Description
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake is a luxurious dessert that combines moist chocolate cake layers, sweet strawberry filling, and a glossy chocolate ganache. This stunning cake offers balanced flavors of rich chocolate and fresh strawberries with a moist, tender texture and an impressive bakery-quality presentation. Perfect for special occasions or indulgent everyday treats.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour blend for gluten-free)
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs (or 3 flax eggs for vegan)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk (or coconut milk for vegan)
Strawberry Filling
- 2 cups fresh ripe strawberries, hulled and chopped
- ½ cup strawberry preserves or jam
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Chocolate Ganache
- 8 ounces high-quality dark chocolate (at least 60% cacao), chopped (or white chocolate for variation)
- ¾ cup heavy cream (or coconut cream for vegan)
Decorations
- Fresh strawberries (halved or whole) for garnish
- Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
- White chocolate shavings or edible flowers (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Cake Batter: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease two or three 8-inch cake pans. In a large bowl, sift together the flour (all-purpose or gluten-free blend), cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time (or flax eggs for vegan), mixing well after each addition, then stir in vanilla extract. Alternately add the dry ingredients and milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients, mixing just until combined to keep the batter light and tender.
- Bake the Cake Layers: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow the cakes to cool completely on wire racks to maintain moisture and facilitate easy layering and decorating.
- Prepare the Strawberry Filling: Hull and finely chop fresh strawberries. Gently fold them into the strawberry preserves or jam (add vanilla extract if desired) to create a sweet, slightly chunky filling that complements the chocolate layers perfectly.
- Make the Chocolate Ganache: Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Let it sit undisturbed for 1-2 minutes, then stir gently until the mixture is smooth, glossy, and well combined. Allow the ganache to cool slightly until it thickens but remains pourable.
- Assemble the Cake: Place one cooled cake layer on your serving plate. Spread a generous layer of the strawberry filling evenly over the top. Add the next cake layer and repeat if you are using three layers. Pour the chocolate ganache over the top, allowing it to drip naturally down the sides for an elegant finish.
- Garnish with Fresh Strawberries: Decorate the top of the cake with halved or whole fresh strawberries. Optionally, dust with powdered sugar, scatter white chocolate shavings, or add edible flowers to enhance the presentation.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients like butter, eggs, and milk for a smoother and more consistent batter.
- Mix the batter just until the ingredients are combined to avoid a dense cake texture.
- Allow ganache to cool slightly before pouring to prevent excessive run-off and achieve the perfect thickness.
- Use fresh, firm strawberries instead of frozen ones for better texture and flavor in the filling and garnish.
- Trim rounded tops of cake layers with a serrated knife to create even layers and a polished final presentation.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/10 of cake)
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 38g
- Sodium: 160mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 46g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
Keywords: chocolate cake, strawberry cake, chocolate ganache, layered cake, gluten free dessert, berry cake
