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The Best Chocolate Strawberry Cake

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Rich Chocolate Cake Layers with the Most Delicious Strawberry Buttercream, Chocolate Ganache, and Chocolate Dipped Strawberries.
Servings 12 slices
Author Mandy Merriman - Baking with Blondie

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake Layers

  • 3/4 cup buttermilk room temperature
  • 2/3 cup sour cream room temperature
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
  • 15.25oz Box Dark Chocolate Cake Mix I used Dark Chocolate Cake Mix from Duncan Hines for the best taste and texture

Strawberry Buttercream

  • 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter left out at room temperature for 10 minutes
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • 1-2 teaspoons strawberry emulsion
  • 1oz bag Freeze Dried Strawberries *pulsed to a fine powder
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 7-8 cups powdered sugar

Chocolate Ganache Drips

  • 2 cups chocolate melts
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Extras

  • 6-12 whole chocolate dipped strawberries

Instructions

For the Chocolate Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees convection bake and then prep two 8" cake pans with shortening + flour, cake/baking spray, or cake goop and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, hand-whisk together all the cake ingredients except for the cake mix. Sift in the cake mix, then gently stir to combine. Split the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 20-24 minutes, then let cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for easier stacking.

For the Strawberry Buttercream

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip up the butter until it's light and fluffy, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the salt, vanilla, strawberry emulsion, strawberry powder, and heavy cream. Whip up to combine.
  • With the mixer speed on low, slowly add in the powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time. The buttercream will be thick. Add in a couple more tablespoons of heavy cream if needed. Turn the mixer to the highest speed and whip up in incorporate air for a lighter, more fluffy, buttercream.

For the Chocolate Ganache Drip

  • Heat the chocolate melts and heavy cream in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir. Repeat. Repeat again and stir until smooth. Don't overheat. Place into a drip bottle.

Assembly

  • On a cake turntable, stack and crumb coat the cake. Freeze for 5 minutes. Add buttercream to a piping bag with a Wilton 1M piping tip and set aside. With the remaining buttercream, frost the cake and freeze again for 5 minutes. Make and add on ganache drip, then freeze again for 5 minutes to set. Pipe on a shell border 2 times around the top outside rim of the cake. Place on the chocolate dipped strawberries. Enjoy!