Chocolate Strawberry Cake

I am writing about another cake recipe because guess what?! Today is my birthday! (WooHoo!! I am officially a teenager!) Anyway, for someone's birthday, you HAVE to eat cake. In honor of that, I decided to make a strawberry cake with chocolate frosting (and yes, I wanted to make my own birthday cake). 

This is the first time I have ever made something like this and oh my God, it was incredible! When I took my first bite, I was at a loss for words. It is that good! The cake is very moist and has a nice strawberry flavor. The frosting was not overpowering and added a nice touch to the scrumptious cake. 

Chocolate Strawberry Cake

This makes a two-layer cake. 

Cake Ingredients

2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature

1 3/4 cups sugar

5 large egg whites, room temperature

1/3 cup plain yogurt, room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature

1/2 cup reduced strawberry puree (see note at bottom of the ingredient list)*

*Strawberry Puree Note:

Puree 1 pound of red strawberries using a blender or food processor. Take the strawberry puree and pour it into a pot on the stove. Reduce the puree at medium heat, stirring constantly, so it doesn't stick. You will begin with about 1 cup of puree and you will be reducing it down to 1/2 a cup. The time this step will take varies, depending on how hot your stove is. This step can take between 30 minutes to an hour. 

When reduced to a 1/2 cup, allow the puree to cool completely before using it in the cake. I suggest making this the day before you bake the cake. The puree can sit in the fridge overnight and you can start the batter the next day. 

Cake Instructions

Make the strawberry puree (See the note above). Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease two circular 7" cake pans. Then cut some parchment paper in a circle to fit at the bottom of the pans. Cover pan in a coat of flour and shake out the extra flour. 

Whisk the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside. 

Using a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment beat the butter and sugar together on high for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Still using the whisk, beat the egg whites on high until combined for 2 minutes. 

Then use the flat paddle attachment to beat in the plain yogurt and vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients until just incorporated. With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour the milk in until just combined. Do not overmix. 

Using a hand whisk, whisk in a 1/2 cup of reduced strawberry puree, making sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. 

Pour the batter evenly into the cake pans. Bake for 23-25 minutes. When I made the cake, our cake pans were slightly too small for the amount of batter, and we added way more time than the recipe called for. After the suggested amount of time, test the cake pans with a toothpick, making sure it comes out clean. If it does not come out clean, add 5 more minutes until done. 

Allow the cakes to cool on a wire rack. After 20 minutes, take the cakes out of the pans. Use a knife along the edge to make sure it is not attached. Put a plate on the top of it, and flip it over. Allow gravity to do its job and wait a minute. Pull the pan straight off. Remove the parchment paper. Now, admire your beautiful cakes. Wait until the cakes have cooled completely before frosting. 

Chocolate Frosting

I cut this recipe in half because it seemed like a lot. Because of this, we did not have enough to frost the sides of the cake. Below is the recipe before I halved it. 

Frosting Ingredients

2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature

3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tablespoons whole milk

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Frosting Instructions

In a mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, milk, salt, and vanilla. Beat on low for 30 seconds, then increase to high and beat for 1 minute. 

Stop and taste the frosting. I added more cocoa powder, vanilla, and a little more salt after tasting it. You can add whatever you think it needs more of. Once the cake is completely cooled, frost to your heart's content.