Fudgy Chocolate Strawberry Cake🍰 Dessert

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup Dutch cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp table salt
• 2/3 cup neutral cooking oil
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2 large eggs, room temperature preferred
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup very hot or boiling water
• 1 oz freeze dried strawberries
• 1 1/2 cups salted butter, softened
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup heavy cream, plus additional as needed
• 4 oz semisweet or dark chocolate bar or couverture chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Line the bottoms of three 8" pans with parchment paper and spray or grease and flour the sides of the pans. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Stir well until all ingredients are well combined.
3. Add oil, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract and stir until completely combined.
4. Slowly add in buttermilk, stirring until thoroughly combined.
5. Slowly add hot water and stir until batter is uniform and completely combined.
6. Evenly divide batter into prepared cake pans and place in 350F (175C) oven. Bake for 24-28 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of each cake should come out clean with a few moist crumbs. (If your oven cannot fit all three cake pans it is fine to leave one on the counter while the other two bake. Also, if your oven bakes unevenly, you may need to rotate the cakes while baking).
7. Allow cakes to cool in their pans for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and carefully invert onto cooling racks. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
8. Place freeze dried strawberries in a small food processor and pulse until they've become a fine powder. Set aside.
9. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Beat until completely combined. Gradually add remaining powdered sugar, stirring well after each addition, until all sugar has been added and mixture is smooth and thoroughly combined.
10. Add the strawberry powder and stir until thoroughly combined.
11. Add cream, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until frosting is a smooth and pipeable consistency.
12. Level cakes if necessary. Place one cake layer on a serving platter and cover the top of the cake layer evenly with a layer of strawberry frosting. Repeat with the second and third layers. I recommend doing a crumb coat for the cake for easier frosting, cover entire cake with a thin layer of strawberry frosting and place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
13. Remove and apply an even, thick layer of strawberry frosting around the top and sides of the cake. Place remaining frosting in a piping bag fitted with an Ateco 848 tip and set aside while you prepare your ganache, this will be used to pipe swirls on the top of your cake.
14. Place chocolate in a small heatproof bowl or measuring cup and pour the cream overtop, stir.
15. Heat in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring well in between, until chocolate is completely smooth and melted.
16. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Ganache should still be liquid but no longer runny (I do a test drip to test how thick/thin it is).
17. Remove cake from refrigerator and place ganache in a piping bag with a small tip or a squeeze bottle. Hold the bottle or bag vertically and drip ganache around the edge of the cake, going all the way around the cake. Drizzle remaining ganache over the top of the cake in a thin, even layer (you may not use all of the ganache).
18. Transfer to the refrigerator and allow the cake to chill until the ganache is set.
19. Slice, serve and enjoy!