Strawberry Chocolate Cake
This post is sponsored by Sprouts Farmers Market. As always, all opinions and recipe are my own.
Strawberry Chocolate Cake is the perfect springtime dessert! This single layer chocolate sheet cake is topped with a layer of strawberry cream cheese frosting, then another layer of a fudge-y chocolate frosting. It’s perfect to bake and share with anyone who adores chocolate and strawberries. Makes one 9″x13″ cake.
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Mother’s Day is this coming weekend. I don’t know about you, but strawberries and chocolate always remind me of it.
When I was a kid, we’d purchase decadent chocolate-covered strawberries for my mom at a local candy shop. The shop only made them for Mother’s Day, and they were insanely delicious and worth waiting the entire year for.
And then my mom would share them with us — thanks, Mom!
So those strawberries served as inspiration for this here Chocolate Ganache-Covered Strawberry Chocolate Cake.
Why I love this recipe:
My friends at Sprouts Farmers Market asked me if I’d develop a Mother’s Day recipe featuring organic strawberries.
I took the challenge, perused their store for inspiration and landed on this cake because it combines some of my favorite things into a dessert.
Before we get into it: This is not a layer cake. It is a sheet cake. Also, we’re not adding strawberry to the chocolate cake itself. Instead, we are adding a layer of strawberry goodness on top of the cake.
It is totally delightful.
The chocolate sheet cake is light fluffy, intense and flavorful.
The strawberry cream cheese frosting is wonderfully gooey. And you can cover it up with the chocolate ganache frosting, making the strawberry filling layer a surprise if you want it to be!
More strawberry dessert recipes to try: Roasted Strawberry Cheesecake Popsicles / Small-Batch Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing / Patriotic Strawberry Bruschetta / Strawberry and Blueberry Hand Pies
What you’ll need to make recipe:
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- 9”x13” baking dish
- Parchment paper and nonstick cooking spray
- Measuring cups and spoons and/or kitchen scale
- Three bowls
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Liquid measuring cup
- Blender
- Offset spatula
- Serving platter
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here’s what you’ll need to purchase at the grocery store:
- All-purpose flour — we keep unbleached AP flour in our house, but the regular kind works. I have not attempted to make this cake with a gluten-free flour, so I do not have a recommendation as to a substitute.
- Dutch process cocoa powder — we need this for both the chocolate cake, as well as the chocolate frosting. We’re using Dutch process cocoa powder, specifically, so please read the labels on your ingredients.
- Leaveners — we’re using both baking powder and baking soda to give our cake some lift. Make sure yours are fresh.
- Kosher salt — I prefer to use a medium grain kosher salt or sea salt when baking.
- Unsalted butter — this is going to be the fat we add to the cake, and it’s delightful. Be sure to melt yours.
- Bittersweet chocolate — you may use baking bars, like I did for this recipe. You may also use bittersweet chocolate chips if you have those on hand.
- Granulated sugar — also known as white sugar, this is our sweetener for the cake. There is no substitute.
- Coffee — yes, you read that right. We’re using brewed coffee in this cake to bring out the chocolate flavor!
- Milk — we need this for the cake batter, as well as the frosting. Please note that the milk for the cake needs to be at room temperature, so you can remove it from the fridge early or warm it for 10-15 seconds in the microwave.
- Eggs — not only do these provide structure to the cake, but they’ll help give the cake some lift and fluffiness.
- Pure vanilla extract — this adds some vanilla flavor and depth to the cake batter. Please try to use the pure kind, not the imitation.
- Powdered sugar — also known as confectioners sugar, we need this for the strawberry and chocolate frostings.
- Cream cheese — I always recommend using full-fat cream cheese to make cream cheese frosting that much more decadent and delicious
- Strawberries — hull and half these fresh berries after washing and patting them dry. We’re going to toss them into the food processor to make puree.
How to make a Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Filling
Make and bake the chocolate cake
Prepare. Preheat the oven, and spray the baking dish with nonstick baking spray.
Mix the dry ingredients. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
Blend the butter and melted chocolate. Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to cream these together in another bowl.
Sweeten it up. Measure the sugar into the butter-chocolate mixture. Mix until well-combined.
Add the liquid ingredients. Pour the milk and coffee into the chocolate base, and mix. Break the eggs into the bowl and add a splash of vanilla, beating until incorporated.
Combine the wet and dry. Sprinkle the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and stir until combined. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl once or twice to ensure everything mixes in.
Prepare to bake. Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish, and transfer to the preheated oven.
Bake for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool completely before frosting. You may do this on a wire rack. Otherwise, the frosting will melt.
Pro tip!
Once the cake cools, pop it out of the baking dish. You can wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for safe keeping if you’re baking it well in advance.
Make the frostings
This cake calls for TWO different types of frosting. Please note that we’re got a chocolate ganache and a strawberry cream cheese frosting base. (There is no heavy cream or Cool Whip involved in either.) We’re not making strawberry buttercream. It’s a little extra, I know, but it’s utterly delightful, so go with me here.
For the strawberry frosting, puree the strawberries in the blender. Then add the cream cheese, and blend until smooth. Next, add the powdered sugar and blend some more.
For the chocolate ganache frosting, whisk together the powdered sugar and cocoa powder in a bowl. Drizzle in the milk, and whisk until smooth.
Store both frostings in the refrigerator until you’re ready to frost the cake.
How to frost the cake:
Drizzle the strawberry cake filling on top of the cooled cake. Spread it evenly with a butter knife or an offset spatula.
Chill it. Transfer the cake to the freezer for 15-30 minutes so the strawberry frosting sets. The longer you give it, the better. The strawberry frosting is lovely and gooey, but this makes adding the chocolate ganache a little tricky.
Add the chocolate frosting. Once the strawberry layer has set, remove the cake from the freezer, and drizzle on the chocolate frosting. Gently spread on top of the strawberry layer.
Chill it again. Place the cake in the freezer for another 15-20 to ensure the chocolate sets.
Slice with a serrated knife and enjoy!
how to store:
This cake is best kept cold. Cover it gently with plastic wrap or a dome, and refrigerate.
Remove the cake from the fridge 1-2 hours before you plan to serve it. This will help the strawberry filling to become gooey!
Keep it in the refrigerator for 4 days. The cake will dry out as it sits in the fridge, so be mindful of this.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
This Chocolate Cake with Strawberries is a total delight and would be great for various gatherings, including Mother’s Day and Easter, among other special occasions.
I don’t think there’s ever a bad time to make and serve cake. It would make a lovely birthday cake!
Here are some ideas of how you can entertain with it:
- Bake the cake in advance! Make it 1-2 days in advance, and cover it loosely in plastic wrap. Refrigerate. Remove the cake from the fridge 1-2 hours before you plan to serve it. This will help the strawberry filling to become gooey!
- Let the strawberry filling be a surprise! Seeing my 4-year-old light up when she realized there was a PINK layer in this cake made my day.
- Share the leftovers with neighbors, friends or family. There’s nothing like letting people know you’re thinking of them. Take a few leftover slices to say hello and let your people enjoy this chocolate-strawberry goodness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Feel free to use more strawberries to the top of this cake! Slice them or leave them whole. Either way, they’ll be beautiful!
This cake has a lot of dairy elements to it, and because of that, I can’t recommend any swaps.
Can it be done? I’m sure!
Will it taste like it’s supposed to taste? I don’t know, which is why I don’t have a suggestion as to what to do.
Quick tips for making this Chocolate Strawberry Cake recipe:
- Bake this cake in advance, and store it in the fridge on a platter, covered loosely with plastic wrap.
- Make sure the cake is completely cooled before frosting. Freeze the cake between frosting layers so that they don’t get mixed up.
- Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting on the cake! It’s easier this way!
Other cupcake and cake recipes great for sharing:
If you’re a strawberry dessert person, you’ve got to try small batch Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting and the French classic Fraisier Cake.
Love other fruit-based cakes and cupcakes? My family adores Spiced Apple Upside Down Cake with Bourbon Caramel Glaze and these Mini White Chocolate-Cherry Bundt Cakes. This Chantilly Cake would also be lovely to share.
Now who’s ready for a slice?!?
Scroll on down to learn how easy this Strawberry Chocolate Cake is to make!
Strawberry Chocolate Cake
EQUIPMENT
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Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate baking bars melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup coffee at room temperature
- ½ cup milk at room temperature
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Strawberry Frosting Layer
- ½ cup strawberries hulled and halved (makes ¼ cup puree)
- 4 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Chocolate Frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 5 tablespoons milk
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Instructions
Make and Bake the Cake
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with nonstick baking spray, and set aside.
- Melt the 8 tablespoons unsalted butter and 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate baking bars in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second bursts in the microwave until melted and smooth.
- Get out two mixing bowls for the batter.
- In the larger of the two bowls, sift 1 cup all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup Dutch process cocoa powder, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Whisk to combine.
- Measure the melted butter and chocolate baking bars into the smaller bowl (if they are not already in one.) Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment to blend them together.
- When the butter and chocolate are well combined, measure in 1 cup granulated sugar. Beat together until everything is incorporated.
- Pour in ½ cup coffee and ½ cup milk. Mix until combined.
- Add 3 eggs and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, beating until incorporated into the wet ingredients.
- Sprinkle the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring until combined. You might have to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl once or twice during this process to ensure everything has been mixed in.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cake completely cool before frosting. (I will sometimes pop my cake out of the baking dish and place it in the freezer once it’s cooled down some to speed this time up.)
Make the Strawberry Frosting
- In the base of a blender, puree ½ cup strawberries.
- When the strawberries have been blended, add 4 oz. cream cheese, and blend until smooth.
- Add 1 ½ cups powdered sugar to the blender, and continue blending until everything is well mixed.
Make the Chocolate Frosting
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together 2 cups powdered sugar and ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Add 5 tablespoons milk, and whisk until smooth.
- Set aside. Refrigerate if you make these in advance.
Frost the Cake
- When the cake is completely cooled, drizzle the strawberry frosting on top of it. Spread it out with a butter knife or an offset spatula.
- Place the cake in the freezer for 15-30 minutes so the strawberry frosting sets.
- Once the strawberry layer has set, remove the cake from the freezer, and drizzle on the chocolate frosting.
- Gently spread the chocolate frosting on top of the strawberry layer.
- Place the cake in the freezer for another 15-20 to ensure the chocolate sets.
- Slice the cake, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
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