This chocolate covered strawberry cake is a layered brownie cake with strawberry frosting. The brownie cake is extra moist and rich chocolate cake. It is filled with strawberry cream cheese frosting made with freeze dried strawberries. It is topped with a chocolate drip and chocolate covered strawberries.
This chocolate covered strawberry is the exact cake I would want for Valentine's Day! It is a rich brownie cake with this incredible strawberry cream cheese frosting.
If you are looking for more strawberry recipes, try strawberry sheet cake, strawberry semi-naked cake, and strawberry filled cupcakes.
Why You Will Love This
- Chocolate brownie cake- This is a layered chocolate cake that has both cocoa powder and melted chocolate in the cake batter.
- Strawberry cream cheese frosting- The frosting is made with ground freeze dried strawberries to give it a strong natural strawberry flavor.
- Chocolate drip- You can't have a chocolate cake without a chocolate drip!
- Chocolate covered strawberries- On top is chocolate covered strawberries. This is optional, but it just pulls the whole cake together.
Ingredient Notes
- Dutch process cocoa powder- This is the one I used. You can also use Hershey's Dark dutch process cocoa powder.
- Oil- You can use canola or vegetable oil. You can also use olive oil.
- Buttermilk- You can also substitute 1 ¼ cup whole milk with 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice. Let it sit for 10 minutes before using.
- Eggs- Pull these out 2 hours before baking.
- Hot water- It needs to be steaming. You can also use hot coffee too.
- Cream cheese- Use full fat cream cheese. Pull this out 2 hours before baking.
- Powdered sugar- Make sure it is sifted to avoid a gritty frosting.
- Freeze dried strawberries- You need a 2 oz bag.
Step By Step Instructions
Here is how to make and bake this chocolate cake and strawberry frosting. For another great chocolate cake try this chocolate peanut butter cake.
STEP 1: Mix the wet ingredients together. Mix the oil, buttermilk, vanilla, melted chocolate, and eggs. Next, add in the hot water.
STEP 2: Mix the cake batter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Then, whisk until combined. Pour the batter into three 8 inch cake pans.
STEP 3: Bake the cake. The cake needs to be baked until a toothpick inserted comes clean (25-28 minutes). Cool the cake before decorating.
STEP 4: Beat the cream cheese and butter. Using a mixer, beat these two on high.
STEP 5: Add in the rest of the ingredients. Next, slowly mix in the powdered sugar and freeze dried strawberries. Add in heavy cream, salt, and vanilla.
Assembling the Cake Tips
First, the cake layers will be so much easier to frost if they are cold. Stick them in the freezer while you make the frosting.
Use 1 cup of frosting in each cake layer. Use an offset spatula to smooth the frosting down.
To avoid crumbs getting into the frosting, apply a very light layer of frosting over the cake. Then, freeze for 15 minutes to lock the crumbs in.
Then, you can frost the rest of the cake.
Decorating The Cake
If you want to do the chocolate drip, put the frosted cake in the freezer for 10 minutes first. This will help reduce the chocolate spilling all over the cake.
Make sure the chocolate ganache is room temperature before applying. This will also help prevent spilling all over the cake.
Next, pour half of the chocolate on top of the cake and use an offset spatula to push the chocolate over the sides for it to fall naturally.
If you are wanting enough frosting to pipe the decorations on top, see the recipe below.
Freeze the cake for 10 minutes before decorating.
Extra Frosting For Decorating
Use this recipe for extra frosting to decorate.
- 10oz Cream cheese
- 2 cup Unsalted butter
- 8 cups Powdered sugar
- 2 oz Freeze dried strawberries
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup Heavy cream
Strawberry Decoration
To make the chocolate covered strawberries, use chocolate melting wafers. I got mine from the grocery store.
This chocolate will harden quicker which make it ideal.
Make sure to use dry strawberries.
Put the chocolate strawberries on a cookie sheet with wax paper and let it harden before putting on top of the cake.
FAQ
They will be good for 1-3 days before staring to melt and the strawberries going bad.
Yes it can! Half the recipe to make 12 cupcakes.
You can make 3-4 thick 6 inch cake layers, two 9 inch cake layers, or 2 thin 10 inch layers. You can also use a 9x13 cake pan.
Storing and Freezing
This chocolate covered strawberry cake needs to be stored in the fridge in an airtight container. Store up to 5 days. This cake needs to be room temperature for best results when serving.
Freezing
The brownie cake layers can be frozen ahead of time. Wrap each cake layer in cling wrap and freeze up to 30 days.
Thaw for 1 hour before decorating.
The chocolate covered strawberry cake can be frozen in individual cake layers. Wrap the cake layers in cling wrap and freeze for 30 days.
Let the cake slices thaw for 1-2 hours before eating.
Other Cake Recipes To Try
Make sure to leave me a star review below!
Make sure to tag me on Instagram @stephaniesweettreats. I hope you loved it! To get more ideas follow me on Pinterest.
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake
Ingredients
Brownie Cake
- 2 ½ cups All-purpose flour
- 1 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 ¾ cup White granulated sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 3.5 oz Semi-sweet chocolate bar melted. I used Lindt 70%.
- ¾ cup Oil canola or vegetable
- 2 teaspoon 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 room temperature
- 1 ½ cups Unsalted butter slightly cold
- 6 cups Powdered sugar sifted
- 2 oz Freeze dried strawberries grounded
- 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ⅓ cup Heavy cream
Chocolate Drip
- 1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup Heavy cream
- Chocolate covered strawberries
Instructions
Brownie Cake
- Preheat oven 350°F. Spray three 8 inch cake pans with baking spray. Line the cake pans with 8 inch parchment circles. Spray again.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds until starting to melt. Melt for 15 second intervals. Mix well between each interval. Set aside to cool.3.5 oz Semi-sweet chocolate bar
- In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder. Add in sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.2 ½ cups All-purpose flour, 1 cup Dutch process cocoa powder, 1 ¾ cup White granulated sugar, 2 ½ teaspoon Baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoon Baking soda, 1 teaspoon Salt
- In a separate bowl, mix the oil, vanilla, buttermilk, eggs, and melted chocolate. Heat the water on the stove until steaming. Mix the hot water slowly into the wet ingredients. Go slow to not to cook the eggs.¾ cup Oil, 2 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract, 1 ¼ cup Buttermilk, 4 Large eggs, ¾ cup Hot water
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Whisk until just combined. Separate the batter between the three cake pans.
- Bake for 25-27 minutes. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let the cakes sit in the hot pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Cool completely before decorating.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Put the butter on the counter for 30 minutes to get slightly cool. While you wait, sift the powdered sugar in a large bowl. Ground the strawberries using a blender and add to the powdered sugar.1 ½ cups Unsalted butter, 6 cups Powdered sugar, 2 oz Freeze dried strawberries
- Using a mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese on high for 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl. Slowly add in the powdered sugar/grounded strawberries.8 oz Cream cheese
- Add in vanilla, salt, and heavy cream. Mix on low until combined. Switch to high and beat for 1-2 minutes.1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon Salt, ⅓ cup Heavy cream
Chocolate Drip
- Place the chocolate chips into a bowl. In a saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat the heavy cream until hot and steaming. Pour it over the chocolate chips.1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips, ¾ cup Heavy cream
- Let it sit for 1 minute to 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. If any chocolate chunks remain, heat in the microwave for 15 seconds. The chocolate needs to be room temperature before pouring over the cake. If it is warm, let it cool first.
Assembly
- Place the cake layers in the freezer for 30 minutes to chill before decorating. If any domes remain on the cakes. Use a serrated knife to cut the domes off so it is even.
- Place a small amount of the frosting on the board you are decorating. This will keep the cake in place.
- Place the first layer of cake down, spread 1 cup of frosting over the cake. Repeat with the second layer. Place the last layer on top of the cake.
- Apply a light layer of frosting over the cake. It should be very light you can see bits of the cake poking out. Freeze for 15 seconds to lock the crumbs into the frosting.
- Frost the rest of the cake. Freeze for 10 minutes.
- Apply the drip on the cake. Either use half of the chocolate ganache and spread the chocolate to the edge of the cake to let it flow naturally. Or you can use a squeeze bottle to drip the chocolate down.
- Top the cake with chocolate covered strawberries.Chocolate covered strawberries
Krista says
This looks delicious! Curious if you think I could make it two layers instead of three, and just bake it a bit longer?
Stephanie Rutherford says
Yes you can!
Alyssa Kristel says
I made this last week to celebrate Valentine's Day with my fiancé and it was sooo yummy! The best!
Gayathri Vijayanath says
Loved it .the chocolate cake is super moist..loved the frosting too..super delicious cake❤️
Menna Ahmed says
The cake was so moist and it tastes like a brownie in a cake and it pairs perfectly with strawberry frosting
Thank you
Menna Ahmed says
It was just perfect!!
Linda says
The brownie cake is so rich and soft.
Jordan says
This is such an amazing idea. The perfect mix of strawberry and chocolate. The real star of the show is the strawberry frosting in the middle. It is just divine! I can't stop eating it. I think I could eat it by the spoonful. Amazing.