Chocolate Cake With Strawberries And Icing

Look, I’m not saying this chocolate cake with strawberries will change your life, but I’m not NOT saying that either. If you’ve ever found yourself mindlessly scrolling through Instagram food porn at 11 PM while your stomach growls in protest, this recipe is your salvation. It’s the kind of cake that makes people think you have your life together (even if your laundry has been sitting in the dryer for three days).

Why This Recipe is Awesome

First off, this cake hits that perfect sweet spot between “impressive enough for company” and “I didn’t have to sell a kidney to make it.” The chocolate-strawberry combo is basically the Beyoncé and Jay-Z of flavor pairings – iconic, rich, and everyone’s obsessed with them.

Plus, it’s genuinely hard to mess up. You don’t need to be a pastry chef to nail this recipe – just someone who can read instructions and resist eating all the chocolate before it makes it into the batter. The fresh strawberries cut through the richness of the chocolate, making it the perfect dessert for people who say annoying things like “it’s too sweet for me” (we all know one).

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (the regular stuff, nothing fancy)
• 1¾ cups granulated sugar (aka the good stuff)
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (the darker, the better)
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder (it’s not optional, trust me)
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda (different from baking powder, don’t mix them up)
• 1 teaspoon salt (yes, salt belongs in sweet things, it’s not a mistake)
• 2 large eggs (room temperature, not straight from the fridge)
• 1 cup buttermilk (or regular milk with a splash of vinegar if you forgot to buy buttermilk, again)
• ½ cup vegetable oil (makes it moist—sorry if you hate that word)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (the real stuff, not that imitation nonsense)
• 1 cup hot coffee (brings out the chocolate flavor, even if you hate coffee)

For the icing:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (patience, grasshopper—truly soft butter matters)
• 4 cups powdered sugar (yes, that much)
• ½ cup cocoa powder (for maximum chocolate impact)
• ¼ cup heavy cream (don’t substitute this unless you want sad icing)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (again, the real deal)
• Pinch of salt (trust the process)

For topping:

• 1 pound fresh strawberries (the redder, the better)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar (for macerating—fancy word for “making them juicy”)
• Optional: chocolate shavings (for when you’re feeling extra)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prep your workspace. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Pro tip: This is not the time to “wing it” with the parchment paper.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Try not to create a cocoa dust storm in your kitchen (unlike me, every single time).
3. Add the wet team. Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla to the dry mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Your batter should look like a chocolate milkshake at this point.
4. Coffee time. Stir in the hot coffee. Yes, the batter will be thin. No, you didn’t mess up. This is how it’s supposed to look.
5. Bake it up. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. If it comes out covered in batter, keep baking. If it comes out clean, you’ve gone too far (moment of silence).
6. Cool your jets. Allow cakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Seriously, don’t rush this step unless you want your icing to slide off like a sad chocolate waterfall.
7. Prepare the strawberries. While cakes are cooling, hull and slice strawberries, then toss with sugar in a bowl. Let them sit and get all juicy while you make the icing.
8. Make the icing. Beat softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. Beat until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. If your arm gets tired, remember this counts as your workout for the day.
9. Assemble the masterpiece. Place one cake layer on your serving plate. Spread a layer of icing, then add a layer of sliced strawberries. Top with the second cake layer. Cover the whole thing with remaining icing, reserving a little if you want to pipe decorations.
10. Decorate. Arrange remaining strawberries on top and around the base of the cake. Add chocolate shavings if you’re feeling fancy. Take approximately 47 photos for social media before anyone’s allowed to eat it.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using cold eggs and butter – Unless you enjoy unnecessary arm workouts, bring these ingredients to room temperature before starting. Your mixer will thank you.

Skipping the parchment paper – “I’ll just grease the pan really well,” said everyone who later had to serve cake chunks instead of slices.

Opening the oven constantly – Your cake is not a reality TV show that needs to be monitored every 2 minutes. The oven temperature drops each time you peek!

Icing a warm cake – This is the express route to Disappointment City, population: you. Patience is a virtue that results in prettier cakes.

Forgetting to strain your strawberry juice – Unless you’re going for the “my cake is bleeding” Halloween aesthetic, drain those macerated berries before adding them to the layers.

Alternatives & Substitutions

No buttermilk? Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. Boom—fake buttermilk that works just fine.

Coffee hater? You can use hot water instead, but FYI, you won’t taste the coffee in the final cake—it just enhances the chocolate. But you do you.

Strawberry alternatives? Raspberries work beautifully here. Blackberries too, if you don’t mind the seeds. Sliced bananas are also great if you’re going for a more retro vibe.

Gluten concerns? A good quality cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend works surprisingly well in this recipe. Your gluten-free friends will weep tears of joy.

Vanilla extract too pricey? (And it is these days, sheesh.) Almond extract can be a nice switch-up, but use half the amount as it’s stronger.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Can I make this cake in advance?
Absolutely! The cake layers actually benefit from being made a day ahead and wrapped in plastic wrap. The fully assembled cake (with icing) is best enjoyed within 24 hours, though, as the strawberries start to weep.

Do I really need an electric mixer?
I mean, if you want to channel your inner 19th-century baker and whisk by hand, who am I to stop you? But an electric mixer will save your arm and give you a fluffier result.

My cake sank in the middle. What went wrong?
First, accept my condolences. This usually happens from opening the oven door too early, underbaking, or overmixing the batter. The good news? Icing covers a multitude of sins.

Can I freeze leftover cake?
Theoretically yes, practically no—because when has there ever been leftover chocolate cake? But if this unicorn situation occurs, freeze slices unwrapped until firm, then wrap in plastic and foil for up to 2 months.

My strawberries look sad and out of season. Should I still use them?
If your strawberries look like they’ve already lived a full life, consider using frozen (thawed and well-drained) or swapping for whatever berry looks best at the market. Off-season strawberries are just expensive disappointments.

Is this cake healthy?
It has fruit in it. Next question.

Final Thoughts

Look, we both know this chocolate strawberry cake isn’t going to solve world peace or pay your bills, but it WILL make whatever day you serve it approximately 87% better. Whether you’re making it for a special occasion or just because it’s Tuesday and you deserve nice things, this cake delivers on the promise of chocolate-covered happiness.

The beauty of this recipe is its versatility—dress it up for a dinner party or eat it straight from the cake stand at midnight. No judgment here. The combination of rich chocolate, fluffy icing, and juicy strawberries hits all those pleasure centers in your brain that make you feel like maybe, just maybe, you’ve got this adulting thing figured out.

Now go forth and bake! And if someone asks for the recipe, you can decide whether they deserve your secrets or if they should continue believing you’re just naturally gifted. That power is yours to wield wisely.