Name: Decadent Chocolate Strawberry Cake
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour (the regular stuff, nothing fancy); 2 cups granulated sugar (yes, it’s a lot, just embrace it); 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (the darker the better); 2 teaspoons baking soda (not baking powder!); 1 teaspoon salt (I use kosher salt because I’m fancy like that); 2 large eggs (room temperature – this actually matters); 1 cup buttermilk (or regular milk with a tablespoon of vinegar if you forgot to buy buttermilk, which I always do); 1/2 cup vegetable oil (makes it super moist); 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (the real stuff, not that imitation nonsense); 1 cup hot coffee (brings out the chocolate flavor – and NO, the cake won’t taste like coffee); Or 1 cup hot water + 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder if you’re not a coffee person; 4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped (frozen works too if strawberries are out of season); 1/2 cup granulated sugar (adjust if your berries are super sweet); 2 tablespoons lemon juice (trust me on this); 3 tablespoons cornstarch; 3 tablespoons cold water; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; Pinch of salt; 12 oz good quality semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (or chips if that’s what you’ve got); 1 1/4 cups heavy cream; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 tablespoon light corn syrup (makes it shiny!); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; Fresh whole strawberries (like 6-8 nice looking ones); Chocolate shavings (just take a bar of chocolate and a vegetable peeler); Edible gold dust if you’re feeling extra (I keep some around for emergencies); Fresh mint leaves (makes it look like you really know what you’re doing)

Description

Let me introduce you to what happens when chocolate cake has a wild night out with fresh strawberries and they decide to move in together. This cake is basically what I make when I need to convince someone I’m a functional adult who has her life together. It’s three layers of ridiculously moist dark chocolate cake, sandwiched with fresh strawberry filling that’s juuuust tart enough to balance the sweetness, all wrapped up in a silky chocolate ganache that’ll make you want to face-plant right into it. It’s fancy enough for special occasions but honestly, I’ve made it on random Tuesdays because sometimes you just need chocolate cake, ya know?

Ingredients

Scale

For the Chocolate Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour (the regular stuff, nothing fancy)
2 cups granulated sugar (yes, it’s a lot, just embrace it)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (the darker the better)
2 teaspoons baking soda (not baking powder!)
1 teaspoon salt (I use kosher salt because I’m fancy like that)
2 large eggs (room temperature – this actually matters)
1 cup buttermilk (or regular milk with a tablespoon of vinegar if you forgot to buy buttermilk, which I always do)
1/2 cup vegetable oil (makes it super moist)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (the real stuff, not that imitation nonsense)
1 cup hot coffee (brings out the chocolate flavor – and NO, the cake won’t taste like coffee)
Or 1 cup hot water + 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder if you’re not a coffee person

For the Strawberry Filling:

4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped (frozen works too if strawberries are out of season)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (adjust if your berries are super sweet)
2 tablespoons lemon juice (trust me on this)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

For the Chocolate Ganache:

12 oz good quality semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (or chips if that’s what you’ve got)
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup (makes it shiny!)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Decoration (optional but pretty):

Fresh whole strawberries (like 6-8 nice looking ones)
Chocolate shavings (just take a bar of chocolate and a vegetable peeler)
Edible gold dust if you’re feeling extra (I keep some around for emergencies)
Fresh mint leaves (makes it look like you really know what you’re doing)