Chocolate Strawberry Layer Cake with Luscious Ganache

This Easy Chocolate Strawberry Cake is simple to make, tastes amazing, and can be ready in under an hour. A tender chocolate cake is layered with a bright, homemade strawberry buttercream and finished with a glossy chocolate ganache. It’s an elegant, crowd-pleasing dessert that’s perfect for celebrations or any time you want something special.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

The Cake: This version starts with a boxed chocolate mix enhanced with a few extra ingredients that yield a moist, tender crumb. You can use a from-scratch chocolate cake instead if you prefer.

The Frosting: The strawberry buttercream uses real cooked strawberries for authentic flavor and a natural pink hue. A few drops of concentrated strawberry oil amplify the taste for a true strawberry profile.

The Ganache: A simple pourable ganache made from chocolate and heavy cream gives a rich, silky finish and creates lovely drips down the sides.

Perfect Pairing: Chocolate and strawberry are a classic combination—this cake highlights both with balanced layers and bright, fresh flavor.

What Goes Into This Recipe

Overview: The recipe breaks down into three components: the chocolate cake layers, the strawberry buttercream, and the chocolate ganache. Basic pantry staples plus fresh or thawed strawberries are all you need.

Key Ingredients: boxed chocolate cake mix (or homemade cake), vegetable oil, sour cream, heavy cream, eggs, cocoa powder, and optional espresso powder for depth. For the buttercream: butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, cooked strawberries, and optional strawberry oil and neon pink gel for color. For the ganache: heavy cream and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Finish with fresh strawberries, sprinkles, crushed chocolate, or candies.

1. Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Prepare two 8-inch cake pans with nonstick baking spray and a light dusting of flour.
2. Step 2: Combine oil, vanilla, sour cream, heavy cream, and eggs in a bowl or mixer. Stir in the boxed cake mix, cocoa powder, and espresso powder if using until smooth.
3. Step 3: Divide batter between the pans and bake 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before assembling.

1. Step 1: In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup strawberries, 1/4 cup water, and a pinch of salt. Heat over medium, mashing as it boils until reduced to about 1/4 cup (3–4 minutes). Cool completely.
2. Step 2: In a stand mixer, beat 1 1/2 cups softened butter until creamy. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, 6 1/2 cups powdered sugar, and 5 tablespoons heavy cream, mixing until smooth and spreadable.
3. Step 3: Fold in the cooled strawberry reduction, then add 3–4 drops of concentrated strawberry oil if desired, and a few drops of neon pink gel to deepen color. Adjust texture with more powdered sugar or cream as needed.

1. Assemble: Place the first cake layer on a board with a dab of buttercream to hold it. Spread an even layer of strawberry buttercream, top with the second layer, and fill any gaps. Chill 10 minutes to set.
2. Finish: Frost the outside with the remaining buttercream. For a very smooth finish, do a thin crumb coat, chill, then apply a final coat (this requires additional frosting).
3. Ganache: In a microwave-safe bowl combine 1/4 cup heavy cream and 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth, then pour over the chilled cake and let it drip down the sides.
4. Decorate: Before the ganache firms, arrange fresh strawberries, sprinkles, crushed chocolate, or candies on top.

Expert Tips

• Level the cakes: If the layers dome while baking, trim the tops with a serrated knife for flat, even layers.
• Make it smooth: For a sharp edge and perfectly smooth finish, double the buttercream, do a crumb coat, chill, and then apply your final layer.
• Boost strawberry flavor: Start with 2 drops of concentrated strawberry oil, taste, and add up to 4 drops if desired—a little goes a long way.
• Extra filling: Add a thin layer of strawberry jam or sliced berries between the cake layers for more fruit flavor.
• Frozen strawberries: Thawed frozen berries work fine for the buttercream but are not ideal for garnish.
• Storage: Store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Keep slices tightly covered to prevent drying out.

Keep the cake or slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Chilling preserves freshness and keeps the buttercream stable.

Enhance boxed mixes by adding sour cream, heavy cream, an extra egg, vanilla, a bit of cocoa powder, and optional espresso powder to deepen the chocolate flavor and improve texture.

Yes. Use thawed, drained frozen strawberries for the buttercream. Fresh berries are recommended for decorating so they hold their shape and color.

Notes and Nutrition

Notes: If you prefer a homemade cake, use your favorite chocolate cake recipe. If you don’t have extra ingredients to enrich a boxed mix, follow the package directions. The strawberry reduction can be blended smooth with an immersion blender for a uniform buttercream color and texture.

Nutrition (approx. per serving): Calories: 553 kcal; Carbohydrates: 67 g; Protein: 4 g; Fat: 31 g; Saturated Fat: 17 g; Sugar: 56 g. These values are estimates and will vary by ingredients and portion sizes.