Strawberry Chocolate Cake

Oh, Strawberry Chocolate Cake: A Sweet Story

You know how some recipes have a way of hijacking your afternoon plans, even when you swore you’d just bake something simple? That’s what happened the first time I tried making this Strawberry Chocolate Cake. My cousin, who claims to be “not really a dessert person” (bit suspicious, if you ask me), had third helpings at our family picnic last summer. The upside? There are usually no leftovers to tempt me for midnight snacking—unless you count the crumbs. Honestly, I’ve even licked the spatula—don’t judge. Plus, chocolate and strawberries together? As classic as old socks and sandals, but in a much tastier way.

Why You’ll Love This (Or, Why I Keep Making It)

I whip this up whenever I’ve got wilting strawberries eyeing me sadly from the fridge—or when I want to look like a cake genius without intense effort. My family goes bananas for this because it’s gooey, sweet, and those chunks of strawberry surprise you in the best possible way. Once I forgot to grease the pan and it was a crumbly mess, but even then, everyone dug in with spoons. Also: it’s almost impossible to mess up the combo of chocolate and berries, unless you forget the sugar (which, erm, I did once).

What You’ll Need (And How I Sometimes Cheat)

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (sometimes I swap in half whole wheat if I’m feeling virtuous. No one notices, honestly.)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (don’t sweat the fancy stuff—whatever you have in the baking cupboard does the trick)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar (my grandmother always insisted on superfine, but any sugar works, even brown sugar in a pinch)
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil (or melted butter, but oil makes it super moist, and I’m lazy)
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (sour cream is totally fine, or even plain normal yogurt, I’ve done all three)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I usually eyeball it, to be honest)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries (sometimes I toss in a few frozen ones, but fresh tastes brighter)
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional but, come on, it’s chocolate cake!)

How To Make This Strawberry Chocolate Dream

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (about 180°C, or close enough). Grease a 9-inch round cake tin—or use parchment paper if you hate stuck cakes as much as I do.
2. Mix the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a big-ish bowl. I usually whisk it with a fork because who needs extra dirty dishes?
3. In another bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar until it looks a bit pale and creamy—takes maybe two minutes by hand (well, a touch less if you use a mixer—up to you).
4. Add in the oil, Greek yogurt, and vanilla. Stir until it’s mostly smooth. If it looks a bit separated, don’t panic; it’ll come together later.
5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and gently fold everything together. Don’t overmix unless you like a dense cake (I did that once, and nope).
6. Gently fold in the chopped strawberries and those cheeky mini chocolate chips. This is my favorite bit, not gonna lie.
7. Spoon the batter into your prepared pan. Bit lumpy is fine. Smooth the top just a smidge if you’re feeling fancy.
8. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, but honestly start checking at 38 minutes—my oven likes to rush things. If a skewer comes out with a few crumbs, you’re golden.
9. Let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then run a knife round the edge and carefully transfer it to a rack. Or just leave it in the pan—less washing up.

Muddled Notes (What I Learned The Hard Way)

• If your strawberries are super juicy, dab them with a paper towel so the batter doesn’t get weirdly soupy (been there, cleaned that mess).
• Sometimes the middle sinks a bit—ignore it. The dense spot is the best part.
• If you use frozen berries, don’t thaw them. Toss ’em in straight from the freezer or they’ll give off too much liquid.

Variations I’ve Tried (Some Winners, One Epic Fail)

• Subbed raspberries for strawberries once. Tart, but surprisingly fab!
• Swapped Greek yogurt for buttermilk. Tasted lighter. Still good.
• Added a swirl of peanut butter on top before baking—looked messy but tasted awesome.
• Tried white chocolate chips once. Not a fan, actually, tasted way too sweet (but my nephew loved it, so… up to you!)

Gear You’ll Need (But Don’t Panic If You Don’t Have It)

• 9-inch cake pan. If you only have an 8-inch, your cake’ll just be a bit taller, maybe bake a teeny bit longer
• Mixing bowls, or mixing bowl singular, if you’re feeling efficient.
• A hand mixer is great but a whisk and some elbow grease are honestly fine (think of it as arm day!)
• Baking parchment optional. If you run out, just grease the pan really well. Or cross your fingers.

How to Store (though… good luck with leftovers)

Pop any leftover cake in an airtight container, and it’ll keep at room temp for a day or so. Fridge stretches that to 3 days, though honestly, in my house it never lasts more than a day! I’ve eaten it cold and liked it even more, but maybe that’s just me.

How I Like to Serve It (And a Silly Tradition)

We always pile on extra fresh strawberries and a scoop of vanilla ice cream for “special occasions”—which, honestly, means any Thursday at ours. On a hot day, a drizzle of chilled cream is magic. Once, my husband sprinkled sea salt flakes on top. Wasn’t half bad!

The Little Things I Learned (the Hard Way)

• I once tried to shove it in the oven before it was properly hot—didn’t rise. So just, y’know, wait for preheat.
• Don’t skip the cooling step, tempting as it is. I did once and the cake crumbled into a pile of, well, tasty, but not pretty cake.
• Chop the strawberries not-too-big, or you’ll end up with soggy bits in the cake. Found that out when I tried to save time!

FAQ (You’ve Actually Asked These!)

• Can I make this gluten-free?
  Yep! Just swap the flour for a good gluten-free blend (I like the one form Bob’s Red Mill, but there’s loads out there). Textures change a little, but still yum.
• Can I use other berries?
  Absolutely. Raspberries, blackberries—go wild! Even diced peaches in a pinch; totally works, just not quite the same sweet-tangy punch.
• Why is my cake kinda dense?
  It’s probably from overmixing or dodgy baking powder. Or maybe old flour? No worries, it’ll taste fine. Slather on some whipped cream.
• Can I freeze it?
  You can, but the strawberries go a smidge mushy when defrosted. Still, that hasn’t stopped me yet.
• What, no frosting?
  I mean, you can frost it, but I find that just makes the berries a bit sadder. For me, a dusting of powdered sugar is plenty.

So there you go! If you ever find yourself with a glut of strawberries and a craving for chocolate, give this cake a spin. And if it doesn’t look perfect, well, that’s half the charm. Now, where did I put that last slice?

★★★★★ 4.20 from 18 ratings

Strawberry Chocolate Cake

yield: 8 servings

prep: 20 mins

cook: 45 mins

total: 50 mins

A moist and rich chocolate cake packed with fresh strawberries and mini chocolate chips. Perfect for dessert lovers, this easy-to-make treat blends luscious cocoa with bursts of sweet berries in every bite.

🖨️ Print Pin Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (sometimes I swap in half whole wheat if I’m feeling virtuous. No one notices, honestly.)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (don’t sweat the fancy stuff—whatever you have in the baking cupboard does the trick)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar (my grandmother always insisted on superfine, but any sugar works, even brown sugar in a pinch)
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil (or melted butter, but oil makes it super moist, and I’m lazy)
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (sour cream is totally fine, or even plain normal yogurt, I’ve done all three)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I usually eyeball it, to be honest)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries (sometimes I toss in a few frozen ones, but fresh tastes brighter)
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional but, come on, it’s chocolate cake!)

Instructions

1. 1
   Preheat your oven to 350°F (about 180°C, or close enough). Grease a 9-inch round cake tin—or use parchment paper if you hate stuck cakes as much as I do.
2. 2
   Mix the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a big-ish bowl. I usually whisk it with a fork because who needs extra dirty dishes?
3. 3
   In another bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar until it looks a bit pale and creamy—takes maybe two minutes by hand (well, a touch less if you use a mixer—up to you).
4. 4
   Add in the oil, Greek yogurt, and vanilla. Stir until it’s mostly smooth. If it looks a bit separated, don’t panic; it’ll come together later.
5. 5
   Pour the wet mixture into the dry and gently fold everything together. Don’t overmix unless you like a dense cake (I did that once, and nope).
6. 6
   Gently fold in the chopped strawberries and those cheeky mini chocolate chips. This is my favorite bit, not gonna lie.
7. 7
   Spoon the batter into your prepared pan. Bit lumpy is fine. Smooth the top just a smidge if you’re feeling fancy.
8. 8
   Bake for about 40-45 minutes, but honestly start checking at 38 minutes—my oven likes to rush things. If a skewer comes out with a few crumbs, you’re golden.
9. 9
   Let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then run a knife round the edge and carefully transfer it to a rack. Or just leave it in the pan—less washing up.

CLICK FOR NUTRITION INFO ↑

Approximate Information for One Serving

Serving Size: 1 serving

Calories: 340 caloriescal

Protein: 6gg

Fat: 16gg

Saturated Fat: 0g

Trans Fat: 0g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 0mg

Potassium: 0mg

Total Carbs: 46gg

Fiber: 0g

Sugar: 0g

Net Carbs: 0g

Vitamin A: 0

Vitamin C: 0mg

Calcium: 0mg

Iron: 0mg

Nutrition Disclaimers

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

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