There's cake, and then there's cake. If you're looking for the latter, this chocolate cake with strawberry filling brings the "wow" factor. Judge it by its cover, and the silky smooth, homemade chocolate ganache would already win you over. But cut into this moist, two-layer cake to find an amazingly juicy and flavorful roasted strawberry filling. Everything about this dessert is a win for chocolate lovers and strawberry fans, too.
Whether you're celebrating Valentine's Day, another special occasion, or just looking to make an elevated dessert, I highly recommend whipping up this recipe (or this recipe for chocolate fudge cupcakes if you're looking for something similar but smaller).
People will be so impressed you made this cake at home, and it really is easy, with simple parts that come together to create such a delish end result.
For more chocolate recipes like this one, try my chocolate mascarpone mousse, chocolate sprinkle cake, or small batch chocolate buttercream. Along these same lines is my no-bake chocolate cream pie, which is so so good!
Below are all the steps for making the moist chocolate cake recipe and dreamy frosting.
🍰 But if you need some variety and less chocolate, my strawberry filled vanilla cupcakes and vanilla cake with strawberry filling are excellent alternatives for vanilla fans.
Jump to:
- Chocolate Cake Ingredients
- Pro Tip for Even Cake Layers
- Steps for Baking this Moist Chocolate Cake
- Recipe Shortcut
- Instructions for the Roasted Strawberry Filling
- Instructions for Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- Cake Assembly Instructions
- Best Results: Baking in Grams
- FAQ for this Strawberry Filled Cake
- Cake Storage Instructions
- Tips for Perfecting this Chocolate Strawberry Cake
- More Delicious Dessert Recipes
- Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Filling
Chocolate Cake Ingredients
In the recipe card below, you'll find all the ingredients you need for making moist chocolate cake layers. I highlight a few of the key ones and why they're important.
- Fresh strawberry filling - By roasting strawberries, we soften their texture and release some of their water, leaving us with lots of pure strawberry flavor.
- Dutch processed cocoa powder - Also known as alkalized cocoa powder, this dark cocoa powder has been treated with an alkalizing agent. As a result, it's a lot less acidic-tasting than natural cocoa powder. Dutch processed powder has a milder flavor and less bitterness. Because the alkalization process makes this cocoa powder less acidic and more neutral, it reacts with baking powder and not soda.
- Espresso powder - Espresso powder enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Canola or vegetable oil (or another flavorless oil) - While I often use unsalted butter in baked goods, this recipe relies on oil for much of its fat content. Oil helps keep these layers moist for days! Canola is also a neutral-flavored oil. This is important because you don't want an oil with a distinct taste - like olive oil - to overpower the chocolate flavor.
- Buttermilk - Buttermilk is a common ingredient in chocolate cake recipes because it helps tenderize and moisten the cake. Also, due to its acidity, it reacts with baking soda, which creates carbon dioxide bubbles that help the cake rise. Buttermilk adds a tanginess that can really enhance the flavor of chocolate baked goods.
- Hot water - Hot coffee or hot water are often used in chocolate cake recipes to enhance the chocolate flavor and create a moist texture. Mixing cocoa powder with a hot liquid helps to release the powder's natural oils, intensifying the richness of flavor.
Pro Tip for Even Cake Layers
I use these bake even strips on most of my cakes. They help cake rise evenly during baking.
If you want to do the same, start soaking strips in water before proceeding with the recipe.
Steps for Baking this Moist Chocolate Cake
Preheat your oven to 350°F and dive into the steps below.
Step 1: Line two eight inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
Alternatively, you can generously butter the pans and coat with cocoa powder or use non-stick baking spray.
Unlike some recipes for vanilla or light-colored cakes, we don't flour the pans for this chocolate strawberry cake recipe. The white flour would contrast with the dark brown color of the layers, so cocoa powder is necessary.
Step 2: To a large bowl, add and whisk together all-purpose flour, brown sugar and granulated sugar, dutch processed cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and kosher salt. Set aside.
Step 3: In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together your vanilla extract, eggs, greek yogurt or sour cream, buttermilk, and oil.
Step 4: Pour your hot water into the bowl of dry ingredients (flour mixture) so your cocoa powder can bloom. Mix until fully combined. Then pour bowl of other ingredients to this one and mix again until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
Step 5: Pour and evenly divide cake batter into your prepared cake pans (about 515 grams in each pan). Bake for 35-40 minutes or until layers bounce back at the touch of your finger.
Step 6: For best results, let cake cool in pans for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Recipe Shortcut
If you don't have time to roast the strawberries, replace the steps below with your favorite store-bought strawberry jam!
Instructions for the Roasted Strawberry Filling
I personally like roasting the strawberries one day and assembling cake layers the following or vice versa to break things up.
Preheat oven to 375°F to create your filling and follow the below steps.
Step 1: Toss fresh strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
Step 2: Spread berries out onto an aluminum or metal pan to bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping berries halfway through.
Step 3: Once berries have a soft, syrupy consistency, remove from oven.
Step 4: Transfer roasted strawberries to a heatproof bowl and let cool in refrigerator.
Note that bake time varies depending on the pan and how it conducts heat. For instance, strawberries in a metal dish will bake faster than ones in glass.
Instructions for Chocolate Ganache Frosting
Step 1: Pour your heavy cream and chocolate pieces into a medium-sized heatproof bowl that you can place over a pot on the stove. You'll add enough water to the pot to fully cover the bottom (2 cups or so should do it) before placing your bowl of chocolate and cream on top of it. You've just created a double boiler!
Step 2: Now with your double-boiler, whisk chocolate and cream occasionally until smooth as the hot water in the pot gently melts your chocolate mixture.
Step 3: Once mixture has a smooth consistency, carefully remove the bowl from the pot – it will be very hot.
Step 4: Pour the melted chocolate into the bowl of your stand mixer (fitted with the paddle attachment), along with room temperature cream cheese and vanilla extract. Mix everything together for about 1 minute. It will look initially lumpy.
Step 5: Lastly, beat in powdered sugar. The final texture will look like a thick pudding.
Step 6: Put frosting into a piping bag fitted with round tip.
Cake Assembly Instructions
Step 1: Pipe or spread a dollop of the chocolate frosting onto a cake circle to act as glue to hold the layer in place.
Step 2: Set first cake layer on top of the cake circle on your cake turntable.
Step 3: Pipe about a third of your frosting on top of the bottom layer, and evenly spread ganache with an offset cake spatula or large metal spoon.
Step 4: Create a thick piping border to contain your filling.
Step 5: Spread all of your roasted strawberry filling inside the border. The border should be the height of the strawberries so that they don’t leak out!
Step 6: Place second cake layer on top of the first.
Step 7: Then, starting from the base of the cake and moving to the top, pipe a thick layer of frosting all around your cake’s sides and top.
Step 8: Use a cake spatula to smooth out the ganache on top of the cake.
Step 9: Alternate using the spatula and a cake scraper against the sides of the cake to gently smooth out bubbles in the frosting.
Step 10: Use an open star tip on a piping bag to decorate any sections you'd like with remaining ganache. Add sliced strawberries to top of cake if desired.
Best Results: Baking in Grams
If you’re not already, use a kitchen scale for accuracy in baking.
While I include cups and grams in my recipe cards, weighing your ingredients and writing or following a recipe using a standard metric like grams ensures consistency.
I highly recommend investing $30 or less in a kitchen scale.
FAQ for this Strawberry Filled Cake
This chocolate cake is delicious and moist, but that makes it easier to accidentally pull crumbs from it into the ganache.
To prevent that, I freeze my cake layers in plastic wrap for at least an hour (usually overnight) before coating them with frosting. A chilled cake holds its crumbs better than a room temperature one.
This will not affect or damage the flavor.
Ingredients like eggs, butter, and other dairy products are important in trapping air into your baked goods as you mix the batter or dough for them. That air expands during the baking process in the oven. This can mean the difference between a dense and crumbly cake and a nice, fluffy one. So you should always bake with room temperature ingredients if a recipe calls for it. This one does.
Cake Storage Instructions
Serving and refrigerating - This cake will remain most fresh if stored in the refrigerator for no more than five days.
If possible, bring out the cake about 30 minutes before serving so that it can reach room temperature. This will make it more moist, giving it the best flavor and texture.
Freezing - Even with the filling, this cake will freeze pretty well for 3 months. Store slices in wax or parchment paper in an airtight container.
Tips for Perfecting this Chocolate Strawberry Cake
- Let cake layers cool before assembling cake. If the layers are still warm when you pipe frosting onto them or try to add the strawberry filling, you'll regret it. The frosting may melt, and the warm cake's texture won't be quite sturdy enough to hold the strawberry filling well.
- For a more flavorful dessert, eat cake the next day. The added time allows the flavors to meld together longer, resulting in a stronger taste.
More Delicious Dessert Recipes
- Raspberry Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Mini Strawberry Bundt Cakes with Strawberry Icing
- Old Fashioned Carrot Cake with Pineapple
- Biscoff Crumble Cake with Cookie Butter Frosting
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Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Filling
Chocolate lovers will especially enjoy this easy recipe for moist chocolate cake with strawberry filling. It's great for Valentine's Day, another special occasion, or just for fun.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cake Assembly Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 1 8-inch, 2-layer cake 1x
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cup (200 grams) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ⅓ cup + 3 tablespoons (45 grams) dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1 cup (215 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoons kosher salt
- ⅔ cup (145 grams) canola oil
- 3 full eggs at room temperature
- ¼ cup (45 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (80 grams) buttermilk, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons (50 grams) full fat greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 tablespoons vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup (150 grams) water, very hot (nearly boiling)
Roasted Strawberry Filling
- 8 oz strawberries
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice, bottled or fresh
- Pinch of salt
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
- 225 grams of chopped dark chocolate, between 50 and 60% cacao
- 8 oz/226 grams/1 block of Philadelphia cream cheese, room temperature
- ⅓ cup (80 grams) heavy cream
- 2 cups (250 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter and coat two 8” round cake pans with cocoa powder or coat them with baking release spray. I use damp cake strips on my pans for more evenly baked layers.
- To a large bowl, add and whisk together all-purpose flour, brown and granulated sugar, dutch processed cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and kosher salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your vanilla extract, eggs, greek yogurt or sour cream, buttermilk, and oil.
- Pour your hot water into the bowl of dry ingredients so your cocoa powder can bloom. Mix until fully combined, and then pour bowl of other ingredients to this one and mix again until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Pour and evenly spread the batter into your prepared cake pans (about 515 grams in each pan). Bake for 35-40 minutes or until layers bounce back at the touch of your finger.
- Let cakes cool in pans for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Roasted Strawberry Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Toss berries, lemon juice, sugar, and salt in a bowl before spreading them out into an aluminum or metal pan to bake for about 20 minutes, flipping berries halfway through.
- Once they’re softened and have a syrupy consistency, remove from oven and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Let cool in refrigerator.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting & Cake Assembly
- Create a double boiler on your stovetop, using a medium-sized heatproof bowl on top of a similarly sized pot full of gently boiling water. Pour your heavy cream and chocolate pieces into the heatproof bowl and whisk occasionally until smooth.
- Then pour that into your mixing bowl, along with room temperature cream cheese and vanilla extract. Mix everything together for about 1 minute. It will look initially lumpy.
- Lastly, beat in powdered sugar. The final texture will look like a thick pudding.
- Put frosting into piping bag fitted with round tip.
- Pipe or spread a dollop of cream cheese frosting onto a cake circle to act as glue to hold the layer in place. Set first cake layer on top of that.
- Pipe about a third of your frosting on top of the bottom layer and spread evenly with a cake spatula or large metal spoon. Create thick piping border to hold in filling and spread all of your roasted strawberry filling inside the border. The border should be the height of the strawberries so that they don’t leak out!
- Place second cake layer on top of the first. Then, starting from the base of the cake and moving to the top, pipe a thick layer of frosting all around your cake’s sides and top.
- Use a cake spatula to smooth out the ganache on the cake's top. Alternate using this and a cake scraper against the side of the cake to gently pull the cake around to smooth out bubbles in the frosting.
- Use an open star tip on a piping bag to decorate any sections you'd like with remaining ganache. Top with sliced strawberries if desired.
Notes
- This cake would provide approximately 16 slices based on typical serving sizes for an 8-inch, two-layer cake.
- Note that the nutritional information is approximate and can vary based on specific ingredient brands and measurements.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 445 kcal
- Sugar: 33.5 grams
- Sodium: 292 mg
- Fat: 25.8 grams
- Saturated Fat: 10.9 grams
- Unsaturated Fat: 14.9 grams
- Carbohydrates: 52.1 grams
- Fiber: 2.1 grams
- Protein: 5.4 grams
- Cholesterol: 72 mg
Leslie
This is one of the most delicious cakes I've EVER tasted...love the website, the helpful tips, the great photos, and the ideas the produce treats that are completely out of the ordinary. I mean, roasting strawberries? And what could be better than the combination of strawberries and chocolate? ❤️🍓🍫 Thank you, Susan, for another wonderful recipe!
Susan Gravatt
Hi, Leslie! Thanks so much for the very generous and thoughtful review. It is truly a treat to share these recipes and desserts with you. 🙂 Appreciate your support, encouragement, and taste-testing! ❤️