The deepest, darkest, richest, most delicious chocolate cake you will ever taste! Filled with chocolate ganache and topped with strawberry cream cheese frosting (made from fresh strawberries).
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 25 minutesminutes
Cook Time 40 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour5 minutesminutes
Servings 25people
Calories 738kcal
Author Nicole Crocker
Ingredients
For the Cake:
3 1/2CupsAll purpose flour
4CupsSugar
1 1/2CupCocoa powder
1Tablespoons + 1 teaspoonBaking soda
2teaspoonsBaking powder
2tespoonsSalt
2CupsButtermilkor Milk with 2 Tablespoons vinegar added
2CupsStrong brewed coffee
1CupCanola oil
4teaspoonsVanilla extract
4Large eggs
For the ganache:
24ouncesChocolate chips
2CupsHeavy cream
1/2CupSeedless strawberry jelly
For the cream cheese frosting:
28 ounce packagesCream cheesesoftened
2SticksUnsalted butter
1Pound bag + 2 CupsConfectioners sugar
1/2PoundStrawberries
For Chocolate covered strawberries:
1/2PoundStrawberries washed and dried
12OuncesChocolate chips
1TablespoonsShorteningfor thinning if desired
Instructions
For the Cake:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare 3 (10 inch) cake pans. (line with wax paper on bottom, grease and flour bottom and edges of pans.)
In an extra large mixing bowl combine all of the dry ingredients. Whisk together to blend well.
Make a gully in the center of dry ingredients and add remaining ingredients. (Make sure your coffee is cooled so it doesn't cook your eggs!)
Whisk together by hand for 3 minutes to incorporate ingredients. Then using an electric mixer, beat on high for another 3 minutes while constantly turning bowl and scraping sides with a spatula. Pour batter evenly between cake pans. (Should fill about 1/2 to 2/3 full.) Bake for about 35-40 minutes.
Or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove to cooling rack and cool completely.
For the ganache:
Heat cream in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Once steam begins to rise from cream turn to low. Add chocolate chips and let sit in cream for one minute to soften. Whisk to incorporate until you have a chocolate creamy mixture with no lumps.
Add strawberry jelly and mix to incorporate. Remove from heat an let cool to room temperature.
For the strawberry cream cheese frosting:
Wash strawberries,remove stems and place in a blender or food processor.
Blend until smooth.
Pour into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cook stirring occasionally for 3-5 minutes to slightly reduce.
Cool to room temperature.
In a large mixing bowl cream butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add confectioner sugar and strawberry mixture in batches mixing on low until all incorporated. Mix on high for 3-5 minutes to create a smooth and creamy frosting. If it seems to runny you can add more confectioners sugar a cup at a time until desired consistency is achieved.
For Chocolate Covered Strawberries:
In a small sauce pan over a double boiler filled with water (water should not touch bottom of saucepan). Heat over medium heat constantly stirring chocolate until completely melted. A small amount of shortening can be added at this point if chocolate seems too thick. It will make dipping the strawberries easier and produce a smooth shiny texture.
Dip strawberries (make sure they are completely dry!) into chocolate letting excess drip back into saucepan and place them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Chill in refrigerator to harden chocolate.
Put the cake together:
Loosen edges of cake from pan with a butter knife, invert onto wax paper. Remove wax paper liner from bottom of cake if it is still stuck to it and place a 10 inch round cake board on bottom of your cake and flip over. Discard wax paper. (you can find these cake boards at Michaels, Party Store or Walmart. They come in different sizes.)
Trace a circle with a butter knife about 1/2 -1 inch in from the cakes edge around center of your cake. Cut out and remove this circle about a 1/2 inch down so you have a gully in the center of your cake.
Fill with ganache. (Careful not to fill too high or it will over flow when you add next cake layer.
Place next cake layer on top and repeat.
Place final cake layer on top and frost with strawberry cream cheese frosting. Pipe decorative edge and top with chocolate covered strawberries.