This chocolate covered strawberry cake has moist chocolate cake layers covered in strawberry buttercream and filled with chocolate strawberry ganache! This is the ultimate cake for chocolate covered strawberry lovers. You don't need a mixer to make the cake layers, and you can easily make all of the elements ahead of time!

A chocolate cake covered in strawberry frosting with chocolate filling on a small plate.

Save This Recipe! 💌

I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!

This chocolate covered strawberry cake is like my chocolate cake with strawberry filling and vanilla cake with strawberry frosting met, fell in love, and had a baby.

What I love about this cake is the perfect combo of chocolates and strawberries. It's a classic flavor for a reason, people!! Not only do you get the flavor from the cake and the frosting, but the chocolate ganache filling made with strawberries is just *chef's kiss*

You've got the extra moist dark chocolate cake layers (using my tried and true chocolate cake recipe!), covered in an American buttercream that's naturally pink and flavored thanks to freeze-dried strawberries.

Then I made a strawberry chocolate ganache, which is made with pureed strawberries (adapted from Dominique Ansel's great book 'Everyone Can Bake').

Looking for a cupcake version of this cake? Try my chocolate strawberry cupcakes instead!

Grab Your Ingredients!

All the ingredients needed to make a chocolate covered strawberry cake, weighed out into small bowls.

Cocoa Powder: try to use Dutch-processed cocoa powder if you can, as it reacts differently with leaveners than natural cocoa powder. Not sure what you've got in your pantry? Check that ingredient label! If it says 'alkali' or 'acidity regulators', then it's Dutch-processed.
Neutral Oil: the secret to a super moist and fluffy cake? Oil! Make sure you use a neutral oil like sunflower oil, vegetable oil or canola oil. We don't want an oil that has a strong flavor.
Buttermilk: another lil secret ingredient I love using when I'm developing recipes is buttermilk! The acidity of buttermilk makes the cake softer, plus it gives it a slight tangy flavor.
Unsalted Butter: you'll mainly need butter for the frosting, but you'll need a little bit for the strawberry ganache too. The butter will help smooth out the ganache and give it more stability.
Heavy Cream: adding an equal amount of heavy cream to the chocolate is what will make the base of this ganache (and all chocolate ganache!)
Chocolate: try to use good quality baking chocolate, no chocolate chips, please! Chocolate chips have emulsifiers in them to help them not melt (it's why you can add them to chocolate chips and you don't end up with puddles of chocolate). I recommend using something that is around 65-72% cocoa.
Freeze-Dried Strawberries: using freeze-dried strawberries means we will have a naturally pink frosting that also packs a punch of strawberry flavor! Please don't use frozen strawberries, it isn't the same thing! These freeze-dried strawberries have had all the moisture removed from them, so they're perfect to add to frostings.

Need a Substitute?

Chocolate Filling: if you don't really want to make the ganache, don't have the time, etc., then feel free to just fill the cake with more of the frosting! You could also use strawberry jam or my strawberry cake filling.
Buttermilk: you can swap out the buttermilk for an equal amount of sour cream.
Other Fruits: swap out the freeze-dried strawberries for raspberries or any other freeze-dried fruit!

Let's Make This Cake!

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350ºF and grease and line two 8-inch baking pans with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

A jug with a whisk and buttermilk and oil.

Step 2: In a medium bowl or a jug, whisk the eggs with the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.

Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until combined. Then pour in the hot water, and carefully mix until smooth (it's a lot of batter!)

Unbaked chocolate cake in round cake pans.

Step 4: Pour the cake batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pans before removing to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Chopped chocolate and strawberry puree in a glass bowl.

Step 5: While the cake cools, make your strawberry ganache! Puree the fresh strawberries into a blender or food processor until smooth. Strain the strawberry puree through a fine mesh strainer to get rid of seeds, then place in a large bowl. Add the chopped chocolate to the strawberries.

Step 6: In a small saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat, bring the heavy cream to a simmer - don't boil it! Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and strawberries. Let sit for a few minutes, then whisk until smooth. Add the butter and whisk once more. Let sit until firm.

Whipped butter and powdered sugar in a glass bowl.

Step 7: Once everything is cooled and set, we can move on to the frosting! Beat the room temperature butter with the powdered sugar on low speed in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Once combined and sugar isn't going to go flying everywhere, increase the speed to medium-high until light and fluffy.

Strawberry buttercream in a large glass bowl.

Step 8: Stop the mixer. Add the vanilla extract, salt, and freeze-dried strawberry powder. Beat on high speed until well combined. Turn the speed to low and slowly pour in the heavy cream, until the frosting is spreadable and creamy!

Assembling Your Cake

Place the first cake layer down on your cake stand, plate, or whatever you're using. Using a piping bag fitted with a round tip, pipe a border of strawberry buttercream frosting around the edge of the cake. This helps the filling not seep out!

Spoon the chocolate ganache filling in the middle of the cake and use a small offset spatula to spread it around until you have an even layer.

Place the second cake layer on top of this. Frost the cake with the remaining buttercream top and sides of the cake and enjoy! You can decorate the top of the cake with chocolate-covered strawberries, fresh strawberries, or chocolate truffles.

A chocolate covered covered in strawberry frosting on a cake stand.

My Top Baking Tips!

Let the Cake Cool: Look, I get it. You want this cake ready asap! But if you try and frost a still warm cake, all you'll get is melted frosting and tears. Let the cake cool completely before you begin assembling it.
Make the Ganache Asap: it takes a while for the ganache to set, so I recommend making it as soon as the cake is in the oven, or even beforehand! It'll take longer to set in the summer so keep that in mind.
Triple Layer Cake: if you want to make this cake even more dramatic, you can turn it into a 3-layer cake. Just divide the batter evenly between three 8-inch cake pans and bake, they'll probably need a little less time in the oven! It does mean that the cake layers will be thinner, so keep that in mind.
Chocolate Ganache Drip: if you want even more drama for this chocolate strawberry cake, add a chocolate drip! Use the recipe from my Oreo drip cake.
Chocolate Strawberry Truffles: Surprise! You can use the strawberry chocolate ganache to make truffles to decorate your cake! How fancy is that? Place any leftover ganache in the fridge to really firm up. Scoop into balls and roll in your hands to create a ball, then roll the truffle in cocoa powder.

Want to Make This Ahead of Time?

You can make all the elements of this strawberry chocolate cake ahead of time. Let the cake layers cool completely, then tightly wrap in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature for 3-4 days. You can also place the plastic-wrapped cake in a ziploc bag and freeze it for up to 2 months. Let thaw in the fridge before assembling.

Make the frosting and place in an airtight container. Place in the fridge for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let thaw at room temperature, you may have to rewhip with a stand mixer or a handheld electric mixer to get the right frosting texture though!

For the strawberry chocolate ganache, keep in an airtight container in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before filling your cake.

A slice of chocolate cake covered in strawberry frosting being lifted out with a cake server.

Want more chocolate desserts?

Ella from Alpine Ella is holding a cake stand with cupcakes on it.

Made This Recipe?

Make sure to leave a ⭐️ rating and review below! You can tag me on Instagram @alpineella or follow along on Pinterest, Facebook and TikTok!

Thank you!

Ella