Sometimes a classic flavor combo just beckons. Like this CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY MASCARPONE BUTTERCREAM. The cake itself is more or less a one-bowl situation and the buttercream is the simpler American style made more luxurious with the additions of mascarpone cheese and homemade strawberry puree (strawberries cooked down with a bit of water then blended until smooth) but you can also also use a really good strawberry jam. This cake just proved to me again why chocolate and strawberries are perfect companions.

I made this CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY MASCARPONE BUTTERCREAM for my por por (grandmother) for her 90th birthday. It's kind of a huge deal turning 90 years old — an occasion calling for an over-the-top cake served with lots of fanfare but in actuality, just her and I enjoyed it quietly and contently inside her room of a nursing home on a rainy Thursday afternoon.

Por Por normally lives with my parents but she is at a nursing home temporarily while my parents are on a 3-week cruise. It sounds heartless and tragic when you read that, doesn't it? But it's not like that. I mean, nobody aspires to be placed in a nursing home particularly over a milestone birthday but she insists she's not too fussed about it, acknowledging that my parents will be fetching her soon. Surprisingly pragmatic. Even so, I can't say my heartstrings don't get a good tug leaving her there. But yes, there is that flip side. Being caregivers of an aging parent who has dementia is stressful and emotionally draining. If you've lived through such a situation, you will know this well. With her, conversations repeat on a 5-minute cycle mostly filled with questions of "where am I?" "who are you?" "do I have another child?" "where's my husband?" "have I eaten yet?" — their dutiful answers forgotten within moments. Then the questions are asked again. And again. One recent morning she woke my parents up at 5am because everyone must pack their belongings to vacate the building for some urgent yet unknown reason. She shuffles back and forth from the washroom every few minutes. Don't even try to get in her way! Once she tried to boil a mango in a pot of water on the stove because it wasn't ripe enough. It's almost laughable. Except not really. You can imagine how caregivers desperately need respite from time to time, and I'm happy my parents are getting that right now.

Meanwhile, us grandkids are taking turns visiting, answering her repetitive set of questions with the patience of saints (or parents of inquisitive young kids which basically makes us experts ha), reminiscing about when we were little, and eating chocolate cake quietly and contently inside her room of a nursing home. And it's lovely because it's time spent together. Plus duh, this CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY MASCARPONE BUTTERCREAM is a really delicious cake!

note: this recipe was updated in 2024 but the flavours and the spirit of it is just as sublime. I changed it from a 6 inch 2-layer cake to an 8 inch 3-layer cake recipe adapted from Ina Garten’s chocolate cake with less sugar and no stand mixer required. I also adjusted the strawberry mascarpone buttercream recipe to increase quantity to adequately frost the extra cake layer and to cover the whole cake in a thick layer of strawberry mascarpone buttercream. when it comes to this cake, more is for sure better 😉🍓🍫

Eat well and be well,

Sonia x

RECIPE HEAD NOTES - CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY MASCARPONE BUTTERCREAM:

1. What if I don’t have buttermilk?

You can make a DIY buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice (any acid) into a measuring cup and fill it up to the 1-cup line with milk. Stir well and let sit for 10-15 minutes before using. This works with dairy-free milks as well.

2. What if I don’t have extra-large eggs?

Many people keep large eggs on hand. Based on US egg chart, large eggs are 50g each and extra-large eggs are 56g each. Whisk 3 large eggs and weigh out 112g on a kitchen scale for the equivalent of 2 extra-large eggs. I have also used 2 large eggs in the cake which is fine – the crumb is just a tad more delicate.

3. Can I use instant coffee? Or omit coffee?

Yes, you can use 1 cup of your favourite coffee. I have used 1 shot espresso topped up to 1 cup with boiling water OR espresso powder topped up to 1 cup with boiling water. You can also omit the espresso / coffee completely and put plain boiling water to keep it caffeine-free.

4. Can I use store-bought strawberry jam instead of making strawberry puree?

Yes, you can substitute ¼ cup of your favourite strawberry jam in the Strawberry Mascarpone Buttercream.

5. Can frozen strawberries be used?

Yes, frozen strawberries can be used without defrosting. I suggest measuring out about 3 cups of frozen strawberries. It will likely yield less puree than the recipe made with fresh (because fresh strawberries are weighed with stems) but it will be plenty enough for the Strawberry Mascarpone Buttercream. Use fresh strawberries to decorate the cake.

6. what is mascarpone? Can It be substituted with cream cheese?

Mascarpone is a spreadable Italian cream cheese. It is thick, rich and super creamy — with about double the butterfat as American cream cheese. Mascarpone is used in savoury and dessert dishes. You may be most familiar with it as an essential ingredient in tiramisu. Flavour wise, “mascarpone cheese has a mildly sweet, almost nutty flavor with a fresh buttery character. Mascarpone is less tangy than comparable cheeses like ricotta and American cream cheese. American-style cream cheese is both firmer and brighter-tasting than its Italian counterpart” (from Masterclass.com).

Yes, you can substitute cream cheese in place of the mascarpone in this buttercream recipe. Bring 8-oz (227g) block of cream cheese to room temperature and cream it with the butter in the buttercream recipe first step. If frosting is a little thick at the end, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk or cream as needed to thin to desired consistency.

7. The buttercream uses ¼C of the strawberry puree. What can I do with extra?

You won’t run out of ways to use leftover puree! The makes about ¾ cup, of which ¼ cup is needed for the Strawberry Mascarpone Buttercream. You can spread the remaining puree as a filling in between cake layers. Or spoon it over yogurt, overnight oats, chia seed pudding or ice cream. It’s also perfect for making my Strawberry Matcha Latte!

8. Make Ahead – Strawberry Mascarpone Buttercream:

Can be made and kept airtight refrigerated for 2 to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze in ziptop bag or freezer-safe container. Defrost overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature before using.

9. Make Ahead – Chocolate Cake:

Unfrosted cake layers can be baked ahead, wrapped tightly in plastic food wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil and tucked inside a ziptop bag with the air pushed out. Store in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze up to 2 months. To use, defrost in fridge overnight, then set it on the counter for a couple of hours before frosting. Once the cake is frosted, the best way to store it is to cut the remaining cake into slices and individually wrap slices in plastic food wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil and tucked inside a ziptop bag with the air pushed out, and freeze for 3-4 weeks. Remember to properly identify it with a label and “eat by” date.

10. Baking into a 2-layer cake:

Ina’s original chocolate cake recipe is baked into 2 thicker layers. To bake as a 2-layer cake, preheat oven to 350f, divide batter between two 8” x 2” round pans and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in center of cake emerges clean. You will have extra buttercream because of one less cake layer.

Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Mascarpone Buttercream

Recipe makes one 8" cake. The amount of buttercream is enough for a traditional, thickly frosted cake with 3 layers. The chocolate cake is adapted from Ina Garten’s cookbook Barefoot Contessa at Home and also available online at her site BarefootContessa.com.

INGREDIENTS

For the chocolate cake layers:

1¾ C (225 g) all-purpose flour

1½ C (300 g) granulated sugar

¾ C (65g) unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1 C (240 ml) buttermilk, shaken – note 1

½ C (120 ml) vegetable oil or avocado oil

2 extra-large eggs, room temperature – note 2

1 tsp (5ml) pure vanilla extract

1 C freshly brewed hot coffee – note 3

For the strawberry puree – see note 4:

1 lb (450g) fresh strawberries, some reserved for garnish – note 5

½ tbsp sugar

1 tbsp water

For the strawberry mascarpone buttercream:

1 C (227g) unsalted butter, room temperature

5 C (640g) powdered sugar, sifted

250g-tub mascarpone cheese – note 6

¼ C strawberry puree from above – note 7

1 tsp pure vanilla extract or paste

For decorating the cake:

4-5 medium-sized fresh strawberries, stemmed and sliced thinly, blotted very dry with paper towels

METHOD

Make the chocolate cake layers:

Preheat oven to 350f. Grease three 8” x 2” round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper. Dust pans with flour. (see recipe note 10 for baking into 2 layers per Ina’s original chocolate cake recipe).

Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda into a large mixing bowl. Whisk in sugar and salt. Set aside. Using a 2-cup measuring cup, fill with 1 cup of buttermilk and ½ cup of oil. Add eggs and vanilla, and whisk well. Pour the liquid into the bowl of dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, scraping bottom of the bowl with a silicon spatula. Re-using the same measuring cup, fill with 1 cup of hot coffee. Stir into the batter. The batter is very liquid-y. Divide cake batter equally into prepared pans. Optional: weigh the batter for even cake layers – which is 1380g total batter divided by 3 pans = 460g batter per pan.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in center of cake emerges clean. Since ovens vary so much, always test doneness a few minutes prior to stated bake time. Cool in pans for 30 minutes. Transfer onto cooling racks and cool completely before frosting or wrapping up to store.

Make Strawberry Puree:

Remove stems and cut strawberries into small pieces, adding into a medium saucepan along with sugar and water. Simmer over medium to medium-low heat uncovered 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until strawberries are very soft and mixture is reduced to a thick jam. Use a wooden spoon to mash any bits into the puree. If you prefer the puree to be ultra-smooth for frosting the cake, use an immersion blender to blend smooth. Set aside to fully cool. If making in advance, cover and store in the fridge. Bring to room temperature when ready to use.

Make Strawberry Mascarpone Buttercream:

Add room temperature butter into bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream butter on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the side of the bowl midway and at the end. On lowest speed, add powdered sugar one cup at a time, allowing it to incorporate into the butter between additions. Add mascarpone, ¼ cup of the strawberry puree and vanilla. Mix on low until combined. Increase to medium-high speed and mix for 5 minutes until the buttercream is fluffy and lightened in colour.

Assemble and Frost Cake:

If needed, level out the tops of cooled cake layers with a long, serrated knife. Place first cake layer on turn table or serving plate right-side up. Scoop about 1-1½ cup of the buttercream into the center and spread evenly with a spatula. Stack second layer upside-down, making sure the two layers line up nicely. Place another 1-1½ cup of frosting and spread out evenly. Repeat again for third layer if making 3-layer cake. Spread a thin layer of buttercream on the top and sides for a crumb coat. Chill in fridge to firm up for 10-15 minutes, but not longer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with remaining buttercream to desired thickness. The amount of buttercream in this recipe is pretty perfect for a 3-layer cake but for a 2-layer cake, you will have leftover (see head notes for buttercream frosting instruction). Decorate with fresh strawberry slices around the side.

Enjoy with people you love ❤️

🎥 watch me make the chocolate cake layers on Instagam:

note: in the video, I baked the chocolate cake in 2 layers and frosted it with a chocolate frosting. see recipe head notes for baking time if you also want to make this a 2-layer cake. frost per recipe above.

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A post shared by sonia wong (@saltnpepperhere)

If you have a question about the recipe or food for thought to share, drop it in the comments below. Or if you make this recipe, tag me on Instagram @ saltnpepperhere or on TikTok @ sonia.saltnpepperhere. I would love that!