Strawberry Chocolate Cake

This chocolate covered strawberry layer cake is a moist chocolate cake, layered with strawberry jelly and strawberry buttercream. It’s covered in a chocolate ganache drip and chocolate-covered strawberries for a Stunning cake!

This cake combines the amazing flavors of chocolate and strawberry. It brings out the “wow’s” from people due to both the taste and the looks.

It’s such a fun cake to put together and serve. It’s perfect for a holiday like Valentine’s Day! Nothing better than chocolate covered strawberries.

This Cake is made up of 5 elements:

• Chocolate cake
• Strawberry jelly
• Strawberry buttercream frosting
• Chocolate ganache
• Chocolate-covered strawberries

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder 
• 1 cup milk 
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil 
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

For the strawberry jelly (can use store-bought):

• 4 cups mashed strawberries
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 package strawberry-flavored gelatin

For the strawberry buttercream frosting:

• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1/4 cup Pureed Strawberries

For the Chocolate Ganache:

• two 4-ounce quality semi-sweet chocolate bars (113g each), finely chopped*
• 1 cup (8 ounces; 240ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream

For the chocolate covered strawberries:

• Chocolate ganache
• 6-8 strawberries

How to make it:

Cake:

• preheat oven to 350 degrees, spray 2 cake pams
• Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk through to combine or, using your paddle attachment, stir through flour mixture until combined well.
• Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water to the cake batter until well combined.
• Distribute cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the chocolate cake comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cool completely.

Stawberry Jelly:

• Stir together strawberries and sugar in a large saucepan; let stand 30 minutes.
• Bring strawberry mixture to a boil over medium heat; boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in gelatin until dissolved; cool completely (about 1 hour). 

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting:

• Mix Powdered Sugar and Butter in a mixer on low.
• Add Strawberry Puree and mix until the right consistency.

Chocolate Ganache:

• Place chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer. (Do not let it come to a rapid boil– that’s too hot!) Pour over chocolate, then let it sit for 2-3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate.
• With a metal spoon or small rubber spatula, very slowly stir until completely combined and chocolate has melted. The finer you chopped the chocolate, the quicker it will melt with the cream.

Assembly:

1. Place first layer of cake on the plate
2. Add the strawberry jam
3. Add the strawberry frosting on top
4. Put second layer of cake on top
5. Frost whole cake with strawberry buttercream frosting
6. Pour chocolate ganache into a squeeze container
7. Squeeze various amount around the rim of the cake(some long and some short)
8. Pour rest of ganache on top of the cake

• Let the ganache cool. Then pipe strawberry buttercream swirls around the cake(Wilton 2D tip)
• Place chocolate covered strawberries in each swirl

ENJOY!!