This Strawberry Truffle Cake with Chocolate Ganache is pure chocolate-strawberry heaven. Crumbled chocolate cake gets mixed with rich ganache, folded with fresh strawberries, and topped with even more chocolate. It looks impressive, but it’s surprisingly easy to make and perfect for holidays since you can prep it ahead and chill until serving. Originally published March 25, 2014.
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Today I opened the cabinet where the Nutella is stashed, grabbed a too-big spoonful, shoved it in my mouth, then accidentally smacked my forehead into the corner of the still-open cabinet door. HARD.
I think the welt that I have in the middle of my head is my comeuppance for being a stellar mom today. And by stellar, I mean, “Get your own freaking lunch, you’re 3 years old for heaven’s sake, it’s time you started taking some responsibility around here.” And then I go back to my book and pretend the world doesn’t exist. (Except Instagram. Instagram happens even in dreamland.)
Have you guys read The Giver? If you skipped that one in 7th grade, you should give it a second chance. You can read it in a day if you are willing to forego all of your life duties. Not that I would know.
The movie is coming out in August. It’s one of those ones that I’m apprehensive about because the book is so dear to me that I don’t want my perfect imagery tainted. You know? I’m actually pretty good at blocking out lame book renditions, though. It’s like Daniel Radcliffe never even happened.
In other news, Truman’s birthday was this weekend, and my parents got him this talking light-up snail toy. He loves it. The only drawback is that it’s one of those super freaky toys that randomly talks when no one is playing with it. It just looked up at me from the floor 5 seconds ago and said WEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! I swear it made eye contact. This is straight up Sid-from-Toy-Story-creepy.
Easter is coming up, so I thought I would make you a super light dessert. Just kidding. This cake is about as rich as they come, but I still think it would be a good way to wrap up Easter dinner with your peeps. (Get it?? peeps? ho boy Karen)
You´ll love this recipe for strawberry truffle cake with ganache
So this strawberry truffle cake. It’s heavenly, guys. Here’s what you do: bake a chocolate cake. Smash it up with some ganache. Fold in strawberries. Cover with more ganache. It’s as simple as that. It’s a multi-step cake, for sure, but definitely very easy. It’s great for holidays too because it can be made a few hours ahead of serving time and refrigerated.
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“I made it tonight. It’s pretty amazing. This is the best chocolate strawberry mix ever.”
– Helen W.
Key ingredients
- You´ll need a box of dark chocolate cake mix. Any brand will do, just make sure it’s dark chocolate as milk chocolate can be too sweet.
- Fresh strawberries. Yes, you do need to use fresh. Save the frozen ones for later. Sorry!
- White chocolate isn’t required, but I highly recommend it for the garnish. Go big or go home…
- Both dark and semi-sweet chocolate chips are used in this recipe, so make sure you have both on hand.
How to make strawberry truffle cake with ganache
Start by baking the boxed cake mix according to package directions. Bake it in a 9×13 inch pan, then let the cake cool for one hour.
Heat up the cream and butter and pour the chocolate over when it’s hot. Stir until smooth.
Now comes the fun part: smashing the cake. Use a knife to cut the cooled cake into 1-inch cubes, then add half of them to a large mixing bowl. Beat on low speed until the cake breaks down into fine crumbs.
Add some of the ganache and the remaining cake cubes, then mix again until everything comes together into a rich, fudgy mixture. You’re basically turning chocolate cake into truffle filling, and yes, it’s as good as it sounds.
Fold in the chopped strawberries with a wooden spoon.
Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with wax paper, then spoon the mixture into the pan and smooth the top flat. Don’t worry about perfection here; just press it in evenly so it chills into a sliceable cake.
Smoosh it all into a springform pan, like so.
Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for about 45 minutes, but set a timer! You don’t want to actually freeze it, just firm it up.
Now you can frost the cake with the remaining chocolate ganache and top with sliced strawberries and finish with a drizzle of melted white chocolate.
How to store leftover cake
Store any leftover cake, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. That said, it’s definitely at its best within the first 24 hours, when the strawberries are freshest, and the texture is perfectly fudgy.
Because this cake is served chilled, there’s no need to reheat it. Just let slices sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before serving if you want a softer, truffle-like texture.
Can I freeze this strawberry truffle cake?
Yes!! Wrap the whole cake or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving. Just know the strawberries may soften a bit after freezing, so the texture is best when enjoyed fresh.
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Strawberry Truffle Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box dark chocolate cake mix, plus ingredients called for on the box
- 1/4 cup salted butter
- 1 & 1/3 cups whipping cream
- 1 10-oz package bittersweet chocolate morsels
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3-4 cups strawberries, fresh, chopped
- 6 strawberries, fresh, cut in half lengthwise
- 1/4 cup white chocolate
- 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- Mix and bake the cake according to package directions. Bake it in a 9×13 inch pan. Let the cake cool for one hour.
- Meanwhile, add the butter and cream to a small saucepan and set over medium heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, add the bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate and turn off the heat. Let it sit for a minute or two, then stir until smooth.
- Use a knife to cut the cake into 1-inch cubes, and add half the cubes to a mixing bowl. Beat on low until cake is completely crumbly.
- Add 1 and 3/4 cup of the ganache to the mixing bowl. Add the remaining cake cubes, and beat until thoroughly combined.
- Use a wooden spoon to fold in the chopped strawberries. Try not to eat all of it at this point.
- Grab a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with a circle of wax paper. Pour or spoon the cake into the pan and smooth the top until it is flat.
- Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 45 minutes. Set a timer. You don’t want to actually freeze it, just firm it up. If you can’t frost it until later, transfer it to the fridge.
- Run a plastic knife around the edge of the pan and gently release the edges of the pan. Invert the cake onto a plate or cake stand and gently remove the wax paper from the now-top.
- Carefully frost the top and sides of the cake with the reserved ganache. Yes, the ganache is very thin. It helps if the cake is still very very cold, so you might want to stick it back in the freezer for a few minutes if it’s been a while.
- Arrange the 6 sliced strawberries on top of the cake.
- In a small bowl, combine the white chocolate and oil. Microwave it until the chocolate starts to melt, the stir until smooth. Drizzle the white chocolate over the cake. I added mine to a little plastic bag and snipped a corner.
Hello. This looks excellent and I plan to make it for Mother’s Day. Can you make it and freeze it? I would not add the whole strawberries before freezing.
Thanks
Hi Carol, yes, if you left out the strawberries you could totally make this in advance and freeze it! And then maybe garnish with fresh strawberries? Enjoy!
Ok. I made this and we all fell in love with it. Then came my daughter’s birthday. She loves this but she also loves cheesecake. I got an idea. I cut a cheesecake in half, sandwiched this in the middle, doubled the ganache and covered the whole thing. It was amazing. Thank you for this.
Whaaaaaaat Helen you win at life today!! That sounds like the best mashup dessert EVER. I’ll have to try it out!
I made it tonight. It’s pretty amazing. I cut some sugar from the cheesecake to make the chocolate stand out better. This is the best chocolate strawberry mix ever. Wish I could add a picture.
So, I made this. It was super easy! I left off the white chocolate drizzles, because I didn’t want to pay $4 more for a pack of white chocolate chips when it’s such a minor part of the recipe. (college!!!) and I didn’t have a springform, but the cake is nice in a 9×13, although not as pretty :) I just cut it into bars to eat it. Next time I would probably cut the strawberries into 8ths instead of 4ths so that they are easier to mix.
Also,the look of horror on my fiance’s face when I smashed up the chocolate cake that he thought he was going to eat was priceless!!! he agrees that this cake is a much better final product than the plain box mix now. I would 10/10 recommend this recipe. ;) It is fudgey and delicious.
Good idea leaving out the white chocolate. It’s mostly just for looks :) And good to know this works great in a 9×13! I wish I could have seen your fiance’s face when you cake-smashed!! That is awesome. Thanks so much for coming back to comment Shauna!
What a gorgeous cake! It looks so rich and fudgy. I’ll take two extra-large slices, please. ;) pinned!
Wow Karen! This is seriously the prettiest cake EVER! You rocked the decorating! And I love anytime strawberries and chocolate are combined! Pinned :)
OH.NO.YOU.DIDN’T! You didn’t just smash up cake and then drench it in ganache and fill it with strawberries then smoosh it into a cake pan. Good gawd woman, this is amazing and decadent and brilliant. “Easter is coming up, so I thought I would make you a super light dessert. Just kidding” <– I almost snorted coffee up my nose from laughing at this line. You're awesome!