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Easy chocolate covered strawberry cake – moist chocolate layers with strawberry buttercream and chocolate ganache
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Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake

This Easy Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake is the ultimate romantic dessert! Moist, rich chocolate cake layers are filled with a decadent strawberry chocolate ganache and covered in a naturally pink, intensely flavorful strawberry buttercream. Perfect for Valentine's Day, anniversaries, or any special celebration. For another stunning layer cake, try our Dark Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate covered strawberry cake, chocolate strawberry layer cake, strawberry chocolate cake
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 620kcal
Author: Angela

Equipment

  • Two 8-inch Round Cake Pans For baking the layers.
  • Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment For making buttercream.
  • Food Processor or Blender For pureeing strawberries and grinding freeze-dried strawberries.

Ingredients

  • 0.75 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (65g)
  • 1.75 cups granulated sugar (350g)
  • 0.75 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.75 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature (240ml)
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil (120ml)
  • 1 cup very hot water (240ml)
  • 0.5 cup fresh strawberries (83g)
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream (113ml)
  • 4 oz dark chocolate (113g)
  • 1.5 tbsp butter, room temperature (21g)
  • 1.5 cups unsalted butter, room temperature (339g)
  • 4.25 cups confectioner's sugar (508g)
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 tsp kosher salt
  • 0.25 cup heavy cream (60ml)
  • 1.5 cups freeze-dried strawberries, blended (28g)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch cake pans and line with parchment. Whisk together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Pour into dry ingredients and mix until combined. Add hot water and mix until smooth. Divide batter between pans and bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool completely.
  • Blend fresh strawberries and strain. Place chopped chocolate and strawberry puree in a bowl. Heat cream to a simmer, pour over chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Add butter and whisk. Let cool until firm.
  • Blend freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder. Beat butter and confectioner's sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, salt, and strawberry powder. Slowly add cream until spreadable.
  • Place one cake layer on a stand. Pipe a buttercream dam around the edge. Fill center with ganache. Top with second cake layer. Frost top and sides with remaining buttercream. Decorate with strawberries.

Notes

Pro Tips: Use freeze-dried strawberries for the frosting – they create a natural pink color and intense flavor without adding liquid. Make the ganache first as it needs time to set. Let the cake layers cool completely before assembling to prevent melting frosting. For a neat filling, pipe a buttercream dam around the edge of the cake layer before adding the ganache. All components can be made ahead for stress-free assembly.