Meal Monday is a weekly post series on the subject of food. I’ll talk about my love for food to sharing recipes that I love cooking to food tips.
Couple weeks ago was my daughter, Katie’s, 3rd birthday. I wanted to bake a cake for her birthday party. Last year for Katie’s birthday, I made her lemon raspberry cupcakes. So this year for Katie’s birthday, I wanted to bake something different.
I asked Katie what kind of cake she wanted and she told me, “Chocolate!” So I decided on a chocolate strawberry cake with chocolate strawberry cream cheese frosting. Katie loves chocolate and strawberries and cream cheese frosting is one of the best frostings.
I used the chocolate cake recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and added strawberries to the recipe.
For decorating the cake, I took letters to spell ‘Katie’ and the number 3 and placed them on the cake. I sprinkled pink sugar inside of the letters and number. Then I lightly sprinkled the pink sugar on top of the cake. I added celebration sixlets in pink as the top and bottom trim.
Here is my recipe for chocolate strawberry cake with chocolate strawberry cream cheese frosting.
Chocolate Strawberry Cake with Chocolate Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes: 12 dozen cupcakes or two layer round cakes
Ingredients:
batter:
3/4 cup butter (or 3 tablespoons plain yogurt and 6 tablespoons butter)
3 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup strawberries, diced
1 1/2 cups milk
frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter (or 2 tablespoons plain yogurt and 1/4 cup butter)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup strawberries, diced
5 – 5 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Directions for cake batter:
1. Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Grease and lightly flour two round cake pans or place cupcake liners in cupcake tin; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
5. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.
6. Gradually add sugar, 1/4 cup at a time; beat on medium speed until well combined.
7. Scrape sides of bowl; beat 2 minutes.
8. Add yogurt if substituting part of the butter; mix.
9. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
10. Beat in vanilla.
11. Add strawberries, mix.
12. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.
13. Beat on medium to high speed for 20 seconds more.
14. Spread into cake pans or fill 3/4 full into cupcake tin.
15. Bake for 35-40 for 8-inch pans, 30-35 minutes for 9-inch pans, or 15-20 minutes for a cupcake tin.
16. Make the frosting while the cakes/cupcakes are baking.
17. Take out of oven once a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
18. Cool cakes on wire rack for about 10 minutes; then remove from pans. Place cupcakes on wire rack to cool.
Directions for frosting:
*If making cupcakes, I would half the recipe.
1. Allow cream cheese to soften.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, plain yogurt (if substituting part of the butter), and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
3. Add strawberries, beat.
4. Add unsweetened cocoa powder into the cream cheese mixture; beat.
5. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until frosting reaches spreading consistency.
6. Place frosting on cakes/cupcakes and place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set.
7. Add decorations on top such as slices of strawberries.
8. Cover and store the frosted cake in refrigerator.
Enjoy! Bake this chocolate strawberry cake with chocolate strawberry cream cheese frosting for a birthday party or just because you feel like baking a cake.
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