4 Layer Chocolate Strawberry Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray.
• Combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the egg, egg yolk, sour cream, oil, vanilla and 1/2 cup hot water and whisk until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Scatter the sliced strawberries on top and gently press them into the batter.
• Bake until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes.
• Run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert onto a wire rack. Flip the cake back over and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Once the cake has cooled, put the semisweet chocolate and the white chocolate in separate small microwave-safe bowls. Microwave the semisweet chocolate in 30-second intervals, stirring well with a rubber spatula between each, until completely melted and smooth, about 1 minute. Drizzle the cake with the melted chocolate. Repeat the melting and drizzling process with the white chocolate.
• Garnish the top edge of the cake with the whipped cream. Cut the remaining 5 whole strawberries in half lengthwise and place the pieces cut-side down around the edge of the cake.

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease and dust four 9-inch round cake pans with cocoa.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar and salt.
• In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the cocoa. Stir together. Add the boiling water, allow the mixture to boil for 30 seconds and then turn off the heat. Pour over the flour mixture and stir lightly to cool.
• Combine the buttermilk, baking soda, vanilla and beaten eggs. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the butter/chocolate mixture. Divide the batter among the prepared cake pans and bake for 20 minutes. Cool completely on racks.
• For the filling: Halve the strawberries, and then combine them in a bowl with the granulated sugar and vanilla. Mix them all together. Leave them to macerate for 15 minutes, and then drain off the excess liquid.
• Whip together the powdered sugar and cream and set aside.
• Spread the top of each cake with hazelnut chocolate spread, some whipped cream and strawberries and layer the cakes. Don't assemble more than an hour before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease four 9-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper.
• Combine sugar and butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Mix in 1 cup flour. Beat in 1/2 cup milk. Repeat with remaining flour and milk, beating briefly after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix in vanilla extract.
• Pour batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Smooth the tops with a spatula.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool cakes in the pans for 10 minutes; invert onto a wire rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• Mix sour cream and sliced strawberries together in a large bowl. Spread evenly between the cooled cake layers.
• Frost top and sides of cake with whipped topping. Decorate top of cake with whole strawberries and mint leaves.

Steps:

• Chocolate Cake:.
• Lightly coat the insides of 3 (9 by 1 1/2-inch) cake pans with melted butter. Line each pan with parchment paper, then lightly coat the parchment with more melted butter. Set aside. (Note: you must line cake pans with parchment paper or wax paper, otherwise the cake layers will be hard to remove and will fall apart.).
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Heat 1-inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Place remaining butter and 8 ounces semisweet chocolate in the top half of the double boiler. Tightly cover the top with film wrap. Allow to heat for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat, stir until smooth, and hold at room temperature.
• Place the egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat on high until slightly thickened and lemon-colored, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on high for an additional 2 minutes.
• While the egg yolks are beating, whisk 4 egg whites in a large stainless steel bowl until stiff but not dry, about 3 to 4 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, fold the melted chocolate mixture into the beaten egg yolk mixture. Add a quarter of the beaten egg whites and stir to incorporate, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, spreading evenly, and bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool in the pans for 15 minutes. (During baking, the surface of the cakes will form a crust; this crust will normally collapse when the cakes are removed from the oven.)
• Invert 1 of the cakes onto the bottom of a springform pan. Invert the other 2 cakes onto cake circles. Remove the parchment paper and refrigerate cakes for 30 minutes.
• Chocolate Strawberry Mousse:.
• Reserve the 12 best-looking strawberries to decorate the top of the cake. Set aside.
• To prepare the chocolate and strawberry mousse, in a food processor fitted with a metal blade, puree 4 ounces of strawberries (approximately 12 medium-sized berries should yield 1/2 cup of puree). Set aside until needed.
• Refrigerate the remaining berries until needed (that includes the 12 berries you set aside for decoration).
• Heat 1-inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Place 16 ounces semisweet chocolate, the white chocolate and the strawberry puree in the top half of the double boiler. Tightly cover the top with film wrap. Allow to heat for 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Transfer to a stainless steel bowl, using a rubber spatula to remove all of the melted chocolate mixture. Keep at room temperature until needed.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a balloon whip, whisk the 6 egg whites on high until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Continue to whisk on high while gradually adding 2 tablespoons sugar. Whisk until stiff but not dry, about 30 seconds. Set aside at room temperature until needed.
• Whip the heavy cream in a well-chilled stainless steel bowl until stiff. Fold a quarter of the egg whites into the melted chocolate mixture, then fold in the whipped cream. Now fold in the remaining egg whites. Set aside at room temperature until needed.
• Assembly:.
• Assemble the springform pan. Spread 1/2 cup of chocolate strawberry mousse onto the cake layer in the assembled springform pan. Arrange 1/2 the amount of reserved strawberries (not including the 12 for decoration), stem side down, into the mousse. The berries should be arranged in 2 rings: the first ring being 3/4-inch from the outside edge of the cake, and the second, inside ring, 3/4-inch away from the first. Distribute 3 cups of mousse over the berries, being careful to keep the berries in position. Holding the pan by the top rim, gently but firmly tap the bottom of the pan 2 to 3 times on your work surface (this will eliminate air pockets). Position a cake layer on top of the mousse, then repeat the process used on the first cake layer (1/2 cup mousse, remaining strawberries, and 3 more cups mousse). Top the mousse with the remaining cake layer and gently press into position. Refrigerate the cake for 2 hours (do not freeze).
• Refrigerate 1 cup of Semisweet Chocolate Ganache for at least 1 hour. Keep the remaining ganache at room temperature until needed.
• Remove the sides from the springform pan (do not remove the bottom of the pan from the cake; this will make it easier to handle later). Use a cake spatula to smooth and fill in the sides of the cake with 2 to 3 tablespoons of room-temperature ganache. Evenly spread the remaining amount of this ganache over the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour.
• Transfer the chilled cup of ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a large-sized star tip. Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Pipe a circle of 12 evenly spaced stars along the outside edge of the top of the cake. Place a strawberry, stem side down, into each ganache star. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes.
• Cut the cake with a serrated slicer, heating the blade of the slicer under hot running water before making each slice. Allow the slices to come to room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
• Chocolate Ganache:.
• Heat the heavy cream, butter, and sugar in a 2 1/2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil. Place the chocolate in a stainless steel bowl. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature. Yield: 2 cups.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Prepare cake batter and bake as directed on package for 2 (9-inch) round layers. Cool cakes in pans 10 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely.
• Beat cream cheese, chocolate, sugar and coffee with mixer until blended.
• Place 1 cake layer on plate; spread with half the cream cheese frosting. Reserve 16 strawberry halves for garnish; gently press remaining strawberry halves into frosting layer on cake. Cover with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting onto top of cake. Garnish with reserved strawberries.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Cover 3 baking sheets with parchment; spray with cooking spray. Beat cake mix, oil, water and eggsin large bowl with mixer until blended. Drop 1 cup batter into 2 mounds on 1 of the prepared baking sheets, using 1/2 cup batter for each mound and placing mounds 8 inches apart.
• Spread each mound of batter into 6-inch round with back of spoon. Repeat with remaining batter on remaining 2 prepared baking sheets.
• Bake 12 min. or until tops spring back when gently pressed in centers. Cool completely. Gently run offset spatula under each cake layer to loosen cake from parchment.
• Microwave chocolate and 1-1/2 cups COOL WHIP (about half of tub) in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 min.; stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Cool until thickened. Meanwhile, beat pudding mix and milk in large bowl with whisk 2 min. Fold in remaining COOL WHIP. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Place 1 cake layer on plate; spread with 1/3 of the chocolate mixture. Cover with second cake layer, 1/3 of the pudding mixture and 1/2 cup strawberries.
• Repeat layers twice. Refrigerate 2 hours.

Steps:

• MAKE THE CAKE:.
• Grease three 8 inch round cake pans and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy about 5 minutes.
• Add sour cream and mix until well combined.
• Add eggs in two batches and mix until well combined each time.
• Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl.
• Add in half of the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Do not overmix.
• Add in strawberry puree and strawberry extract and mix until well combined. Do not overmix.
• Add in the other half of the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Do not overmix.
• Optional: Add drops of pink food coloring to batter until you reach the desired color.
• Divide batter into the three greased cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool 10 minutes on rack and remove from pans and cool completely on rack.
• MAKE THE FROSTING:.
• Beat the sugar and shortening together until smooth.
• Add 6 cups of powdered sugar 2 cups at a time and mix until smooth.
• Add strawberry puree and extract and mix well.
• Add other 6 cups of powdered sugar 2 cups at a time and mix until smooth.
• Add pink coloring until desired color is reached.
• ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:.
• Spread 2 T of strawberry jam on the top of 2 of the cake layers (these will be the bottom 2 layers of the cake.
• Spread 1 cup of strawberry frosting on top of one of those layers.
• Put the other layer, with strawberry preserves on it, on top of that layer and spread that one with 1 cup of strawberry frosting.
• Place the last layer (no strawberry preserves on this one) on the very top and spread with 1 cup of strawberry frosting.
• Use the remaining frosting (and there will be a lot) to frost the sides and top of the cake and decorations.
• I suggest you crumb coat the cake and put it in the freezer for 15 minutes and then frost the cake so the sides and top are smooth or any other way you desire. Decorate with shells or flowers or dots by using piping tips.