Take chocolate dipped strawberries to the next level with this dreamy Chocolate Strawberry Cake!
Being a blogger is strange sometimes. When I started this blog, I intended it to be a journal of sorts, tied in with whatever I had baked for the week. Somewhere along the way it evolved into covering the recipe of the day and the issues that I ran into when making it. Which isn’t a bad thing – it works – it’s just not exactly what I intended. As such, I don’t often share too much of what’s going on in my personal life unless I’m weeks into being sick or ranting about something or other. Or maybe it’s just that my life isn’t as exciting as I thought it was?
This week, I’m feeling like I really just need to get some things off my chest, and in the spirit of my original vision for this blog, I’d like to use this post to do so. If you’d rather not read my ramblings, feel free to scroll down to the recipe!
The day before I was meant to finish and shoot this cake, I got a call from my mom telling me that my aunt had just months to live. She has been sick since last year and underwent extensive cancer treatment last winter for a very treatable, though late-stage, cancer. She was given the all-clear in early 2016, but seemed to have ongoing issues and doctor appointments. Very recently she had an MRI done for something unrelated. It revealed that the cancer had spread rapidly to her spine, and that there was no cure.
SO. MANY. QUESTIONS.
Why the hell was this not found earlier? What were the doctors even doing for the past year?? They knew there was a chance of it spreading, so why didn’t they find it sooner? Why wasn’t the MRI (or other tests) done months ago??
I am so pissed off.
I’m not going to go into how much the medical system in Canada sucks (it does, don’t believe the hype) and how shitty so many of the doctors are, or how long you have to wait for treatment (months, sometimes years), or how many times my aunt got sent home from emergency last year (before she was diagnosed) with a shrug and no proper tests or treatment.
Realistically, even if they found this new cancer early enough I still don’t think it could have been treated, but at least everyone would have known sooner. There’s a lot of things that could have/should have been done differently, but they weren’t and here we are.
Two days after getting that call, my mom and I were on a plane back to Edmonton to see my aunt (another thing that sucks in Canada? Airfare prices). I still had to finish this cake before we went, but it seemed so trivial with everything going on.
It would be an understatement to say that it was literally the last thing I wanted to do. Not caring about something and being a perfectionist leads to a bit of a conflict, so it’s no surprise that I am not 100% happy with this cake or these pictures, but it is what it is.
Forcing yourself to do something you don’t want to do builds character, right? So I forced myself to finish this cake, knowing it would partly help take my mind off of everything. I packed up some of this cake and next week’s cake and took it to Edmonton for my aunt and cousin. They loved it, and I’m glad I had the chance to have them try some of my baking. I won’t go into the details of the visit, but it was good. As good as it could be under the circumstances. Sigh.
Anyhow, if you’ve gotten through this whole post, thanks for listening to me ramble!
Now, this Chocolate Strawberry Cake… it’s seriously delicious. I made it into a 6 layer cake because, well, I wanted to. You can leave it as a 3 layer cake, but you’ll have some frosting left over. The 6 layers is a great ratio in my opinion! The cake is my usual chocolate cake recipe and the strawberry buttercream is my favourite Swiss meringue with some fresh pureed strawberries thrown in. All topped off with a simple chocolate ganache and fresh strawberries!
Notes & tips for this Chocolate Strawberry Cake:
- Some people have had issues with the frosting curdling once the strawberries are added — this is due to excess water in the berries. You can either strain your chopped berries or press them in a paper towel to remove excess water. Alternatively you can use strawberry jam instead of fresh strawberries or, ideally, freeze-dried strawberry powder.
- You can use any kid of berry you prefer for the frosting.
- To enhance the chocolate flavour of the cake, you can use strong hot coffee instead of hot water.
- For the ganache, I let mine set overnight (with plastic wrap placed directly on the surface). It will be too thick at this point, so I microwave it for 10 secs and stir it until it’s the right consistency.
- The drip technique works best on a chilled cake so that the drips set quickly.
- Be sure to check my Swiss Meringue Buttercream post for tips and troubleshooting.
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, see my Flat Top Cakes post.
Chocolate Strawberry Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder sifted
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 3/4 cup hot strong brewed coffee or hot water
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
Strawberry Buttercream:
- 6 large egg whites
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups unsalted butter cubed, room temperature
- 1/2 cup pureed strawberries (about 1 cup whole strawberries - stemmed, hulled, and pureed)
Ganache:
- 2 oz semi-sweet chocolate finely chopped
- 2 oz heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F, grease three 6" round baking pans and dust with cocoa powder. Line bottoms with parchment.
- Place all dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Stir to combine.
- In a medium bowl whisk all wet ingredients (pour coffee/water in slowly as not to cook the eggs if very hot).
- Add wet ingredients to dry and mix on medium for 2-3 mins. Batter will be very thin.
- Pour evenly into prepared pans. I used a kitchen scale to ensure the batter is evenly distributed.
- Bake until a cake tester comes out mostly clean. A total of 30-35mins.
- Cool 10minutes in the pans then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, cut each layer in half horizontally to get 6 layers.
Strawberry Buttercream:
- Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*
- Place bowl over a hot water bath on the stove and whisk constantly until the mixture is no longer grainy to the touch (approx. 3mins).
- Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
- Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.
- Add strawberry puree and whip until smooth.**
Ganache:
- Place chopped chocolate and cream into a microwave safe bowl. Stir to combine. Microwave for 20 seconds, stir. Microwave in 10 second intervals, stirring in between, until ganache is smooth and silky. Set aside to cool completely and thicken slightly before using on cake.
Assembly:
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving dish. Top with about 2/3 cup buttercream. Repeat with remaining layers. Frost and smooth the outside with a thin crumb coat. Chill for 20mins.
- Frost the cake. Using a small spoon, place dollops of ganache around the top edges of the cooled cake, allowing some to drip down. Fill in the top of the cake with more ganache and spread evenly with an offset spatula.***
- Top with decorative dollops of frosting (I used Ateco tip 847), whole strawberries, and a pearl border (using Wilton tip 12).
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Notes
** The buttercream may look like it's curdled at some point. Keep mixing until it is completely smooth. Some people have had issues with the frosting curdling once the strawberries are added -- this is due to excess water in the berries. You can either strain your chopped berries or press them in a paper towel to remove excess water. Alternatively you can use strawberry jam instead of fresh strawberries.
*** You may have some ganache left over.
Kelsey Maynard says
I had the problem with the curdling buttercream. I strained and squeezed the strawberries but it still happened. I did a quick YouTube search and found a video where a chef took a blow dryer to his frosting in the mixer and it smoothed out. I grabbed my wife’s blow dryer, set the stand mixer at #2, and hit it with the blow dryer. It took about 7 minutes and the frosting came out perfectly smooth. Thought I’d share the tip.
Olivia says
Hi Kelsey! It’s amazing what a blow dryer can do! This is one of my recommendations on saving Swiss meringue buttercream. If it’s curdled it just needs a bit of heat to warm it up so it comes together. Thanks for sharing! 🙂 https://livforcake.com/swiss-meringue-buttercream-recipe/
Jessyca says
Hi ,
Would I triple this recipe to make 2-10in round pans, 3in deep?
Olivia says
Hi Jessyca! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
Lora says
Quick question…when using freeze dried strawberries, how much do you use?
Olivia says
Hi Lora! I mostly add it to taste — anywhere from 4-6 Tbsp of the powder.
Tina says
Can you refrigerate the frosting overnight?
Olivia says
Hi Tina! Yes, just thaw to room temp and rewhip before using.
Donna says
Ah this looks so good! My drip never works out, I think I need to use more cream. Practicing is always fun though!
Olivia says
Hi Donna! If your ganache is too thick you can also just warm it a bit in the microwave 🙂
Marjoleine says
Perhaps its already mentioned in the avond trail, but i just wanted to say that reduced strawberry purée also works in the buttercream. I used approx 250 grams of strawberries and made them purée in the blender. After that I put the pure in a little cooking pot and brought it to boiling point and subsequently let it simmer for Approx 45 minutes on a very low heat (I used an old fashioned heat diffuser on the stove to even temper the heat more). The result was a more concentrated and firm purée with way less water.
Olivia says
Hi Marjoleine! Thank you so much for the tip with the puree!
Natalie says
Hi going to test this recipe this weekend but I was wondering how the chocolate cake recipe would convert into cupcakes?
Olivia says
Hi Natalie! It should work fine, just reduce the baking time — start checking at 15mins or so. The batter is very thin though so don’t fill the liners more than half full.
tyler says
Let me start by saying that in no way shape or form am I a baker. However my daughter asked for a “strawberry cake” for her 3rd birthday so i made it happen. I happened upon this recipe via pinterest and read through all the comments…twice and I was very nervous… especially about the frosting. I also have NO cake tools… just my mixer.
At any rate it took me all day with two kids to complete but it was great.
I made it in 3 9inch rounds so I had to double the cake and the frosting.
I opted for the hot coffee over water and the cake it self was super moist with a great flavor.
For the frosting i used the fresh strawberries i had that looked the least ripe to avoid any excessive moisture i also threw in a few handfuls of freeze dried ones to help as well. The only other tweak i made was I dipped a few strawberries in the ganache and used them for the topping. this was all done day before party and it did fine overnight in the fridge. I took it out about 2 hours before cutting it.
great recipe!
Olivia says
Hi Tyler! Thanks for the great feedback, glad you liked the recipe! I wish I had dipped my strawberries in chocolate too, next time!
Angela R King says
OMG I just made this cake and the frosting is like water! What can I do?
Olivia says
Hi Angela! Sorry to hear you’re having trouble with this. Can you give me a bit more info? Have you added the strawberry puree? What was the consistency of the buttercream before that?
Terri Lynn says
Hi Liv! I may try this one, or the Mint chocolate chip cake, for my bday (yes! I’m making my own cake lol). I’m just wondering: could I use a strawberry extract (one of the actual ones, like strong ones, not just a flavouring), instead of fresh strawberries? And what would you recommend for the amount? Thanks so much, really excited to make another one of your cakes 🙂
Olivia says
Hi Terri! I think that would work fine — just add it to taste (I’ve never used it before). Or you can use strawberry jam or preserves too.
Paula says
Hi Olivia,
I made your delicious strawberry cake recipe that uses freeze dried strawberries and I frosted the cake with your Swiss meringue recipe from this post for chocolate strawberry cake. The strawberry cake that uses freeze dried strawberries is genius. But when I made the Swiss meringue with pureed fresh strawberries I ran into trouble. I blended past the curdled stage (as I always do for Swiss meringue) to smooth out the frosting, but when I added 1/2 cup pureed strawberries the frosting broke badly. The more I beat the frosting the more it separated. I still assembled the cake using your method for very berry cake which has a short cake look. This assembly masked the broken frosting somewhat and it tastes incredibly strawberry but the frosting has a mouth-feel that is noticeably a broken frosting. Maybe I should have used a traditional buttercream instead?? I really prefer Swiss meringue for all the reasons you do as well. I love your blog!!
Olivia says
Oh no! I wonder if your strawberries had more water than mine 🙁 Did you add it all at once? I think I added slowly (I’ll update the instructions). These days I prefer to use freeze-dried fruit over fresh fruit as it’s just easier to work with and doesn’t cause as many potential issues 🙁
Angela says
Same issue, think you are right about juicy strawberries being the culprit. Definitely going to try it again sometime with the freeze dried! Tastes great though 🙂 I had great luck with meringue powder!
Olivia says
Good to know!! Thank you 🙂
Brenda says
Hello so I had the same issue with pureed strawberries, I’m not sure how to use the freeze dried berries? Do I make a puree out of those instead? Your help is greatly appreciated! 😀
Olivia says
Hi Brenda! I much prefer using freeze-dried (not dehydrated) berries (https://amzn.to/2xDVq1n) these days as it doesn’t affect the consistency of the frosting. You can buy the berries whole and grind them up or you can buy the powder. I used them in this recipe here: https://livforcake.com/strawberry-cake-mascarpone-buttercream/
Kat says
My frosting looked like it was sweating strawberry juice. I’m thinking next time I’m just going to cook strawberry bits with a little sugar on my stovetop to make a jam and cook off the excess water content. Please update recipe.
Sara says
Hello! I’m making this cake for a friend but wanted to do in steps so I’m not rushed the day of. Can you freeze the frosting? And If is what do I do with after it defrost.
Olivia says
Hi Sara! Yes you can freeze the frosting. Bring it back to room temperature and rewhip before using.
Nancy says
I’m attempting to bake this cake for my daughter’s 7th birthday this weekend. After reading all the comments, I’m a little nervous now. Olivia, please give me some advice about what are the possible problems I may run into when I’m making this cake and how I should remedy them. Thank you very much.
Olivia says
Hi Nancy! Is it the buttercream that you’re nervous about? If so, be sure to wipe your mixer bowl and whisk down with lemon juice or vinegar to make sure it is completely grease free and make sure there is no trace of yolk in your whites or your meringue will not stiffen. The buttercream may look like it’s curdled at some point. Keep whipping until it is completely smooth. If it looks soupy, place it in the fridge for 20mins and rewhip. Add the strawberry puree slowly and make sure it’s not too watery. I hope that helps!
Nancy says
I made the cake and it came out perfect (phew). It tasted really good. Making the buttercream was kind of tricky, at least for me. At first, it was very soupy and I refrigerated it 2 times in between whipping and re-whipping. At my last attempt of re-whipping, the cream started to curdle and it started to stiffen up and came out with perfect consistency (took me about an hour). Overall, I’m very happy with the result and I can’t wait to try your other cake recipes. Thank you.
Olivia says
Hi Nancy! Wow, that is a long time for the buttercream to come together, but I’m so glad it did! Next time, maybe try it with butter thats still just slightly cold and firm (just slightly) and make sure that meringue is completely cool.
Aukai Borges says
Hey. I want to try this for my brothers birthday. Cant get the round pans in my neck of Hawaii. I do have a 9×11 would i have to double or triple the recipie to make the cake?
Olivia says
Hi Aukai! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
Kay,a says
I made this cake for an auction benefiting the school I teach at. It turned out BEAUTIFULLY! It also brought $1,300 dollars!!! Thank you for the awesome tips and recipe!
Olivia says
So happy to hear that!
Suzanne says
HI I would like to make this using 3 9″ cake pans. If I double the recipe for everything will that work?? Thank you.
Olivia says
Hi Suzanne! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html With three 9″ pans your layers will be thinner — it depends on if you care 🙂 Ideally doubled would work for three 8″ pans.
Pamela says
Hi Olivia!
I just made this cake for Mother’s day. Although i doubled it because I have 8″ pans. The cake is very chocolatey even though I just used hot water.
When I made the buttercream it did look curdled but I continued to whip it just as you told others and eventually it smoothed out (I’m guessing but I think it took 15 minutes after adding the strawberry puree.)
Anyway, I want to know if I can freeze the cake as there was only 4 people at dinner and even after sending some of it home with my parents I still have about 2/3 of the cake left.
Olivia says
Hi Pamela! So happy to hear that the cake and buttercream worked out for you!! You can totally freeze the cake. I freeze all of mine. Portion it up, wrap each slice in plastic wrap, and stick them in a freezer bag 🙂
Amy K says
Hi!
I am not much a baker, but I’m giving this a go for my hubby’s bday. Only question so far is, what does “crumb coating” mean when you frost the outside of the cake? I know from my past trials I always have a mess with this part. Any advice?
Thanks!!
Olivia says
Hi Amy! Crumb coating is just doing a very thin layer of frosting all over the cake to lock in the crumbs. Then you chill it for a bit before doing the final coat and it should go much smoother!
Nia Cypress says
I don’t know what I did wrong with the buttercream everything was fine then I add the strawberry then it got grainy and running and unusable?
Olivia says
Hi Nia! Was the buttercream completely smooth and fluffy before you added the strawberry puree? It sounds like it might just have needed more whipping. Meringue buttercreams are notorious for curdling, but it’s just a stage they go through.
Jermallony says
Hi Olivia!
I am making this cake for my daughter’s first birthday 🙂
I have my cake frosted with the crumb coat in the fridge.
I found the buttercream to be a bit too sweet for my taste.
Would the buttercream be okay if I take out sugar next time?
Could I substitute the final frosting for something else?
Thank you <3!
Olivia says
Hi Jermallony! You can try reducing the sugar to 1 cup, but that could affect the meringue. You could try using a strawberry whipped cream instead if you prefer something less sweet!
Pegah says
Hi Olivia
I made this cake for a birthday and it turned out amazing. Your cake is delicious and holds really well while assembling. Thanks for the recipe.
Olivia says
So happy to hear you liked it Pegah! 🙂
Diana Wardlaw says
Hi Olivia,
How much will I need to adjust the cake recipe to make a 3 layer with 8 in pans?
Olivia says
Hi Diana! I would 1.5x the recipe. Let me know how it turns out!
Lisa says
I mean in the white choc cake.
Lisa says
Hi Olivia
This cakes looks amazing and I was all set to make it for my nieces 13th birthday party …. but she doesn’t want chocolate (go figure). Is there an alternative for the cake part – white chocolate/vanilla?
Thank you
Lisa
Olivia says
Hi Lisa! You should check out my latest recipe, its for a strawberry cake that you could use with the strawberry frosting in this recipe if you prefer.
https://livforcake.com/strawberry-cake-mascarpone-buttercream/
As for white chocolate or vanilla, here are some ideas:
https://livforcake.com/white-chocolate-candy-cane-cake/
https://livforcake.com/vanilla-cake/
All of these recipes will work in three 6″ pans or two 8″ pans. The layers in the 8″ will be a little bit thinner though.
Let me know what you decide and how it turns out!
Lisa says
Awesome! They all look amazing and thanks for the fast reply (As I need to make this on Friday). I will ask her which flavour cake she would prefer – are all of them able to be tiered into 6 layers like the original chocolate recipe? I want to do that as it looks so effective and amazingly tall.
Thank you
Lisa
X
Lisa says
Ok, she’s gone for white choc so can I just leave out the peppermint essence? And is this recipe enough to make this same cake i.e 6 layers?
Thank you
Lisa
Lisa says
Also ….. last question I swear. How come there is no buttermilk in this cake when you seem to add it in most of your other cakes?
Lisa
Olivia says
You can use either, but I think I prefer the texture of the cakes with milk vs buttermilk. I also always have milk on hand and can’t always be bothered trying to make buttermilk for recipes 🙂
Olivia says
Yes to both!
Olivia says
Yes, if you make them in 6″ pans they will be thick enough to cut into 6 layers 🙂
Gabbie says
I did the whole cake with the help of my mother and I’m sorry but it actually turned out horrible. We had to make the frosting twice because it was so runny and we don’t even know what we did wrong. I havent got to taste it yet but it looks funny. The frosting wasn’t pipable at all either and just kinda fell apart. The butter we used definitely wasn’t too soft so it wasn’t that. We used the recipe exactly. I just hope it tastes good.
Olivia says
Hi Gabbie, I’m sorry you had trouble with this one. The frosting will be runny if your meringue doesn’t whip properly due to egg yolk or grease or if you add the butter while the meringue is still too warm. If it’s the latter it can be saved by popping the whole thing in the fridge for 20mins and whipping again.
Nakia Smith says
I just made this cake, it was an epic fail for me. I didn’t like the taste of the cake and the icing turned out to be more like butter, I don’t know what I did wrong, either I should have lowered the butter content and the strawberry puree. I am going to try again, but I am sad right now.
Olivia says
Noooo, I’m so sorry to hear that Nakia! Let me see if I can help. What didn’t you like about the flavour of the cake? You can try using hot water instead of coffee and decreasing salt to 1/2 tsp.
As for the buttercream — it is definitely more buttery than typical American buttercreams, but it should not taste like you’re eating a stick of butter. Was your meringue nice and stiff before you added the butter? If not, that’s likely the culprit. You can certainly decrease the butter amount too if you like, to 1 1/2 cups or even 1 cup, though then you’ll have less frosting to work with.
I hope the next attempt works out better for you. Let me know how it goes!
Elisa says
Hi,
I’m making the frosting nog but it totally curdled up…
I tried fixing it by adding:
– powder sugar
– yoghurt
– cream cheese
– cream
… it got better and tastes great…
But it doesn’t have the right consistenty
Please help x
Olivia says
Hi Elisa! I mention in the notes that the buttercream will look curdled at some point, so you just have to keep whipping it. I would not recommend adding any of those things as it won’t fix it. You just need to whip it until it reaches the right consistency.
Caroline says
I just made this cake for my mom’s birthday! She was very excited about the frosting and the coffee infused chocolate cake. It took me about 2 1/2 hours in total, and the cake turned out great! The chocolate cake has so much flavor and it was very moist. The frosting was a nice addition, however the consistency was a little bit off, even after passing the curdled stage. Overall I would defidently recommend this cake recipe, my family loved it and so did I.
Olivia says
Hi Caroline! So glad you guys liked it!! What was off with the consistency??
Paulina says
How big the baking pan must be??
Olivia says
Hi Paulina! You can make this cake in three 6″ pans or two 8″ pans.
Scal says
I’m sorry about your aunt.
I’m actually planning on baking this cake for a friend that is throwing herself a party after beating breast cancer. She requested a chocolate cake with pink strawberry frosting. Does this frosting come out a nice pink in real life? It looks pretty on my phone/but thought I would double check before making a big batch of frosting. Thanks!
Olivia says
Thank you <3 The frosting is a very very light pink after adding the strawberries. I added a bit of fuschia color gel to make it a bit bolder. Let me know how it turns out!
Signe Gro Jensen says
Hi Olivia
This cake looks amazing! Would you say that the cake would still be delicious if it is made 1 day in advance? I would like to do the cake for an upcoming party but for practical reasons it would be convenient to do the day before. Also, I find that some layered cakes almost becomes better from settling a little in the fridge before eating but 1 full day may be too much?
Thank you 🙂
Olivia says
Hi Signe! The cake will be totally fine after a day 🙂 Just make sure to refrigerate it and then bring it to room temperature before serving (which takes about 2-3 hours). Let me know how it goes!
Lisa says
Hi Oliva, This cake looks amazing. I’m going to make it for my son’s 21st birthday. Wish me luck. The combination of chocolate and strawberries will be so good. So sorry to hear about your aunt. well wishes to all.
Olivia says
Hi Lisa! Thank you for your kind words. Good luck and I hope you guys like this cake!!
Patricia says
Hi Olivia!
This cake looks absolutely beautiful! I’m looking at maybe making it for my boyfriend’s 21st birthday – do you think it would be able to be covered with a fondant or white buttercream so i could *hopefully* do some decorating? I’m not sure how much he’ll love the pink strawberry frosting 😂
Any suggestions/ help would be much appreciated – Thankyou ☺️
Olivia says
Hi Patricia! Yep, you could totally cover the cake in fondant or use a white buttercream instead. Just be sure to chill the cake so that the frosting is firm before covering with fondant. I hope that helps!
Patricia Fallon says
I ended up making it, as is and it turned out pretty well!!
Had a little bit of a scary moment with the buttercream, but managed to save it! It was so delicious, i’m not much of a cake girl, but I get cravings for this all the time – So i’m going to make it again on Friday for my 21st cake!! 😍
I added slices of fresh strawberries between the layers last time, and this was such a nice touch, the tartiness of the fresh strawberries went so well with the sweet and rich cake!!
Thankyou for such a good recipe!!
Olivia says
Yay! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂 I love the addition of the fresh strawberries between the layers, I’ll have to try that next time!
Tracy says
I have made this cake twice now, first time for valentine’s day and the second time for my daughter’s first birthday. It is so good! I love the icing so much better then regular buttercream. Thank you for a great recipe 🍰
Olivia says
Hi Tracy! I love meringue buttercreams. They are a bit more work, but I think worth the effort 🙂 I’m happy to hear you liked this one!
Kristin says
Hi! I noticed most of your recipes call for buttermilk. Can you replace that with whole milk or would it mess up the cake?
Olivia says
Hi Kristin! I haven’t tried using whole milk in place of buttermilk in my chocolate cake recipes, but I have in my white/vanilla cakes. For the white/vanilla ones it should work fine. I would stick with buttermilk for the chocolate ones since the baking soda needs the acid to activate properly. If you use regular cocoa instead of Dutch-processed (Dutch has has acid stripped from it) it might work ok with whole milk, but I can’t guarantee the results. Let me know if you try it!
DeeDee Bryans says
Gorgeous cake! Can’t wait to make this for my sisters birthday. Once again, I will need a larger cake. If I doubled this recipe, would you use 8 or 9 inch pans? I still want some height. Thinking 3-8″ ??? Thank you so much!
Olivia says
Hi DeeDee! Yep, double the recipe for three 8″ pans and you’ll be good. 9″ pans would yield thinner layers. Let me know how you like it! 🙂
DeeDee says
Thank so much!
DeeDee Bryans says
Yea! It turned out awesome! Even making a few adjustments due to our altitude couldn’t stop this cake from being a hit! It was a huge cake but you can never have too much cake! That’s 2 for2. They are officially in our favorites! Thanks Olivia!
Olivia says
Yay! So glad to hear it 😀 I can’t wait to hear what you try next!
Melissa says
Hi all the way from Australia. I stumbled across your blog, website & amazing cakes a few weeks ago & spent a good few hours drooling over the amazing looking cakes. I have chosen three of your cakes to make for my Grandmothers 80th birthday which is in a few weeks & I am trailing this particular cake today for Easter as desert tonight, can’t wait to put it all together. xx
Olivia says
Hi Melissa! I love Australia. My sister lives in Sydney so I visit as often as I can :). Which other ones are you planning to make?? Good luck, I hope you like them 🙂
Emma says
I’d love to make this but I need an 8 inch cake. How much batter do you think I’d need for a 4 layer 8 inch cake?
Olivia says
Hi Emma! Do you mean 4 layers after each layer has been cut in half or before? If you double the current recipe it will work for three 8″ cakes (to be cut into 6 layers total). Otherwise you can try using the recipe as is in two 8″ cake rounds and cut them into 4 layers. I hope that helps!
Emma says
It does, thank you so much! I’m excited to make it!
Olivia says
Let me know how you like it! 😀
Anna says
Hello,
How can I convert this to a 3 layer 8-9 inch cake?
It looks wonderfu!
Thank you
Olivia says
Hi Anna! If you double the recipe it will work as a 3-layer 8″ cake. It would also work as a 9″ but the layers would be a bit thinner. Let me know how you like it!
Ellen says
Hi Olivia – I’m in the middle of making this beautiful cake. I just made the frosting, which seems a little runny. I’ve put it in the refrigerator to thicken and harden. Or, should I be whipping it more until it thickens enough to frost?
Thanks for your help!
Ellen
P.S. I think I also used a little more of the strawberry puree than called for so that might be the problem.
Olivia says
Hi Ellen! Hmm, it should not be runny :\ Sometimes it curdles once adding the butter but you just need to keep whipping it at that point. Was the meringue quite stiff before you added the butter? If so then it could be the extra puree. You could try to keep whipping it (maybe for 5 mins) but if it’s still runny then sticking it in the fridge should help! You may want to rewhip it a bit once you take it out. Let me know how it goes!
Ellen says
Thanks so much for your quick reply! Yes, the meringue was quite stiff when I added the butter, which was very, very soft. It got firm enough for me to frost the cake but was softening quickly while I was working with it. It’s back in the frig now. I’m hoping that it’ll harden again. Now I’m debating about whether or not to add the ganache. I’m afraid that the frosting won’t hold up against it.
Ellen
Olivia says
Ahh it sounds like maybe the butter was a bit too soft when you added it in. Regarding the ganache, I would chill the frosted cake for 30mins or so before adding the ganache — I do that anyhow, it helps the ganache set. The frosting should be pretty firm at that point. 😊
Ellen Wu says
Thanks Olivia! It’s definitely likely that the butter was too soft. Sadly, I didn’t have time to chill the cake and make the ganache before I had to head off for the party. But, my friend made roses from strawberries which we used to decorate the cake. It was beautiful and everyone loved the cake! (It was for my boyfriend’s niece’s 18th birthday.)
Thanks again for all of the help!
Ellen
Olivia says
No problem! Glad it still tasted delicious 🙂
Tiah says
This looks beautiful! I am planning on making this cake for someone who is allergic to eggs – could I replace the meringue buttercream with regular American buttercream?
Olivia says
Hi Tiah! The flavour and texture will be slightly different, but it should still be delicious!
Cindy Rodriguez says
I’m so sorry to hear about your Aunt. I want to commend you on finishing the gorgeous cake as it seemed almost like a cathartic experience for you. I totally understand that as a fellow baker and food lover. Cheers to you!
Olivia says
Thanks so much Cindy. Big hugs to you! <3
Adrie says
Hi olivia !! I love this recipe the cake is so delicious, everything was going great for me until i try to do the buttercream, when added the butter and strawberries i saw disaster.. i looked horrible all apart.. 😩i know it’s not the recipe.. i don’t really know what i did wrong.. im not a pro baker but loove to try .. i ended up doing another recipe, but really would like to work on yours!!! Blessings to you & fam. & all you do❤️
Olivia says
Hi Adrie! The buttercream may look like it’s curdled at some point (broken apart) after you add the butter. You just need to keep mixing until it is completely smooth! I hope you try it again :).
Fatema says
Hello,
Your cakes look amazing and the flavors you are creating are amazing.
Can i ask you if the butter cream is safe for pregnant women since it contains egg whites? Is whisking it over hot water enough for the egg whites to be cooked ?
Thanks a lot
Olivia says
Hi Fatema! Yes, you are cooking the egg whites during that process. To be safe though, heat the egg mixture until it registers 160F on a candy thermometer.
Marilyn says
I just noticed the time of your comment to the previous res-ponder and it’s 2:17 AM. Good heavens girl, what time do you go to bed?? It must be a lot ;of work to keep up with a blog, but I hope you start getting some shut-eye as we need you to stay well. Your family has been hit with a terrible illness, and it is a blow to hear that someone you love is dying. Your writing about it just keeps it real for those of us who usually only see the cake & cookie side of your life in your blog, and life is just not that beautiful all the time. Blessings to you. Thank you for your dedication and the scrumptious cakes.
Olivia says
Thank you so much Marylin, you are the sweetest!! I’m glad the personal post came through ok, I wasn’t sure how people would feel about it but it was good to get it off my chest. <3
Livi Fisher says
Hello!
Would this recipe work to make cupcakes? Is the buttercream pipeable?
Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Livi! I’ve never tried cupcakes with it, but I don’t see why not. But note that the cake batter is quite thin before baking. The buttercream is pipeable! It’s what I used for the rosettes on top 🙂
Roy M. Van Voorhees aka Roy From Texas says
Hi and good afternoon. I am so sorry to bother you, but I can’t find a ***on the above how to.
Under the Assembly Part, Number 2 has at the end of the sentence *** stars.
When you get to the Notes, there are notes for the 1(*) and the 2(**), but I don’t see anything for the 3(***)
I am sure it is me…..
I have to let you know that you have the most fab cakes…..I have been following you on FaceBook and see so many get looking photos and really want to try and make some of your goodies.
I don’t know if I will be able to get back to this page again, so if I could trouble you, could I ask that you please send your answer to my e-mail which is – [email protected].
Thanks so much for your help on this and so sorry to be a “PIA”
Carpe Diem
Roy Marcus (FaceBook)
texasroy2016#yahoo.com
Olivia says
Hi Roy! Thanks for catching that. It was simply a note that you may have leftover ganache. I’ve updated the recipe 🙂
ann marie whitten ( Murray) says
HI Liv
I understand your frustration and let us say bewilderment. My mother was diagnosed 14 years ago. At time of diagnosis, they determined she had it for possibly 8-10yrs. She regularly saw her doctor , had her physical every year etc….but it was never noticed by her family G.P. I know now that once she reached the age of 50 she should have been having certain tests conducted regularly. At the time of diagnosis, we had less than a year to spend with mom. Mom did not make it to 60. Things that will keep you up at night, questions that will never be answered. you will come to a time when you accept…because you must so you do not drive yourself crazy. Hugs to you xo
Baking question, for your 6 inch cake, what if I wanted to make this bigger to feed more people? I have yet to “deviate” from one of your recipes so I am not sure how to make a recipe different than what you have listed. if I wanted to take your 6 inch and make it three layers and big enough to feed 30 for example
Thanks
Ann marie “Murray”
Olivia says
Hi Anne Marie! I am so sorry to hear about your mom — that is a crazy long time to have it and not know, ugh. I just don’t understand how these things can go unnoticed. I am so sorry for your loss 🙁 Hugs to you.
For your cake question, hmmm — to feed 30 people it would need to be quite large. You can double the recipe and use three 8″ pans, but that would maybe feed 16 or so? Depending on how large the pieces are ;). I guess you could make two cakes and that should be enough? I hope that helps!
Aubrey says
Hi Olivia, I’m so excited to make this cake for my daughter’s first birthday. I’ve looked for 6″ cake pans and can’t seem to find them anywhere. However, I do have three 8″ cake pans, so was hoping I could use those instead. I should be able to use the original receipe plus half. Correct?
Thanks so much!
Aubrey
Olivia says
Hi Aubrey! I would double the recipe for three 8″ pans. Or use the recipe as-is in two 8″ pans. Let me know how it turns out!
Janet Welte says
Wow, lady, you never fail to amaze me, your inner strength and perseverance is to be admired! So sorry about all the tragedy of the medical community, I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers!
Olivia says
Thanks so much for your kind words Janet! 💕😊
Nancy says
I don’t know how you could possibly not be happy with the way this cake looks, it is beautiful. I’m very sorry to hear about your Aunt. I had a similar experience with my Dad. He had a “cold” that lasted a year, the doctor just kept prescribing antibiotics! Turns out it was lung cancer and had spread, then came the false hope with radiation treatment… Ugh! Cancer sucks! My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family!
Olivia says
Omg Nancy, that is horrible! I’m so sorry to hear that. So frustrating how dismissive some doctors are 🙁 Thank you for your kinds words! <3
Karen Simon Peterson says
I’m so sorry to hear about your aunt. We have the same medical issues in the US – so frustrating! This cake looks delicious – I doubt it would last two days at my house. My prayers for your family.
Olivia says
Thanks so much Karen!
Alexis Gill says
Olivia, My heart goes out to you. So sorry to hear about your aunt, prayers and hopes sent her way.
Your cake/s are beautiful masterpieces of confectionary delight. I am in awe of your cakes. Will make this one to celebrate my birthday this month…
All my best to you and yours.
Alexis
Olivia says
Thank you so much Alexis! I hope you like this cake, you’ll have to let me know how it turns out! Happy early Birthday 🙂
Maryann DeSorbo says
I am very sorry to hear about your aunt. I can’t imagine how you had the interest in completing the cake after hearing such upsetting news, so I commend your commitment. The cake is beautiful. Sometimes doing something that you love can have a calming effect. I hope that in some small way sharing your thoughts in your blog helped you.
Olivia says
Thanks so much for your sweet comment Maryann. Writing about it certainly helped (a bit anyhow). xo
Deb says
I’m so sorry to hear about your aunt. I will certainly keep your family in my thoughts and prayers. Your cake looks delicious and simply beautiful! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Olivia says
Thanks so much for your kind words and prayers Deb! <3
Sandy C. says
I am so sorry for you and your family. You rant and ramble as much as you want!!! Your cakes are always beautiful, this one included!!! Thanks so much.
Olivia says
Thanks so much Sandy! I appreciate your kind words! xo
Denise Zwit says
Your cake looks stunningly beautiful and delicious. I have always had good results from your recipes. I can relate to the perfectionist issues – I always want my baking efforts to look spectacular and sometimes they don’t. Yours always do, although I’m not unaware that it requires a great deal of effort and skill. This just might be the next birthday cake I bake!
So sorry about your aunt’s diagnosis and prognosis. I have heard similar comments from Canadians regarding health care. All of my extended family (aunts, uncles and cousins) live in Canada. My aunt was diagnosed with an aggressive strain of breast cancer several years ago, but was fortunate to received prompt and excellent treatment.
Olivia says
Thanks so much for your sweet comment Denise! Glad to hear about your aunt — it’s great that she was able to get the care she needed! I hope you do try this cake — you’ll have to let me know how you like it 🙂 xo
Shie Chau says
I’m so sorry about your aunt. Nearly the same thing happened to my father in law many years ago. Now I’m finding the same thing happening to my step father. Cancer just sucks. I’m glad at least she had some of this yummy cake to take her mind off of things for a little bit. It’s really a beautiful cake.
Olivia says
Thanks so much Shie! So sorry to hear about your father-in-law and step-father 🙁 It’s horrible. Hugs to you.
Elizabeth says
Byl pyszny i b. ladne zdjecia – jak zwykle
Olivia says
Thank you! <3 🙂
Elizabeth says
Zjadlam , przepyszny 🙂
Olivia says
Yay! So glad you liked it 🙂 xo <3
Lauren says
Hi Olivia!
How long is this cake good for? Does it need to be refrigerated?
Olivia says
Hi Lauren! The cake is best eaten fresh (of course), but will last 2-3 days in the fridge. Take it out a couple of hours before serving so it can come to room temperature 🙂