Chocolate Cake With Strawberry Frosting

gluten free

Chocolate cake with strawberry frosting is a classic dessert the whole family will love! This cake recipe is perfect for special occasions including Valentine's Day.

February 13, 2022
Rating: 0.00
(0)
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.

This Chocolate Cake With Strawberry Frosting is perfect for a Valentine’s Day dessert. But really, chocolate and strawberry is such a classic combination that this cake can be baked up for any occasion, not just in February.

Love cake? Check out this Healthy Spice Cake!

chocolate cake with strawberry frosting

This chocolate strawberry cake is:

gluten free (you can substitute all purpose flour)
super easy
great for feeding a crowd

I debated whether to create this recipe with a strawberry buttercream frosting, or cream cheese frosting but decided on the latter.

I love the balance of flavors and think the buttercream frosting would’ve been too overwhelming.

chocolate cake with strawberry frosting

Chocolate Cake With Strawberry Frosting – Ingredients

For the cake:

butter
water
cocoa powder (I used raw cacao powder)
Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Flour (can sub regular flour)
sugar
sea salt
sour cream (not heavy whipping cream)
eggs
baking soda

chocolate cake with strawberry frosting

For the frosting:

cream cheese
unsalted butter
strawberry jam (can sub fresh strawberries)
powdered sugar
vanilla extract

chocolate cake with strawberry frosting

Chocolate Cake With Strawberry Frosting – How To Make

First, preheat the oven to 375℉.

Second, make the cake by whisking together the flour, sugar, and salt.

Next, heat the butter, water, and cocoa in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and add it to the dry ingredients. Be sure to use a spatula to get as much of the chocolate mixture out of the pan as you can, and whisk until well incorporated.

Let the mixture cool for a few minutes before adding in the eggs, sour cream, and baking soda.

Then, stir to combine and pour the cake batter into a greased sheet pan. To grease the pan, I get some butter on a paper towel and spread it all over the pan. Or you can spray some oil on it.

No special cake pans are needed for this recipe. You just need a regular old cookie sheet.

Place the cake into the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes.

chocolate cake with strawberry frosting

To Make The Frosting:

While the cake is cooking, make the frosting.

Using a hand mixer and large bowl, combine the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Alternatively you could use a stand mixer and paddle attachment.

Next, add in the vanilla and strawberry jam and mix a bit more.

Then, add in the powdered sugar a little at a time until a thick, creamy frosting is formed.

Let the cake come to room temperature before frosting.

chocolate cake with strawberry frosting

Chocolate Cake With Strawberry Frosting – Tips

This cake can be made into a layer cake, as long as you’re okay with the cake layers being on the thinner side. It’s also a fragile cake so be careful when handling it.

Try this cake recipe chilled! It’s delicious!

To grease the pan, I like to get some butter on a paper towel and spread the butter all over the pan.

This cake is incredible as is, but sometimes I like to serve this with fresh strawberries on the top. Either a half of one strawberry or diced strawberries.

However, don’t add strawberries to the cake until right before you serve it. Otherwise the moisture from the fresh strawberries will leak out onto the frosting.

pin for later icon

More cakes to try:

Apple Cake With Caramel Frosting
Gluten Free Texas Sheet Cake

chocolate cake with strawberry frosting

Chocolate Cake With Strawberry Frosting

This chocolate cake with strawberry frosting is a decadent dessert perfect for Valentine's Day or any special occasion!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients
  

For The Cake

  • 2 cups Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Flour can substitute regular all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 sticks butter 16 tablespoons
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder can sub raw cacao powder
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

For The Frosting

  • 1 stick unsalted butter 8 tablespoons, room temperature
  • 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon no sugar added strawberry jelly I used Crofters brand, see notes for fresh strawberry substitution
  • 2 1/2 - 3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions
 

For The Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 375℉.
  • Grease a 13x18 sheet pan and set aside.
  • Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
  • Heat the butter, water, and cocoa in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil.
  • As soon as the cocoa mixture comes to a boil, remove it from the heat and add it to the flour mixture.
    Be sure to use a spatula to get as much of the chocolate mixture out of the pan as you can, and whisk until well incorporated.
  • Let the mixture cool for a few minutes before adding in the eggs, sour cream, and baking soda. Stir to combine.
  • Pour the cake batter into the greased baking sheet, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
  • Bake for 18-20 minutes.

For The Frosting

  • In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, combine the butter and cream cheese until creamy. (Be sure to use unsalted butter).
  • Mix in the vanilla and jam.
  • Slowly add in the powdered sugar until a thick and creamy frosting is formed.
  • Let the cake come to room temperature before frosting.
  • Eat at room temperature, or cold!

Notes

See post for tips!
This cake works great if you want to half the recipe. Just use a 9x13 sheet pan.
*For FRESH strawberry cream cheese frosting, heat 1 cup chopped strawberries with a splash of water over medium low heat. Continue to stir every few minutes until it reduces down to 1/4 cup. This will take bout 20 minutes. Substitute this mixture for the strawberry jam in the recipe above. 

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Cake With Strawberry Frosting
Serving Size
 
1 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
365
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
19.5
g
30
%
Cholesterol
 
68
mg
23
%
Sodium
 
225
mg
10
%
Potassium
 
85
mg
2
%
Carbohydrates
 
47
g
16
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
34
g
38
%
Protein
 
3.5
g
7
%
Calcium
 
24
mg
2
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Servings: 20 slices
Calories: 365 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Jill from Simply Jillicious
Keyword: chocolate cake, gluten free, strawberry frosting
Share on Facebook
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and tag @simply_jillicious on Instagram!

Hungry for more? Check out some of my favorite recipes!

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Recipe
Peanut Butter Snack Balls
Pumpkin Spice Energy Balls
Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
Almond Butter Cups
Balsamic Chicken Drumsticks
Fudgy Paleo Brownies
Strawberry Banana Valentine’s Smoothie
Low Carb Keto Chicken Salad
Slow Cooker Elderberry Syrup
Healthy Lemon Popsicles
Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Nice Cream
Double Chocolate Walnut Cookies
Almond Flour Cookies With Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
GF Texas Sheet Cake With Chocolate Ganache

Join the Conversation

  1. Hi,in your recipe you wrote no sugar added strawberry jelly,is it jam ?? But jam has sugar in it .

    1. Hi Shabnum! Lots of brands offer a no sugar added jelly or jam these days. We use Crofter’s no sugar added fruit spread or Trader Joes no sugar strawberry jelly.

      It will still turn out just fine if you use a standard jelly with sugar in it. It just may be on the sweeter side is all, and every brand has different amounts of sugar, so using a no sugar jelly just insures it won’t be too sweet. Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Close
Close