Cakes and Cupcakes

Chocolate Strawberry Cake – Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Filling

This Chocolate Strawberry Cake is easy to make and tastes simply amazing! Three layers of rich chocolate sponge sandwiched with

Serves 12 slices
Prep 20 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Total 50 minutes

Jump to the recipe

Chocolate Strawberry Cake – Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Filling

This beautiful Strawberry Chocolate cake is perfect if you want to show off a little this Easter! Make it even MORE special with Amarula Raspberry & Chocolate Cream Liqueur.

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In Collaboration with Amarula

It’s that time of year again when my thoughts turn to big beautiful layer cakes. With Easter and two family birthdays coming up soon it’s no wonder!

I always bake a big celebration layer cake every Easter, usually vanilla topped with fresh berries. My daughter begged me to make a “chocolate Easter cake!” this time and so I had to oblige!

Presenting… my Chocolate Strawberry Cake! It turned out seriously delicious and I can’t wait to share this recipe with you.

strawberry chocolate cake with large slice cut out to show interior

The Chocolate Cake

I used my tried and tested chocolate sponge cake recipe for the layers. It’s such a simple cake that you can make simply by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl. Easy peasy right?

Just make sure your ingredients are all room temperature and use the a good quality dark cocoa powder for best results. I love the DrOetker Fine Dark Cocoa Powder or Green & Blacks Organic Cocoa Powder.

collage showing steps how to make chocolate sponge cake

You can bake the cake layers a day in advance and store them, wrapped well, overnight. I prefer to get a jump on the cake if baking for a specific event – one less thing to worry about on the day!

Strawberry Mascarpone Frosting

This strawberry frosting you guys… OMG it is so delicious and tastes just like a juicy ripe fresh strawberry topped with cream!!

Chocolate strawberry layer cake on a marble platter with slice cut out

The secret to this deliciousness lies with freeze-dried strawberry powder. Strawberries are really tricky to bake with as they release a lot of moisture. This can cause the frosting to curdle and become too slack to use.

Swapping fresh strawberries for the powder gives you ALL the fresh berry taste (and then some!) without watering down your cake filling.

making strawberry frosting with freeze dried strawberry powder, icing sugar, mascarpone, cream

I also added a generous splash of the seriously yummy Amarula Raspberry & Chocolate Cream Liqueur to enhance the flavour.

Amarula is a unique Marula fruit cream liqueur – this delicious variation is blended with flavours of chocolate, raspberry and African baobab. It is perfect for adding to desserts and cocktails or simply sipping over ice!

The strawberry frosting is another all-in-one bowl wonder and so delicious I ended up sneaking a few spoonfuls. Ok, more than a few… shhhh!

Assembling the Chocolate Strawberry Cake

I debated whether to add fresh strawberries between the cake layers… But in the end I decided to use strawberry conserve instead.

This allows the cake to keep for a bit longer, but by all means use fresh strawberries if they are in season and you know the cake will be eaten as soon as it is presented!

I piped a ring of the strawberry frosting around the edges of each cake layer and filled it inside with strawberry conserve. Another layer of frosting seals the jam inside the cake.

collage showing how to assemble layer cake

Repeat to stack the layers together then smooth a generous amount of frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Smooth using an offset spatula and a bench scraper.

You can use a sawtooth scraper to create a pattern on the sides of your cake, or simply smooth the frosting.

using a sawtooth bench scraper to create pattern on side of layer cake

Chocolate Drip

You didn’t think I would leave this Chocolate Strawberry Cake without a chocolate topping, did you?

It makes the cake look beautiful (well, MORE beautiful) as it drips prettily down the sides. All you have to do is combine dark chocolate chips, Amarula and a little golden syrup or honey in a bowl and melt together.

Drizzle the chocolate ganache over the strawberry chocolate cake (make sure it has cooled down a bit first), starting at the edges and then covering the top.

Top your chocolate strawberry cake with sliced or whole fresh strawberries and sprinkle with chocolate shavings. You also have the option of piping some of the strawberry frosting on top of the cake if you like.

Topping chocolate strawberry cake with sliced fresh strawberries

Tips for This Chocolate Strawberry Cake

Freeze dried strawberry powder will add intense strawberry flavour to your frosting. Remember to seal the package afterwards as moisture can ruin it! You can also use other freeze dried fruit powders if you like.
You can also use strawberry jam in the frosting instead of the powder, adding it a little at a time to avoid thinning the frosting too much.
Replace the strawberry jam in the layers with fresh sliced strawberries if you like.
This cake tastes best the day it is frosted and assembled but will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge.

HAVE YOU MADE MY CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY CAKE RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #Nusde and make my day!

Recipe

Chocolate Strawberry Cake

This Chocolate Strawberry Cake is easy to make and tastes simply amazing! Three layers of rich chocolate sponge sandwiched with strawberry mascarpone frosting and topped with chocolate ganache and fresh strawberries.

Serves 12 slices
Prep 20 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Total 50 minutes

Ingredients

2 ½ cups (300g) flour (plain / all purpose)
⅔ cup (60g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ⅔ cups (330g) sugar
1 tbsp espresso powder ((optional))
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tbsp baking soda ((= bicarbonate of soda))
⅞ cup (200g) unsalted butter or Stork (softened)
3 eggs
¾ cup + 2 tbsp (200ml) buttermilk

Strawberry Frosting & Filling

2 cups (240g) powdered sugar ((= icing sugar))
1 lb (500g) mascarpone
1 ⅓ cups (320ml) heavy cream ((= double cream))
4 tbsp freeze dried strawberry powder
3 tbsp Amarula Raspberry & Chocolate Cream Liqueur ((optional))
2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract)
6 tbsp strawberry jam (or as needed / to fill cake)

Chocolate Drip

½ cup (80g) dark chocolate chips
⅓ cup (80ml) Amarula Raspberry & Chocolate Cream Liqueur (or cream)
1 tbsp golden syrup or honey

To decorate

10 fresh strawberries (halved, or as needed)
chocolate shavings

Method

Make the chocolate cake

1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and line three 8-inch (20cm) cake tins.
2
Put the flour, cocoa powder and sugar in large bowl. Add the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and stir together to combine.
3
Add the butter, eggs and buttermilk. Start beating on the lowest speed setting until the ingredients start to come together. Increase the speed gradually, until the batter is completely smooth. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.
4
Divide the batter between the cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes. Check the cake is done by inserting a skewer in the center – it should come out clean, the cake should be well risen golden and springy to the touch. Cool the cake completely before frosting.

Strawberry Frosting

5
Put the icing sugar, mascarpone, strawberry powder, vanilla in a mixing bowl. Add a little of the cream and start beating on lowest speed setting until ingredients have combined. Add the Amarula and gradually add remaining cream, increasing the mixing speed until frosting holds peaks.

Assemble the Cake

6
Pipe a ring of frosting around the edge of your bottom cake layer. Spread jam inside and then cover with another layer of frosting, spreading it gently to level. Repeat with the other two layers.
7
Smooth frosting over the entire cake until it is covered completely. Chill cake in the fridge.

Make the chocolate ganache

8
Combine the all the ingredients in a bowl and microwave for 40 seconds, stirring, until the chocolate has melted and the ganache is smooth. You can also do this over a double boiler if preferred. Allow the ganache to cool slightly.
9
Drizzle the ganache over the edge of the cake letting it drip down the sides. Spread the rest on top to cover cake.

Decorate the cake

10
Top your chocolate strawberry cake with sliced or whole fresh strawberries and sprinkle with chocolate shavings. You also have the option of piping some of the strawberry frosting on top of the cake if you like.

Notes

Freeze dried strawberry powder will add intense strawberry flavor to your frosting. Remember to seal the package afterwards as moisture can ruin it! You can also use other freeze dried fruit powders if you like. You can also use strawberry jam in the frosting instead of the powder, adding it a little at a time to avoid thinning the frosting too much. Replace the strawberry jam in the layers with fresh sliced strawberries if you like. This cake tastes best the day it is frosted and assembled but will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge.