Heavenly Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Mini Cakes Recipe

Decadent desserts always steal the spotlight at gatherings, especially when chocolate-covered strawberry mini cakes emerge as the star attraction.

These bite-sized delights pack an irresistible punch of flavor that will make hearts skip a beat.

Delicate strawberries nestled beneath rich chocolate create a sensational treat that feels both elegant and indulgent.

Each miniature cake delivers a perfect balance of fruity sweetness and velvety chocolate complexity.

The recipe transforms simple ingredients into an exquisite dessert that looks far more complicated than it actually is.

Small yet stunning, these mini cakes promise to impress even the most discerning dessert enthusiasts.

Your guests won’t be able to resist these charming, delectable little treasures.

Quick Recipe Overview

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Calories: 265 kcal

Servings: 13

What’s Inside Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Mini Cakes

• All-Purpose Flour: Provides sturdy structure for the light chocolate cake, selecting unbleached flour ensures better texture.
• Cocoa Powder: Delivers rich chocolate depth, Dutch-processed varieties offer deeper flavor and smoother consistency.
• Sugar: Sweetens and helps create tender crumb, using fine granulated sugar ensures even distribution.
• Baking Soda, Baking Powder: Essential leavening agents that help cake rise and become fluffy, check freshness for best results.
• Salt: Enhances overall flavor and balances sweetness, fine sea salt works perfectly.

• Egg: Binds ingredients and adds richness, room temperature eggs blend more smoothly.
• Buttermilk: Creates tender texture and tangy undertone, helps activate leavening agents.
• Vegetable Oil: Ensures moistness and soft crumb, neutral-flavored oils work best.
• Vanilla Extract: Adds subtle aromatic complexity, pure extract provides more robust flavor.
• Hot Water or Coffee: Intensifies chocolate flavor and helps create smooth batter.

• Fresh Strawberries: Provides vibrant fruity filling, choose ripe, deeply colored berries.
• Lemon Juice: Brightens strawberry flavor and adds slight tartness.
• Cornstarch: Thickens strawberry filling, prevents watery consistency.
• Heavy Cream: Creates silky smooth ganache, higher fat content yields better results.
• Dark Chocolate: Forms rich ganache coating, chopping into small pieces helps melt evenly.
• White Chocolate (Optional): Offers decorative drizzle, high-quality chocolate melts more smoothly.

Tools For Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Mini Cakes

• 9×13-inch baking pan: Essential for baking the chocolate cake base.
• Parchment paper: Prevents cake from sticking and ensures easy removal.
• Large mixing bowl: Needed for combining dry and wet cake ingredients.
• Whisk: Perfect for blending ingredients smoothly without lumps.
• Small saucepan: Used for cooking strawberry filling and heating cream.
• Heatproof bowl: Necessary for making chocolate ganache.
• Round cookie cutter (2-3 inches): Helps create uniform mini cake shapes.
• Measuring cups and spoons: Crucial for accurate ingredient proportions.
• Spatula: Helpful for stirring and spreading fillings and ganache.
• Toothpick: Checks cake doneness during baking.

How To Make Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Mini Cakes

• Whip Up the Chocolate Cake Base

Preheat your oven and grab a baking pan. Mix dry ingredients in a big bowl, creating a chocolate paradise. Blend in wet ingredients until everything looks silky smooth. Pour the batter into the pan and let the magic happen in the oven for about 25 minutes. Cool completely before diving into the next stage.

• Create Luscious Strawberry Filling

Toss strawberries into a saucepan with sugar and a splash of lemon. Let them dance and bubble until they break down and release their juicy goodness. Thicken the mixture with a cornstarch blend, stirring until it becomes gloriously jammy. Allow the filling to chill out and cool down.

• Craft Decadent Chocolate Ganache

Warm cream until it’s steaming, then pour over chocolate pieces. Let them mingle and melt together, creating a silky smooth sauce. Stir in a hint of vanilla for extra richness. Let the ganache cool and become spreadable.

• Construct Delightful Mini Cakes

Punch out cake circles using a cookie cutter. Layer strawberry filling between cake rounds, creating tempting little towers. Drench each mini cake in glossy chocolate ganache, letting it cascade down the sides. Top with fresh strawberries for a final flourish of deliciousness.

Flavor Tips For Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Mini Cakes

• Perfect Baking Techniques: Use room temperature ingredients to ensure even mixing and a smoother cake batter texture.
• Make-Ahead Magic: Prepare cake layers and strawberry filling up to 2 days in advance, storing separately in airtight containers to maintain freshness.
• Gluten-Free Option: Swap regular flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend to make the recipe celiac-friendly without compromising taste or texture.
• Dairy-Free Twist: Replace buttermilk with almond milk and use coconut cream instead of heavy cream in the ganache for a plant-based version that's equally delicious.
• Low-Sugar Alternative: Reduce sugar by using monk fruit sweetener in the strawberry filling and choosing dark chocolate with lower sugar content for a healthier dessert option.

Ways To Serve Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Mini Cakes

• Romantic Dessert Date Night: Create an intimate atmosphere by serving these mini cakes alongside a glass of champagne or dessert wine, perfect for sharing with your special someone.
• Brunch Showstopper: Arrange the chocolate-covered strawberry mini cakes on a beautiful platter as a stunning centerpiece for a weekend brunch, impressing guests with your culinary skills.
• Kids' Dessert Party Treat: Let children decorate their own mini cakes with additional chocolate drizzles, sprinkles, or fresh fruit, turning dessert into a fun interactive experience.
• Afternoon Tea Elegance: Pair these delicate mini cakes with a selection of gourmet teas, creating a sophisticated and indulgent afternoon tea spread that feels both luxurious and comforting.

Keep Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Mini Cakes Fresh

• Fridge-Fresh Strategy: Store mini cakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep ganache-covered cakes separate from loose strawberries to maintain texture and prevent sogginess.
• Freezing Friendly Method: Wrap individual mini cakes tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe container. Frozen treats will last 2-4 weeks. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving to retain moisture and flavor.
• Make-Ahead Magic: Prepare cake layers, strawberry filling, and ganache separately up to 2 days before assembly. Store each component in sealed containers in the refrigerator. Assemble just before serving for maximum freshness and visual appeal.
• Temperature Tip: Always serve chilled or at cool room temperature. Chocolate ganache sets beautifully when kept between 60-70°F, ensuring a glossy, professional finish on your delightful mini cakes.

Luscious Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Mini Cakes Recipe

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4.7 from 27 reviews

• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 13 1x

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Description

Delectable chocolate-covered strawberry mini cakes combine elegant French pastry techniques with classic American dessert charm. Bakery-style miniature treats showcase rich chocolate and fresh strawberry flavors, promising a delightful experience that will satisfy sweet cravings.

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Ingredients

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• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ cup buttermilk (or ½ cup milk + ½ tsp vinegar)
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup hot water or hot coffee
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh strawberries, diced
• 2 tbsps granulated sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp water
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 6 oz (170 grams) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Fresh strawberries, halved
• White chocolate drizzle (optional)

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Instructions

1. Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F and line a rectangular baking pan with parchment paper, ensuring complete coverage for effortless cake extraction.
2. Dry Mixture: Whisk flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl until completely integrated and lump-free.
3. Wet Integration: Blend egg, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract into the dry ingredients, stirring until the batter transforms into a smooth, uniform consistency.
4. Liquid Enhancement: Fold in hot water or coffee, understanding the batter will become thin and fluid – this is the recipe’s signature characteristic.
5. Baking Process: Pour batter into prepared pan, distributing evenly to ensure consistent baking, and place in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.
6. Doneness Check: Test cake’s readiness by inserting a toothpick into the center; it should emerge clean without raw batter residue.
7. Cooling Stage: Allow cake to cool completely at room temperature, preventing structural compromise and facilitating precise cutting.
8. Strawberry Compote: Combine strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan, simmering over medium heat until berries soften and release natural juices.
9. Filling Refinement: Dissolve cornstarch in water, incorporating into strawberry mixture and cooking until the filling achieves a glossy, thickened consistency.
10. Chocolate Ganache: Heat heavy cream to a gentle simmer, then pour over chopped chocolate, letting it rest briefly before creating a silky smooth mixture.
11. Assembly: Using a round cookie cutter, extract cake circles and layer with strawberry filling, creating elegant mini cake constructions.
12. Finishing Touch: Drizzle chocolate ganache over mini cakes, allowing it to cascade gracefully, and optionally garnish with fresh strawberry slices and white chocolate drizzle.

Notes

• Adjust Moisture Control: Add an extra tablespoon of buttermilk if the batter seems too thick, ensuring a consistently moist and tender chocolate cake texture.
• Temperature Precision: Use room temperature ingredients to help ingredients blend smoothly and create a more uniform cake batter with better rising potential.
• Prevent Strawberry Wateriness: Lightly dust strawberries with cornstarch before adding to filling to absorb excess moisture and maintain a rich, concentrated compote consistency.
• Ganache Perfection: Allow ganache to cool for 10-15 minutes before drizzling, creating a glossy, slightly thickened coating that beautifully adheres to the mini cakes without excessive running.

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Category: Desserts, Snacks
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 13
• Calories: 265
• Sugar: 21 g
• Sodium: 150 mg
• Fat: 16 g
• Saturated Fat: 8 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 31 g
• Fiber: 2 g
• Protein: 3 g
• Cholesterol: 25 mg