Chocolate Strawberry Cake {with marshmallow cream cheese frosting}
Simple. Fruity. Delicious. There’s something effortless and irresistible about chocolate and strawberries together. It’s a classic pairing that feels celebratory and decadent, yet never overwhelming. This Chocolate Strawberry Cake starts with my simple one-bowl chocolate cake base that bakes up effortlessly rich and moist, then gets layered with fresh strawberries and creamy marshmallow, cream-cheese frosting. It’s the kind of stress-free cake recipe that invites you to slow down, enjoy the process, and trust that everything will come together beautifully.
Growing up, I loved dipping fresh strawberries into store-bought fruit dip. I didn’t think about what was in it, only that it was sweet, creamy, and completely irresistible. Years later, I learned it was made with mainly marshmallow fluff and cream cheese, which somehow made the memory even sweeter. When I started dreaming up this Chocolate Strawberry Cake, I wanted to capture that same flavour in every bite. A frosting that tastes like the very best strawberry fruit dip, paired with a perfectly moist chocolate cake, with fresh, juicy strawberry. It’s easy, not too sweet, and the perfect cake to enjoy with a loved one on Valentine’s Day.
The Little Joys Inside This Bake
- The richness of a cocoa-forward chocolate cake paired with bright, fresh strawberries
- A one-bowl batter that feels unfussy and forgiving
- A frosting inspired by nostalgic strawberry fruit dip, soft and lightly sweet
- Layers that feel special without being complicated
- A cake that’s just as lovely for celebrations as it is for a quiet weekend bake
Everything You Need for Chocolate Strawberry Cake
One-Bowl Chocolate Cake
- All-purpose flour – spooned into your measuring cup, and levelled off on top
- Granulated sugar – unrefined cane sugar or refined, your choice
- Cocoa – I recommend unsweetened dutch-processed
- (optional) Espresso powder – to deepen the chocolate flavour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt – kosher or sea salt
- Eggs – large, room temperature
- vanilla extract
- Milk – dairy or non-dairy (nut, soy, oat milk)
- Oil – vegetable, canola, or another light neutral oil
- Hot water
Strawberry Filling
- Strawberries – fresh, washed and sliced
- Jam – strawberry jam (raspberry also works well if you’re in a pinch)
Mascarpone Whipped Cream (Chantilly Cream)
- Cream Cheese – mascarpone or regular cream cheese, softened and room temperature
- Marshmallow fluff
- Heavy cream
- Strawberry jam – for strawberry flavour and colour
- Vanilla bean paste – or vanilla extract
- (optional) a few drops of pink gel food colouring
Mindful Moments
- Notice how the cocoa blooms as the hot water hits the batter
- Smell the chocolate aromas fill your kitchen
- Pause when slicing strawberries and notice their bright colour and sweet scent
- Let the mixer rhythm guide you as the whipped cream thickens into soft peaks
- Remember that this cake doesn’t need perfection to be beautiful!
Storage + Make-Ahead Tips
Store the assembled cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. A cake dome or lightly tented container works best to protect the frosting. Individual slices can be stored in airtight containers. This cake can be eaten straight out of the fridge!
Before You Bake: FAQ
Can I skip the espresso powder?
Yes. It’s optional and is added to this recipe to enhance the chocolate flavour.
Why is the batter so thin?
The hot water transforms the batter into a pourable consistency that bakes into an ultra moist cake!
Can I use regular cream cheese instead of mascarpone?
Absolutely!! Both work well in this frosting. I had mascarpone cheese on hand and so used this for my version but you can use whatever is in your fridge!
Do I need food colouring?
No. It’s purely optional and doesn’t affect the flavour. It simply adds extra pink colour – if desired.
How It All Comes Together
Preheat your oven to 350°F (325°F convection) and oil and line two 9” cake pans with parchment rounds. Take a steady breath as the oven warms.
Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, espresso powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a large bowl until airy and well mixed.
Add the eggs, oil, vanilla, and milk directly to the dry ingredients. Stir until the mixture becomes thick, glossy, and deeply chocolatey.
Pour in the hot water slowly, stirring gently as the batter loosens into a thin, smooth liquid.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for about 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool the cakes in their pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks and allow to cool completely.
Combine the sliced strawberries and jam in a medium bowl, stirring gently until coated. Set aside while the flavours mingle.
Beat the cream cheese with marshmallow fluff until smooth. Add the strawberry jam and vanilla.
Beat in the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. (optional) Add food colouring, and fold in extra marshmallow fluff if desired for sweetness.
Place one cake layer on a cake board. Spread about one-third of the frosting over the top, creating a slight rim.
Fill the centre with the strawberry mixture, letting the berries settle naturally.
Top with the second cake layer, pressing gently to secure.
Frost the top and sides generously with the remaining whipped cream. Decorate with additional strawberries and chocolate as desired.
Slice, serve, and enjoy!
If this cake brings a little comfort to your kitchen, I’d love to hear about it. Share your bake or leave a note below and tell me who you made it for.
Also check out:
Valentine’s Day Cupcakes
Black Forest Cake
Molten Lava Cake
Chocolate Strawberry Cake
Ingredients
One-Bowl Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups All-purpose Flour
- 2 cups Granulated Sugar
- 2/3 cup Cocoa unsweetened, dutch processed
- 1 1/2 tsp Espresso Powder optional
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- a pinch of salt kosher or fine sea salt
- 2 Egg large, room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Milk Dairy or nut milk (almond, coconut, cashew, oat, soy) – use your favourite!
- 1/2 cup Vegetable/Canola oil or another light, flavourless oil
- 1 cup Hot Water
Strawberry Filling
- 2-3 cups Fresh Strawberries washed and sliced
- 3 tbsp Strawberry Jam
Mascarpone Whipped Cream (Chantilly Cream)
- 8 oz Cream Cheese Mascarpone or Regular Cream cheese (softened, room temperature)
- 1 cup Marshmallow Fluff +/- additional 1/2 cup for mixing into final frosting (optional)
- 2 cups Heavy Cream +/- additional 1/2 cup to achieve a pipable consistency after adding jam
- 2-3 tbsp Strawberry Jam
- 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or Vanilla Extract
- Pink Gel Food colouring (optional)
Instructions
One-Bowl Chocolate Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350F (convection oven 325F). Oil and line two, 9” cake pans with parchment paper rounds.
- In large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, espresso powder, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Whisk to mix and aerate mixture (note: espresso powder amplifies the chocolate flavour).
- To the flour mixture, directly add egg, vegetable oil, vanilla, and milk. Mix until well incorporated and mixture is a thick, glossy, dark brown paste. Add boiling water to the mixture (slowly).
- Gently stir until the mixture transitions from a paste consistency to a thin liquid consistency.
- Pour 1/2 of batter into each cake pan. Bake cakes for ~35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Let cakes cool in their cake pans for 10 minutes before moving to wire cake racks to cool completely.
- *while the cake is cooling, you can start preparing the cherries!
Strawberry Filling
- In a medium bowl, mix together fresh, sliced strawberries with strawberry jam. Mix until all the fruit is covered in jam and allow to sit until ready to use.
Cream Cheese Whipped Cream
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese (Mascarpone or regular cream cheese) with marshmallow fluff.
- Add strawberry Jam and continue to whisk (Note: at this point you can add pink gel food colouring as desired).
- Add whipped cream and vanilla. Whip until stiff peaks form.
- Frosting is done when stiff peaks are created when the mixer whisk is taken out of the cream. Fold in additional marshmallow fluff, as desired, to achieve preferred sweetness
Assembly
- Place your first cake layer on top of your cake board.
- On top of this first layer, spread about a third of your whipped cream mixture and create an outer rim. Add sliced strawberries to the centre.
- Add your second cake layer. Press it slightly to ensure it is steady over the whipped cream/strawberries.
- Generously spread the remaining whipped cream to the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with additional strawberries and chocolate (note: I decorated with chocolate covered strawberries and chocolate shavings/curls).
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- This cake batter will be very thin after you add the hot water – don’t panic! This is the way it is supposed to be.
- Go slow while mixing batter with hot water to ensure that you do not spill hot batter on yourself!
- Cake layers can last up to 6 months in the freezer. Package them in a double layer of plastic wrap and tin foil/a freezer bag. To thaw – simply remove cakes from freezer and set at room temperature for up to an hour to thaw)
- Experimenting with additional flavour extracts can be a fun way to update this recipe! You can also always try using a combination of raspberry jams and/or fresh seasonal fruit.
