Easy Chocolate Strawberry Layer Torte
Three-layer chocolate cake with chocolate ganache filling, fresh strawberries, and chocolate sauce. Butter and sugar creamed with eggs, cocoa, and cream form a tender sponge baked at 180°C. After cooling, layers are filled with whipped chocolate ganache and strawberries, chilled, then drizzled with warm chocolate sauce and garnished with mint.
Ingredients
- 7 tbsp butter, softened
- ⅓ cups sugar, granulated
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 2 tablespoon cocoa, unsweetened powder
- 3 tablespoon heavy cream, for mixing
- ¾ cups flour, all-purpose
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 7 oz dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 ¼ cups heavy cream, for ganache
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
- 10 tbsp milk
- 3 ½ oz dark chocolate, for sauce
- 2 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1 lb strawberries, small, fresh
- mint leaves, for garnish(optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350°F with top and bottom heat. Line springform with parchment paper.
- 2
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Whisk cocoa with cream and fold in.
- 3
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold into egg mixture. Pour into springform and smooth the top.
- 4
Bake approximately 30 minutes until set. Cool on wire rack for 3-4 hours or overnight before removing from pan.
- 5
Horizontally slice cooled cake into three layers.
- 6
Chop chocolate. Heat cream with vanilla bean scrapings. Add chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Transfer to bowl and cool 3 hours or overnight.
- 7
Meanwhile, wash strawberries and pat dry. Halve any large berries.
- 8
Place bottom cake layer on plate. Whip ganache until spreadable and pipe dots onto layer. Top with some strawberries. Add second layer and repeat. Place final layer on top.
- 9
Pipe remaining ganache on top layer and generously decorate with strawberries. Chill 2 hours.
- 10
Chop chocolate. Heat milk in small pot. Add chocolate and powdered sugar, stirring until smooth. Cool sauce slightly.
- 11
Drizzle chocolate sauce over torte. Garnish with mint leaves and serve with remaining sauce.
Tips
Cool cake completely before slicing to prevent crumbling.
Ganache firms as it cools; whip it to pipeable consistency before assembling.
Chill assembled torte before serving for cleaner slices.
Good to Know
Refrigerate covered up to 3 days. Chocolate sauce stores separately up to 1 week.
Bake cake layers 1 day ahead. Prepare ganache up to 2 days ahead. Assemble torte up to 1 day before serving.
Serve chilled with room-temperature chocolate sauce on the side. Slice with a warm, wet knife for clean cuts.
Common Mistakes
Do not overbake the cake to avoid drying it out; test at 25 minutes.
Do not skip the cooling period to avoid ganache breaking when whipped.
Do not assemble without fully cooled components to avoid melting.