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–+ servings
Strawberry cake with chocolate ganache

Dark Chocolate Strawberry Cake

Hollie Schultz
This homemade dark chocolate cake frosted with a delicious strawberry buttercream frosting and layered with fresh strawberries and chocolate ganache is so easy to make.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Assembly Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 20 servings
Calories 699 kcal

Ingredients
  

DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 2/3 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 2/3 cup unsalted butter room temp or softened
  • 2/3 cup hot water not boiling
  • 2/3 cup buttermilk
  • 2/3 cup dark cocoa

STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

  • 2 cups butter room temperature
  • 1 oz freeze dried strawberries
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 7 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon (or lime) juice

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

DECORATION AND CAKE FILLING

Instructions
 

DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 8-inch pans with parchment paper rounds and spray with non-stick spray or grease with Crisco. (NOTE: You can use three 6-inch pans if you'd like)
  • Combine the sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and blend for 1 minute.
  • Add in the eggs, one by one. Add baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix for one minute.
  • In a separate bowl, add cup of hot water (not boiling), cup of buttermilk and cup of dark cocoa and whisk until mixture is smooth. Set aside.
  • Add 1 cup of flour into the butter/sugar/egg mixture. Mix until flour is completely incorporated.
  • Add the buttermilk/cocoa mixture into the flour mixture and gently mix until completely combined. Do this slowly or it will make a mess.
  • Add 2nd cup of flour and mix at low speed until flour is mixed in.
  • Divide the batter evenly between your prepared pans
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
  • Set layers aside to cool for 10 minutes. Remove layers from pans and freeze cake layers for about 45 minutes while you make the buttercream frosting and ganache.

STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

  • Blend 1 oz of freeze-dried strawberries in a blender or food processor completely until you get a strawberry powder. Set aside.
  • Beat butter in a stand mixer (or with a handheld mixer) for 30 seconds until smooth.
  • Add in strawberry powder, vanilla extract and salt. Blend on low until combined.
  • Slowly add in one cup of powdered sugar at a time and alternate with small amounts of cream until you have used all powdered sugar and cream.
  • Add in lemon (or lime) juice.Beat on low until everything is combined and you get the consistency you are looking for. NOTE: To thicken up the frosting, add more sugar. To thin it out, add more cream.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

  • Heat heavy cream over medium heat on the stove in a small pan just until it begins to simmer. Remove from heat. (You can also microwave heavy cream in the microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute)
  • In a heatproof bowl, add the dark chocolate chips.
  • Gently pour heated heavy cream over the chocolate chips. Let the mixture set for 1-2 minutes.
  • Stir the cream and chocolate until smooth.

DARK CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY CAKE ASSEMBLY

  • Remove cake layers from freezer. Cut each cake layer in half horizontally with a serrated knife to create 2 thin cake layers from each layer.
  • Add one cake layer to a cake plate or any other plate you'd like the cake to be displayed on.
  • Add a thin layer of strawberry buttercream frosting on top of the cake layer.
  • Using a pastry bag, pipe a ring of strawberry buttercream around the edge of the cake layer to create a barrier for the filling. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of diced strawberries inside the ring. Drizzle about 1/4 cup of strawberry preserves and 2 tbsp of chocolate ganache over the strawberries.
  • Add second cake layer on top. Repeat frosting and filling for each cake layer.
  • Using the remaining strawberry buttercream frosting, frost the outside of the cake and make the frosting as smooth as possible. A bench scraper will help you achieve a smooth look but a frosting knife will also work.
  • Chill the cake in the freezer for about 20 minutes.
  • Remove from freezer and slowly pour the remaining chocolate ganache on top and allow the ganache to slowly drip down the sides. Sprinkle remaining diced strawberries on top. Carefully place the fresh (not diced) strawberries in a circle on top of the cake in the ganache.
  • That's it. Enjoy. Keep the cake refrigerated.

Notes

  • Always properly measure your ingredients, especially your flour. As with all baked goods, you don't want to over-measure your flour, it will change things in your recipe. Make sure you spoon your flour into a measuring cup instead of digging your measuring cup into the bag/container of flour.
  • Don't try to make the Strawberry Buttercream with real strawberries. Stick to the powder yo make with freeze-dried strawberries and you'll have a lot less hassle.
  • Freeze your cake layers before you assemble the cake. It will be much easier to frost that way.
  • The more fresh strawberries and chocolate ganache on the top, the better.
  • Keep the cake refrigerated to keep the fresh strawberries lasting longer.

Nutrition

Calories: 699kcalCarbohydrates: 93gProtein: 5gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 118mgSodium: 221mgPotassium: 223mgFiber: 2gSugar: 74gVitamin A: 1100IUVitamin C: 31mgCalcium: 86mgIron: 2mg
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