Decadent Chocolate Strawberry Cake | Jessica in the Kitchen

Why You Need to Make This Chocolate Strawberry Cake for Your Next Party

Everyone will want to know your baking secrets! (You’ll tell them you got the recipe from Jessica in the Kitchen, right?!) Here’s what makes it such a winner.

• Easily (and deliciously) vegan. This recipe has an easy egg substitute (apple cider vinegar reacts with the baking soda for lift) and there’s nothing else special you need to do to make it vegan, other than buying plant-based butter and milk. And it tastes just like a typical cake so non-vegans will love it too!
• Bakery-style look without the fuss. Drizzling ganache over the cake gives it a professional look without having to do any intricate piping and decorating.
• Timeless flavour. Strawberries and chocolate just work together, plain as that! I love how the real-fruit Strawberry Cake Filling complements the rich chocolate layers and ganache.

Notes on Ingredients

Many of the items you’ll need for this chocolate strawberry cake are pantry staples! Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

Strawberry Filling:

• Strawberries – Frozen or fresh will both work.
• Sugar
• Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed juice is best. It makes the flavour of the filing pop!
• Cornstarch – This is crucial for thickening the filling. Don’t skip it!
• Water
• Vanilla extract

Cake:

• Apple cider vinegar – Or white vinegar. This helps give the cake its light, fluffy texture.
• Soy milk – Let this come to room temperature. I like to use soy milk when baking cakes because the higher fat and protein help with the cake texture. That said, if you have a soy allergy, you can use another vegan milk.
• All-purpose flour
• Unsweetened cocoa powder – You can use natural cocoa powder for a more classic chocolate cake flavour, or Dutch process cocoa, which has a more intense flavour.
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Sea salt
• Brown sugar or cane sugar – Brown sugar has notes of caramel.
• Vegan butter – Melt this, then let it cool a bit before adding it to the recipe. You can use my homemade Vegan Butter if you’d like!
• Vanilla extract – Vanilla bean paste will also work.
• Hot coffee – Using brewed coffee intensifies the chocolate flavour of the cake. It does not make the cake taste like coffee!

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting:

• Vegan butter – Soften this to room temperature so it’s easy to beat into a fluffy frosting.
• Powdered sugar – Don’t have it on hand? Make Homemade Powdered Sugar!
• Vanilla extract
• Strawberry filling
• Vegan milk – Just make sure it’s unflavoured.

Chocolate Ganache:

• Canned coconut cream – Let this come to room temperature. If you can’t find canned coconut cream, use canned coconut milk; refrigerate it overnight, then scoop out the cream from the top of the can and let that come to room temperature.
• Dark chocolate – I recommend 70% cacao.

Decoration:

• Fresh strawberries – You’re using them for decoration, so make sure they look perfect!

How to Make Chocolate Strawberry Cake

This is a cake that’s easy to make in phases if you don’t have a single long stretch of time to get everything done from start to finish. You can prep the filling and cake layers the day before, then make the frosting and assemble the next day.

• Start the strawberry filling. Add the berries and sugar to a pan set over medium heat. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, then stir in the lemon juice and cook a few minutes more, until the strawberries are breaking down.
• Thicken it. Whisk the cornstarch and water in a small bowl, then stir this into the strawberry mixture. Cook a minute or two more until it thickens. Remove from heat, add the vanilla if you’re using it, and cool. Reserve 1/4 cup to whip into the frosting.

• Make the vegan buttermilk. Whisk together the vinegar and soy milk and set it aside to thicken.
• Whisk together the dry ingredients. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a bowl.
• Finish the batter. Beat in the vegan buttermilk, melted vegan butter, and vanilla extract on medium speed until just combined. Slowly whisk in the hot coffee.

• Bake. Divide the batter into round cake pans that have been greased and lined with parchment. Bake at 350ºF for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool completely before removing from the pans.
• Make the frosting. Beat the vegan butter and once it’s creamy, beat in the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla extract and strawberry filling and continue to beat. If the frosting is too thick, add vegan milk a tablespoon at a time.

• Make the chocolate ganache. Heat the coconut cream until it steams. Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let the mixture sit for a minute or two, then whisk together until glossy. Cool slightly.
• Assemble. Spread the strawberry filling over the first layer, then repeat with the second layer. Add the third layer, then frost and drizzle the ganache over the top. Decorate with the fresh strawberries. Set for an hour before slicing and serving.

Tips and Variations

I’ve got a few pointers and some variation ideas for this chocolate strawberry cake. 

• Even out the layers. If the cake layers are domed after baking, level them with a serrated knife. If you layer them without leveling first, your cake will have a big hump in the middle!
• Use an offset spatula for the frosting. If you don’t have one, a bench scraper works too. You need that large, flat surface to create a smooth finish.
• Dry the strawberries well. Make sure the strawberries for garnish are dried well. Otherwise, they’ll ruin the ganache and frosting and you don’t want that!
• Cook until the filling is thick. Keep in mind that it will thicken a bit as it cools, but you do want that filling to be THICK (much thicker than Strawberry Jam!) so it sits on top of the cake layers rather than sinking in.
• Try another frosting. You can use my Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting, or skip the ganache and go with Vegan Chocolate Frosting.

How to Store

• Room temperature: Store this chocolate strawberry cake at room temperature for up to a day—and only if it’s not hot in your kitchen. (If it is hot in your kitchen, refrigerate it!)
• Refrigerator: Loosely cover the cake with plastic wrap or transfer leftovers to an airtight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. (If you’re making this ahead for a party, I don’t recommend storing it for more than a day or two for maximum freshness.)
• Freezer: It’s best to freeze the layers and filling separately if you’re freezing for advance prep. But if you’re freezing leftovers, wrap the slices individually in plastic wrap, then place the slices in a freezer bag or airtight container. They’ll keep for up to 3 months; thaw in the refrigerator before serving.