Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake: A Decadent Delight
Indulge in this decadent Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake, featuring a moist brownie cake, luscious strawberry cream cheese frosting, and a rich chocolate drip, perfect for any celebration.
Equipment
- oven
- Baking spray
- parchment paper
- Microwave
- Bowls
- whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Cake pans (8-inch)
- cooling rack
- blender
- electric mixer
- saucepan
- Serving board
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 ¾ cup white granulated sugar
- 2 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 3.5 oz semi-sweet chocolate bar melted
- ¾ cup oil canola, vegetable, or olive
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup buttermilk room temperature
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup hot water steaming
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese full fat, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter slightly cold
- 6 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 2 oz freeze dried strawberries ground
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
Chocolate Drip
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup heavy cream
Decoration
- Chocolate melting wafers
- fresh strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare three 8-inch cake pans by spraying them with baking spray and lining them with parchment circles.
- Melt the semi-sweet chocolate bar in the microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring between each interval. Allow it to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour and cocoa powder. Add the granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then whisk to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, vanilla extract, buttermilk, eggs, and melted chocolate. Gradually mix in the steaming hot water until fully incorporated.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 25-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting
- Sift the powdered sugar into a large bowl and add the ground freeze-dried strawberries. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese on high speed for 2 minutes until smooth. Scrape down the bowl.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar and strawberry mixture to the creamed butter and cream cheese. Add the vanilla extract, salt, and heavy cream. Mix on low speed until combined, then beat on high for 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy.
Drip
- Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan until steaming. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips in a bowl and let it sit for 1-30 seconds. Stir until smooth, microwaving for an additional 15 seconds if needed to melt any remaining chunks. Cool to room temperature.
Assembly
- Chill the cake layers in the freezer for 30 minutes. Trim the domes from the cake layers if necessary. Place a small amount of frosting on your serving board and top with the first cake layer. Spread 1 cup of frosting over it, then repeat with the second layer. Place the third layer on top.
- Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting to the entire cake and freeze for 15 minutes to set. Apply the remaining frosting to cover the cake smoothly. Freeze for another 10 minutes.
- Pour the cooled chocolate drip over the top of the cake, allowing it to cascade down the sides. Decorate the top with chocolate-covered strawberries.
Notes
For the best frosting texture, ensure your cream cheese is full-fat and at room temperature. Sifting the powdered sugar is crucial to avoid a gritty consistency. It's recommended to have eggs and cream cheese at room temperature for optimal baking results. Ensure the hot water used in the cake batter is steaming. The chocolate ganache for the drip should be cooled to room temperature before application to prevent it from being too runny. Chilling the cake layers before decorating will greatly improve stability. Using freeze-dried strawberries for grinding will impart a concentrated, natural strawberry flavor. Chocolate melting wafers are ideal for decoration as they harden quickly. If buttermilk is unavailable, a substitute can be made by mixing 1 1/4 cups of whole milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and letting it sit for 10 minutes.