Chocolate Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Filling
This chocolate strawberry cake has moist chocolate cake layers filled with a thick, real strawberry filling and topped with strawberry cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
For the chocolate cake
- 3 Eggs
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup Cocoa powder
- 1 ¾ cups Granulated sugar
- ½ cup Sour cream
- ¾ cup Buttermilk
- ⅔ cup Vegetable oil
- 2 cups Flour
- 2 teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- ¾ cup Coffee hot
For the strawberry filling
- 2 cups Strawberries
- ¼ cup Granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
For the strawberry cream cheese frosting
- 1 cup Butter soft, unsalted
- 5.3 oz Cream cheese full fat
- 5 cups Powdered sugar
- ¼ cup Strawberry compote
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
Instructions
Make the chocolate sponge
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper and grease the sides.
- Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, sour cream, buttermilk, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until completely smooth.
- Dry Ingredients: Sift the all-purpose flour, Dutch-process cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt directly into the wet ingredients. Whisk just until visible streaks of flour disappear.
- Bloom: Pour the hot coffee directly into the batter. Whisk gently until smooth and uniform. Note: The batter will be very thin and liquid—this is exactly right.
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly between your two pans using a kitchen scale for precision. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Run a thin spatula around the edges of the pans to release the cakes. Invert them onto a wire rack to cool completely before assembly.
Make the strawberry filling
- Simmer: Combine the chopped strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Once bubbling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Thicken: In a small bowl, whisk your cornstarch with a splash of water to form a smooth slurry. Pour this into the simmering berries and stir continuously for 2 minutes until the mixture turns glossy and thick. Cool completely to room temperature.
Make the strawberry cream cheese frosting
- Cream: Beat the softened cream cheese and unsalted butter in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer until smooth, fluffy, and aerated.
- Incorporate: Gradually add the powdered sugar on low speed until fully mixed in. Add a portion of your cooled strawberry reduction, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Beat on medium speed until smooth, uniform, and holdable.
Assembly
- Place your first leveled cake layer on a turntable or cake stand. Fill a pastry bag with a portion of the frosting and pipe a thick ring around the top outer edge to create a secure "dam."
- Pour the completely cooled strawberry filling into the center of the dam, spreading it evenly with an offset spatula.
- Top with the second cake layer, pressing down very gently to secure it. Frost the top and sides of the cake smoothly with the remaining frosting.
- For decoration, press paper-towel-dried fresh strawberry halves along the top or base of the frosting.
Notes
- Use a Kitchen Scale: Weighing your dry ingredients, especially the flour and cocoa, is critical for achieving a consistently moist, melt-in-your-mouth sponge. Cups can easily pack in too much flour, leading to a dense or dry cake.
- The Coffee Bloom: Use freshly boiled coffee. The heat is what physically "blooms" the cocoa solids, resulting in a significantly darker, richer sponge.
- Precision Weight: Always weigh your batter when dividing it between the pans. Even a 20g difference can lead to uneven baking heights and lopsided stacking.
- The Frosting Dam: Make your piped frosting border slightly higher than the strawberry filling. This prevents the fruit center from leaking through the sides under the weight of the top layer.
- Dry Your Berries: If garnishing with fresh strawberries, pat the cut sides thoroughly with a paper towel. This prevents fruit moisture from bleeding into your smooth cream cheese frosting.
Nutrition
Calories: 477kcalCarbohydrates: 93gProtein: 5gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 435mgPotassium: 181mgFiber: 2gSugar: 31gVitamin A: 675IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 88mgIron: 2mg
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