Dark Chocolate Strawberry Cake
This dark chocolate strawberry cake is rich, moist, and layered with strawberry buttercream, real fruit filling, and a silky ganache drizzle. A bakery-worthy dessert made right at home.
Equipment
- Three 6-inch cake pans
- Mixing Bowls
- Electric Mixer
- Parchment Paper
- Offset Spatula
- Serrated Knife
Ingredients
Dark Chocolate Cake Layers
- granulated sugar
- baking powder
- baking soda
- fine salt
- large eggs
- unsalted butter softened
- hot water
- buttermilk
- dark cocoa powder
- all-purpose flour
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- unsalted butter softened
- freeze-dried strawberry powder
- fine salt
- vanilla extract
- powdered sugar
- heavy whipping cream
- lemon juice fresh
Chocolate Ganache
- dark chocolate chips
- heavy whipping cream
Filling & Decoration
- diced strawberries fresh
- strawberry preserves
- whole small strawberries for topping
- freeze-dried strawberries optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment.
- Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each.
- Mix dry ingredients separately. In another bowl, whisk cocoa powder into hot water and buttermilk.
- Alternate adding dry and wet cocoa mixtures into the butter mixture. Mix until just combined.
- Divide into pans and bake until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. Cool completely.
- Beat butter for buttercream. Add strawberry powder, vanilla, and salt. Mix in powdered sugar, cream, and lemon juice.
- To make ganache, pour warm cream over chocolate chips. Let sit, then stir until smooth.
- Assemble: Spread buttercream on cake layer, pipe edge, fill center with diced strawberries, preserves, and ganache. Repeat.
- Apply crumb coat, chill, then frost final layer. Garnish with freeze-dried strawberries if using.
- Dip strawberries in ganache, place on top, and drizzle extra ganache for decoration. Chill before serving.
Notes
Use freeze-dried strawberry powder for bold flavor and bright color. Let cake chill between steps for best results.