Valentines Day Cake
Valentines Day Cake, easy to make, tastes delicious, and is a show stopper! Tender chocolate cake with the best homemade strawberry buttercream and chocolate ganache!
Servings 18
Calories 553kcal
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 box chocolate cake mix*
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tbs vanilla
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 4 eggs
- ¼ cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional
Strawberry Buttercream
- ½ cup strawberries* about 6-8 strawberries
- ¼ cup water
- Pinch of salt
- 1 ½ cups butter slightly softened
- 1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla
- 6 ½ cups powdered sugar + more if needed
- 5 tbs heavy cream + more if needed
- 3-4 drops LorAnn Strawberry Oil* optional but recommended
- Neon Pink Food Gel- optional but really gives it that pink color you want
Ganache
- ¼ heavy cream
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Strawberries Sprinkles, Crushed Chocolate, Candies as toppings (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray two 8 in cake pans with a flouring baking spray (like baker’s joy)
- Mix together, either by hand or in a stand mixer, the oil, vanilla, sour cream, heavy cream and eggs. Then mix in the boxed cake mix, cocoa powder, and espresso powder if using.1 box chocolate cake mix*, ½ cup vegetable oil, 2 tbs vanilla, ¾ cup sour cream, ¾ cup heavy cream, 4 eggs, ¼ cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- Pour batter into cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes- or until a toothpick comes out clean. *
- Once baked allow to cool and make your frosting.
Strawberry Buttercream
- In a medium sauce pan, combine water, strawberries, and salt. Heat over medium heat, mashing the strawberries as the liquid boils.½ cup strawberries*, Pinch of salt, ¼ cup water
- Boil until liquid is reduced to about ¼ cup, 3-4 minutes. Once at ¼ cup, remove from heat and refrigerate until cool.*
- In a stand mixer beat butter on medium until fluffy. Mix in the vanilla, powdered sugar, and heavy cream until a buttercream forms.1 ½ cups butter, 1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla, 6 ½ cups powdered sugar + more if needed, 5 tbs heavy cream + more if needed
- Add in the strawberries, a few drops of the strawberry oil, and a few drops of the gel food coloring.3-4 drops LorAnn Strawberry Oil*, Neon Pink Food Gel- optional but really gives it that pink color you want
- Mix until fluffy. If the mixture is too runny add more powdered sugar (¼ cup at a time), and if it’s too stiff add more heavy cream (1tbs at a time).
Frost the Cake
- Place the first cake layer on your cake plate or board. Add a nice layer of strawberry buttercream, then place the second cake laver over that.
- Frost the cake with strawberry buttercream* the refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to allow the buttercream to setup.
- While refrigerating the cake, make your ganache. In a microwave safe dish combine heavy cream and chocolate chips. Microwave on high, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and combined. Usually takes about 1 minutes.¼ heavy cream, 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Pour the ganache over the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Before it sets up place any candies or strawberries on top.Strawberries
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Tips and Tricks
- *If you prefer a homemade chocolate cake, use this recipe but cut it half- it’s my favorite!
- *If you don’t have the extra ingredients to doctor the box mix just follow the directions on the back of the box and bake accordingly.
- *If you have a thermometer, the cakes will be done at an internal temperature of 205-210°F
- *Strawberry Oil can be found in the baking/decorating isle of most grocery stores. It comes in a tiny bottle but you only need a few drops. You can also buy it online here.
- *You can use fresh or frozen strawberries, just make sure they are thawed if using frozen.
- *If your strawberry mixture is too chunky you can smooth it out by using an immersion blender on it.
- *The strawberry buttercream makes enough for a single coat without a crumb coat. If you want a super smooth finish with a sharp edge (like seed here), I recommend doubling the frosting, doing crumb coat then a final coat.
- *Refrigerate cake and any leftovers. It’s best to keep sliced cake in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out.
Nutrition
Calories: 553kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 362mg | Potassium: 190mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 56g | Vitamin A: 799IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 2mg