Strawberries and chocolate are a naturally wonderful combination and this strawberry cake takes it to the next level. The cake is also a pretty pink hue. A wonderfully light dessert at the end of a good meal.
This recipe is fun. I baked this cake for a friend when they came to visit me in once I moved to Phoenix. My friend asked for a cake for her long term boyfriend and his favorite flavor was strawberry. I didn’t want to just put it in the filling so I made him a cake chock-full of strawberries. He loved it.Â
In this recipe
This recipe calls for a lot of chocolate and a lot of strawberries. One thing to note right away is that strawberries will not change the color of the cake or frosting that vivid of a pink although it will give a pinkish hue. Food coloring will be your friend for this recipe. You can either use pink or red food coloring since the batter and cake are light in color you will get nice pink when it is done.Â
The first thing you want to do is cook down a pound of strawberries. The good thing is they don’t need to look pretty just taste good. This is going to take about 20 minutes as you have to cook on a medium-low heat to prevent scorching. Additionally, this is what is going to give your cake a nice strawberry flavor. They will cook down to almost resemble a paste, and that is EXACTLY what we are looking for. 20
When you are making the buttercream frosting you will be adding a lot of white chocolate. Now normally I am not a fan of white chocolate but in frosting it is almost as addicting as cream cheese frosting. All you carrot and red velvet cake folks know just what I mean. It is important to make sure that the melted white chocolate has cooled so that it does not melt the softened butter. The icing might look a little stiff before adding the strawberry puree but that will change once it is added.Â
The chocolate ganache is what pulls this dessert together to make it almost like one big chocolate covered strawberry. If you double the amount you can put a layer of it on both cakes. For the first layer put it directly on the cake and then put the buttercream on top before adding the second cake. You want to add the hot cream to the chocolate and let it rest for at least 7 minutes to cool. Don’t worry the heat from the cream will melt all of the chocolate.Â
Strawberry Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
- 2 9 inch cake pans
- Mixing Bowl
- Saucepan
- Spatula
- Blender
- Piping bag with tip
Ingredients
Strawberry Cake
- 2½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ cup sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup butter unsalted, softened
- 5 eggs room temperature
- ½ cup strawberry reduction
- ¾ cup milk room temperature
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- pink or red food coloring
White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 1½ cups butter unsalted, softened
- 1½ cups white chocolate melted, cooled
- 1½ lbs powdered sugar about 6 cups
- ¼ cup strawberry reduction
- pink or red food coloring
Chocolate Ganache
- ½ cup heavy cream
- â…” cup bittersweet chocolate
Strawberry Reduction
- 1 lb strawberries fresh, blended
Instructions
- In a saucepan heat the strawberry puree until it boils and reduce heat to medium-low. Stir occasionally until the strawberries have reduced to about ¾ a cup about 20-25 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven to 350°F or gas mark 4. Grease two 9 inch cake pans and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together and set aside.
- In a stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium-high beat the butter until light and add the sugar. Continue to beat until butter turns very pale and light. Add eggs in one at a time waiting a minute between each egg. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the vanilla and pink or red food coloring.
- Reduce the speed to low and starting with the flour alternate adding flour and milk in 2 parts. Wait until each addition has been just barely mixed in. Don't overmix. Add the cooled strawberry reduction and mix until combined. Split the batter evenly between the two pans and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick or knife inserted in the middle comes away clean.
- Allow the cake to cool on a rack in the pan for 10 minutes before removing and then allow to come to room temperature.
- While the cakes are cooling, using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, on medium-high speed, beat the butter until light. Add the melted and cooled white chocolate and beat until smooth. Reduce the speed to low and add the powdered sugar. Once all of the sugar has been incorporated increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy. Add the strawberry reduction and food coloring and beat until combined. Using a piping bag and spatula apply the frosting to a cool cake.
- Heat the cream in the microwave for 2 minutes or until it start to boil. Pour over the bittersweet chocolate and let sit for at least 7 minutes. Stir to combine. Pour over the top of the cake once the ganache has cooled a little.
