cocoa powder.
- This is our ultimate chocolate cake recipe. So instead of sharing the batter in two small cake pans, you can just bake it in one round cake tin or a loaf tin if you are not planning to add the ganache and strawberry layer in between. You can still drizzle the ganache over your cake for sure to make a one-layer chocolate cake.
NUTRITION
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Pam says
I made this for a friend's birthday. She said it was delicious.
It was the first time I've ever attempted ganache- it could've been much thinner. Now I know a little more than before about making ganache. As thick as it was, they still enjoyed the cake.
Thanks for the recipe!
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Pam,
We are thrilled to hear that you made it for your friend's birthday. Making ganache can be a little tricky the first time around.
The consistency can change significantly based on the chocolate to cream ratio and the temperature at which you serve it.
If you'd like it thinner next time, you might try using a little more cream or letting it cool for less time before using.
Cheers!
Meg says
Should I double recipe for 2 nine inch pans?
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Meg,
9 inch pans will still be too big for this recipe even when doubled. We have doubled the recipe for two 8 inch pans before and it was fine. But just doubling the ingredients wouldn't be enough for 9 inch pans.