A chocolate brownie meets a chocolate covered strawberry, they fall in love and BOOM! This cake is born: a grain free chocolate brownie cake that’s moist, fudgy and dense; covered with a beautiful strawberry buttercream, drizzled with melted chocolate and finished off with fresh strawberries.
Yes, this cake is just as delicious as it is beautiful… and guess what? This chocolate strawberry cake is gluten free, grain free and easily dairy free. Perfect for Valentine’s day for your sweetie, or for any special occasion. I know you’re going to love it.
Everything you’ll need to make this chocolate strawberry cake recipe
This wonderful gluten free chocolate strawberry cake requires just a few wet ingredients, a few dry ones and an easy strawberry buttercream that you’ll fall in love with. Here’s everything you need to make it:
- Eggs: you’ll need 4 eggs in this cake recipe to give it the right texture. I haven’t tested this cake with flax eggs, but let me know if you do!
- Sweetener: this strawberry chocolate cake is naturally sweetened with coconut sugar and some pure maple syrup. Use both to make sure the cake is the perfect, fudgy consistency.
- Almond butter: using a natural, creamy almond butter creates an even deeper flavor and great texture. See below for more options I recommend.
- Coconut oil: we’ll also need some melted and cooled coconut oil for extra moisture, or feel free to sub melted butter or melted vegan butter.
- Almond flour: to keep the cake gluten & grain free you’ll need to use a fine, blanched almond flour. Sorry, there are no substitutions for the flour.
- Cacao powder: for that rich, dark chocolate flavor we’re using unsweetened cacao powder. If you don’t have cacao, use a good quality unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Baking staples: you’ll also need some vanilla extract, baking soda and salt.
- Toppings: this cake isn’t complete without that gorgeous homemade strawberry buttercream frosting. Feeling extra fancy? Drizzle the chocolate ganache made from chocolate chips and a bit of coconut oil, and top with fresh strawberries!
That luscious strawberry buttercream
Can we just admire how gorgeous that strawberry buttercream frosting is? The best part is that it’s so simple to make! Get the full recipe, tips & tricks for making it here. (Hint: it can easily be made dairy free!)
Easy ingredient swaps
Out of a few things? Feel free to make these simple swaps in the strawberry chocolate cake:
- Instead of coconut sugar you can use regular brown sugar.
- Try swapping the almond butter for a chocolate almond butter, chocolate tahini or chocolate hazelnut butter for even more chocolate flavor!
- If you don’t have cacao powder, regular unsweetened cocoa powder will work out well.
Can I use regular flour?
I would not recommend using any other flour in this recipe besides the almond flour as the texture will drastically change. This cake is meant to strictly be made with almond flour for the proper texture and flavor.
Can I make it dairy free?
Yes! This gluten & grain free strawberry chocolate cake can also be made dairy free. Just swap the regular butter in the frosting to a vegan buttery stick, and use dairy free chocolate chips for the ganache.
Tips for making this gluten free chocolate strawberry cake
- Tools you’ll need: you need a few essential kitchen tools for this recipe including 9 inch or 6 inch cake pans, parchment paper, an offset spatula for the frosting, a good set of mixing bowls and a nice cake stand.
- Prevent sticking: it is essential to add both parchment paper and nonstick cooking spray to your cake pans to prevent sticking. Simply cut the parchment paper into a circle to place at the bottom of each 6 or 9-inch pan.
- Use room temp ingredients: be sure to let the eggs come to room temperature before using them in the recipe, otherwise the coconut oil will coagulate the batter. The coconut oil should be melted but not HOT, but rather closer to room temperature.
- Pack your flour: you’ll want to pack your almond flour just like you would with brown sugar. Do not pack the cacao powder though.
Tricks for frosting this strawberry chocolate cake
As I mentioned, the strawberry buttercream frosting truly makes this cake magical. Here are a few tricks for frosting it and making it beautiful:
- Let the cakes cool completely. Make sure to let the cakes cool completely before frosting them so that the frosting doesn’t soak into the cakes.
- Do a crumb coat first. Frost the layers as you normally would and then coat the outside of the cake with a very thin layer of strawberry buttercream. Then, place the cake in the fridge for 10-15 minutes before you finish frosting. This is so that the crumbs stick to this layer of frosting and not your main layer.
- Tips for the drizzle: If you’re adding the chocolate drizzle (which you should!) be sure to place the cake in the fridge after frosting it and before adding the drizzle. This will allow the chocolate to set properly on top.
Storing tips
This chocolate strawberry cake will stay good at room temp for a day or so, then should be placed in the fridge. It will stay good for 5-7 days in the fridge, and should be covered to ensure freshness.
Feel free to make the fully frosted cake or just the baked cake layers 1-2 days ahead of time and keep them wrapped in the fridge or freezer! It will still be delicious.
Freezer-friendly chocolate strawberry cake
Feel free to freeze this chocolate strawberry cake either frosted or unfrosted for up to 2 months. I recommend freezing it unfrosted and in individual layers for best results:
- Once the cakes are cool, simply wrap each individual layer in plastic wrap & aluminum foil.
- Place the cakes in a zip-top freezer bag.
- When you’re ready to serve it, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and then let the cake come to room temperature before serving.
More cake recipes you’ll love
Grain Free Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
The Best Paleo Chocolate Cake with Paleo Chocolate Frosting
Damn Good Peanut Butter Banana Cake (gluten free, grain free)
The Best Healthy Carrot Cake You’ll Ever Eat (gluten free & paleo-friendly!)
I hope you love this wonderful inside out chocolate covered strawberry cake recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment & a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Inside Out Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake
Ingredients
- Wet ingredients:
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ cup almond butter*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup melted and cooled coconut oil (or sub melted butter or vegan butter)
- Dry ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups packed fine blanched almond flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- For the frosting:
- 1 batch of Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- For the chocolate ganache:
- 2/3 cup chocolate chips, dairy free if desired (we love dark chocolate!)
- 1-2 teaspoons coconut oil
- To garnish:
- 6-8 whole strawberries, stems removed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of three 6-inch round cake pans or two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper rounds. Spray parchment paper and sides of the pans with nonstick cooking spray. YOU SHOULD USE PARCHMENT PAPER or the cake is likely to stick. Please do not forget.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut sugar, maple syrup, almond butter and vanilla extract until smooth. Slowly whisk in the melted and cooled coconut oil until it’s well incorporated. The mixture should be very smooth and well combined. Note: It is important that your eggs are at room temperature otherwise the coconut oil will coagulate. The coconut oil should be melted but not HOT, but rather closer to room temperature.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the almond flour, cacao/cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well with a rubber spatula until smooth.
- Divide batter evenly between pans and spread out with a spatula to smooth the tops. Allow batter to sit in pans while your oven preheats. Bake for 17-28 minutes in the two 9-inch pans or 20-25 minutes for three 6-inch pans. Cakes are done when a tester comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pans and placing on a wire rack to finish cooling. The cake should be completely cool before you frost it. This is very important. Cakes can be made a day or two ahead if you’d like.
- Make your frosting: first add your freeze dried strawberries to a high powered blender (or a food processor) and blend until they become a fine powder. Next, in the bowl of an electric mixer, add the softened butter (or vegan butter) and whip on high until light and fluffy. Next, add the freeze-dried strawberry powder, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and beat for 2-3 minutes more, starting on low speed and slowly increasing to high. Add in a few tablespoons of milk to thin the frosting out, beat again until smooth.
- Now it’s time to frost the cake: place a few tablespoon tablespoons down onto the cake stand and spread over a few inches. Invert one cake onto the cake stand, add about ½ heaping cup frosting between each layer, repeat with each cake, then frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. If necessary, you can do a crumb coat here: frost the layers as you normally would and then coat the outside of the cake with a very thin layer of frosting then place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes before you finish frosting. This is so that the crumbs stick to this layer of frosting and not your main layer. Once you are done frosting, place your cake in the fridge. This is important! The frosting needs to be somewhat cool so the chocolate drizzle will set properly on top.
- To make the chocolate ganache drizzle: add chocolate chips and coconut oil to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until chocolate is smooth and completely melted. Remove cake from the fridge and pour over the top of the cake. It should naturally start to drip down the sides, but if it doesn’t, use a spoon to spread the chocolate a little towards the sides to create a drip look on the sides. Place whole strawberries on top of the cake and place in the fridge until chocolate hardens.
- Cake will stay good at room temp for a day or so, then should be placed in the fridge. Cake will stay good for 5-7 days in the fridge, and should be covered to ensure freshness. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
186 comments
Hi Monique!
I’m looking forward to making this next weekend. We have a tree nut and sesame allergy in this house – any recommendations for subbing the almond butter that’s not tree nut butter or tahini? Thoughts on using sunflower butter or something else?
Thanks!
Hi! This recipe calls for almond flour as well as almond butter. No other flours should be substituted, so I’m not sure it’s the best option for you! So sorry.
I can’t wait to try! Would this recipe work as cupcakes??!
Yes it should!
Wow, I am saving this for strawberry season… which it is almost is!!!
Perfect! Still delicious now, too (you’ll just need freeze dried strawberries for the frosting!)
Question: is this cake truly like a brownie or is it more like a moist cake? I’m really looking for the brownie texture!
It’s pretty much in between. When you put it in the fridge, it does turn into a brownie-like texture.
Made this cake for my parents’ anniversary yesterday (was waiting for the recipe to drop and it did just in time 🙂 and they absolutely loved it. Used all ingredients as written in the recipe. The pairing of the fluffy and light chocolate cake with the strawberry frosting and chocolate ganache was divine. I’m not even a huge fan of strawberries usually but the flavor combination was amazing. Also loved how my house smelled like brownies the whole day. Thank you for another delicious recipe!!
I forgot to mention that my dad (who never remembers anyone’s name) now knows that ambitious kitchen’s recipes are always spot on so any time I bake something he’s like “is this ambitious???” Anyways my whole family loves you and your recipes!!
Amazing!! So happy to hear that 🙂 Hope you keep finding recipes here that everyone loves!
This looks so good! I already have a one to one gluten free flour, would that also mess up the cake? I’d just like to use what I already have! Thanks 🙂
As mentioned above, this recipe should only be made with almond flour to ensure that it comes out correctly 🙂
Hi,
How do I store the cake layers in the fridge before assembling them if I cook them a day or two before. Also, can it be left out on the counter for a party once it has been in the fridge? Does baking the cake layers a day or 2 ahead change the cake? I’ve made it before and moved it but trying to plan making it for a party.
Hi Christy – I would recommend letting them cool completely and then wrapping them in plastic wrap and placing in a ziplock or airtight container. It’s important they are in a sealed container so they don’t dry. Yes, the cake should stay good at room temp for a day so you can leave it on the counter during the party. I haven’t found that it changes the cake, I would just recommend following the instructions I have above on the blog for making this cake ahead of time. Can’t wait to hear how it turns out 🙂
I was so excited to try this recipe and I was not disappointed! Instead of round cake pans, I made cupcakes. Since the cook time is for pans, I went with the lower suggested time and checked regularly- I believe it was ~25 minutes total. They turned out really well!
Love it! So glad they turned out!
I made this cake for my family as a Valentine’s Day treat and wow. First of all, it’s gorgeous. I could look at it all day. Second, it’s so fudgy and such a great chocolate taste. (Definitely not a light and fluffy cake). Third, THE FROSTING. The strawberry frosting alone is reason enough to make this cake. I’m already thinking of what else I could bake that’ll pair well with that frosting because my God. It’s amazing.
Isn’t that frosting amazing?! Check out the full post for some more ways to use it 🙂 Glad it was a hit!!
I really want to make this cake for my daughter’s birthday next Friday. There are 8 of us but we all like to eat healthy and have small slices. We can indulge in this cake with no guilt!
Perfect! Enjoy 🙂
Thanks for all your wonderful recipes, Monique!! I’m planning to make this for Valentine’s day, and I’m wondering about doing it in a 9×13 or 10×15 pan instead to help control portion size. Which size do you think would be better? Any suggestions on approximate cook time? Since it will stay in the pan, would it suffice to grease with coconut oil and lightly flour the baking dish? Thanks again!!
Amazing especially with the strawberry buttercream frosting! I recommend freezing the cakes before frosting
I made this tonight for my husband’s birthday. I made the dairy free version using Earth balance vegan butter. Very easy to make especially with all of Monique’s notes. The buttercream frosting is AMAZING! We will definitely be making this again.
I also tried this yesterday as cupcakes, and it worked out wonderfully! I made them larger, so it made 16, baked for about 23 min. Perfect for Valentines’ Day!!
This cake was delicious! Made it for a small birthday gathering and it was a hit- so moist and chocolatey. The strawberry buttercream added the perfect touch. My cake layers did deflate in the middle a bit, but I’m guessing this was probably user error, and they still tasted fantastic.
This cake is divine! I made it today in preparation for tomorrow’s Valentine’s day celebration! I couldn’t help eating some of the sponge, it tastes like an amazing brownie! And very easy to make! I only had 1 large cake tin so I put all the mix in that and then was able to cut it in half to put the icing in the middle.
I prepared this cake for my husband’s birthday and it is spectacular. The tips that Monique give are key to get an amazing cake. In addition to the buttercream, I added a layer of dulce de leche (I’m from Argentina and dulce de leche is a must in birthday cakes!). Thank you for this recipe!
SO GOOD! Monique, all of your recipes are spot on but I think this one might be my all time fav. The perfect mix between a cake and brownie. It’s perfectly fudgey, the frosting is amazing. My new go-to cake. Thank you for all you do!!
This looks UH-mazing and I was so excited to make it for my daughter for Valentines Day! Now I see your comment about not substituting the almond flour and she is allergic to almonds! 😭😭😭 Any ideas???
This was a very easy cake to make and very good! I’m not gluten free but like almond flour. It’s not overly rich but has a nice almost fudgy texture. I found it had to cook on the longer end of time – I used 6 in pans. Went for 25-27 minutes and they collapsed a little as they cooled in the middle, so I’d go longer next time.
Couldn’t get freeze dried strawberries so I roasted some frozen ones and blended, and used that in the filling between layers and a little mixed in instead of the milk in the buttercream. I felt really successful and would make this again! A fun and yummy project.
Absolutely divine!! My kids and husband all adored this cake on Valentine’s Day, especially the frosting. SO GOOD!! I did swap the almond butter for peanut butter because that’s all I had on hand and it worked out just fine, and oh so good! Thanks, Monique!!!
Made as cupcakes and seriously amazing. Was worried about a dry cake situation and it definitely was not!
Thank you for another amazing recipe!
I made this for my dad’s birthday yesterday and it was enjoyed by all – even after being full from Lou’s pizza for dinner!
I made it with 2 8/9″ round pans and baked it on the higher end of the recommended cooking time – turned out perfect – baked through but still like a brownie. My frosting turned out darker than the pictures (maybe I used more freeze-dried strawberries), either way, it was out of this world!
I made this with the strawberry frosting and hands down the BEST cake recipe I’ve had in my life.
Yes, seriously the best and I’m not exaggerating in any way. Don’t think I’ll ever buy cake from the store again. This was the perfect chocolatey, clean ingredient, moist cake, really so so delicious. My family finished this in 2 days- no shame in admitting that!
So glad it was a hit!!
I made this cake and icing for my husband and dad and it was truly amazing! My dad’s birthday is in a couple of weeks and he requested I make it again. I love the option with the chocolate almond butter. I added in a few chopped walnuts and chocolate chips inside the batter. Amazing recipe ambitious kitchen!
I don’t understand the Inside out Chocolate Covered cake recipe. It says place a tablespoon tablespoons down on cake stand????? Tablespoons of what?
Tablesppon of frosting. To help the cake stay put when younice it.
I don’t *love* chocolate cake, but my husband does so I wanted to try this out! THE FROSTING IS SO GOOD WITH FREEZE DRIED STRAWBERRIES-LET ME JUST MAKE THAT KNOWN RIGHT NOW! I only had 9×9 pans so I think the cake was more spread out and flatter, seeming like it was not as moist as I’d like it to be- next time I’m going to use the smaller pans. I highly recommend this recipe!
So glad it was a hit! Let me know if you give it a try with smaller pans, too 🙂
Made this cake for Valentine’s Day. It was easy and delicious. Everyone loved it!
So happy to hear that!
Made this for Valentine’s Day and it is BEAUTIFUL. Cannot wait to try it tonight with the family. Thank you for another perfect recipe!
I made these as cupcakes – they came out to 17 generously sized ones. If I had filled each cup a little less (say, halfway instead of 3/4’s), I probably would have been able to eke out a few more. In terms of timing, 15 minutes wasn’t enough in the oven, but 25 minutes was too long (they were slightly over-baked). So I would suggest max 20 minutes for anyone else looking to make them as cupcakes. I also made them 2 days before I gave them out, sealed them up in plastic bags, and they stayed good until I was ready to give them out. I tried cutting the sugar down to 1/2 cup because I don’t like overly sweet things, but I should know better by now to trust Monique because she doesn’t include excessive amounts of sugar in her recipes! They were fine with 1/2 cup, but I ended up missing the extra sugar she called for (I used regular granulated sugar, BTW). Overall, delicious, and I was so excited to try this recipe. It looked so enticing and, as always, AK delivered! <3
Noted on those little updates! So glad you enjoyed (and cupcakes sound delicious!)
This was a hit at our house! Very easy to make and so delicious! I see this as our special occasion cake for many years to come!
I made this today for Valentine’s Day and it’s truly the best cake I’ve ever made! The cake is fudgey and decadent and the strawberry buttercream is perfectly sweet with it. I followed the recipe exactly and wouldn’t change a thing!
So happy to hear that!
The BEST cake we have ever had. We made it as a family for Valentine’s Day and we all agreed it must be an annual tradition! Thank you for the delicious recipe!
This is the most delicious gluten free cake I’ve ever had. Super easy to make and absolutely delicious!
So glad you loved it!
Just made this for Valentine’s Day with my husband. We are obsessed and absolutely love everything about this cake– that STRAWBERRY frosting is out of this world!
The best Valentine’s Day treat! Glad you loved it 🙂
Cake turned out amazing! I used Nutella instead of almond butter for an extra chocolate kick. I used vegan butter instead of the coconut oil. Also used vegan butter for the buttercream frosting. I used freeze dried strawberries already in powder form. VERY intense strawberry flavor – I took the “heaping cup” a little too literally and added about 1.25cups. Will tone down next time I make it. Did two 9in rounds and was done right at 17min. Thank you for a great Valentines Day treat!
Love that idea! And noted on the already-powdered strawberries 🙂 Glad you enjoyed!
the strawberry buttercream may be the best thing I’ve ever made from this site! I wanted to put it on everything. The cake as whole was great and everyone loved it, however just the cake ended up being a little on the dry side without the frosting on it. Will be making it again
Glad you enjoyed! If the cake seems a bit dry it may have just been overbaked a bit 🙂
I made this cake and it was a hit. I did make some tweaks I omitted the cocoa (because I have strange family members that don’t like chocolate cake) and added another 1/2c of almond flour. Hard to cook longer but that’s okay just kept an eye on it Also didn’t have freeze dried strawberries so used the baby strawberry freeze dried yogurt bites for the icing. Freeze dried would have made the icing brighter!! Will find next time It’s a heavy cake but so good and gluten free!! Still put ganache on top. Wish I could add a pic
I’m glad that worked out well! Love that chocolate ganache 🙂
Oh my gawd!!! This is the best chocolate cake ever!! That frosting and the cake is brownie like. I feel no guilt in eating this amazing cake! This made my weekend
So glad you loved it!!
If you’re thinking about making this – the answer is yes.
I’ve made a ton of gluten free cakes and this was by far my favorite – and a crowd pleaser for others who aren’t gluten free.
Target sells freeze dried strawberries and the entire smaller bag is the perfect heaping cup for the frosting … the frosting is the best I’ve ever had … used one stick of vegan butter sticks and one organic real butter. . I want to make so, so many more things with this.
I used enjoy life dark chocolate chips for the ganache.
Used half unsweetened coco powder snd half cacao.
I had some mixed nut butter that I used for the cake and this worked out great.
Used 2 9” round pans lined with parchment and sprayed with coconut oil spray – baked for 17 min on convection bake and cooled on racks.
Honestly almost used all the frosting and wish I would have used the the entire amount for the middle!
I swear the cake was even more moist the second day
Stored in fridge. I will make this 100 more times.
Amazing!! So glad you loved this one 🙂
I was so nervous to make this as it was going to be my first cake from scratch, but Monique made it so easy!! I felt like a pro and it turned out incredible!! The chocolate cake is incredible on its own and was elevated by the incredible strawberry buttercream icing! I will definitely be making this again with strawberries in between the layers like in the tips!
Love it! Glad you enjoyed!
This recipe was straight forward and came out so delicious! Although you are making three separate elements, none of them are tricky or difficult! It’s so worth the time and effort to make this cake. My family really loved it and I would definitely make it again. No adjustments or substitutions to the recipe (except I was a bad listener & didn’t use parchment paper.. plenty of avocado oil though and my cakes didn’t stick!).
Absolutely! So glad it was a hit!
This cake is AMAZINGGGGG! Like seriously the best chocolate cake I have ever had in my whole life. I don’t usually love chocolate cake but my husband is obsessed, so I wanted to try this cake out for Valentines Day as a fun surprise. We both LOVEEEEED it! I am a lover of all things strawberry and he is a lover of all things chocolate, but we both loved everything about this cake. It’s a match made in heaven! But I also think the cake and frosting are both delicious enough to stand on their own with other flavors.
I made a few changes based on what I had available. I didn’t have enough almond butter, so I used about half almond butter and half peanut butter. I also used two 20 cm (around 7.5 in) cake pans and followed the baking time for the 9 in pans and it turned out perfectly!
I also skipped the chocolate ganache and instead made a heart on top with the Cocoa Coconut Chia & Flax Seed Blend from Whole Foods because it’s my husband’s favorite and decorated the edge with diced strawberries. It was a HUGE hit – Beautiful and delicious!! We’ve been enjoying leftovers every day since 😉
Love it!! So glad it was a hit!
This cake is…AMAZING. It’s dense and chocolatey and rich. Make it with the strawberry frosting because that is also amazing. I used two nine inch heart shaped pans and it took about 27 minutes to cook. I made it on a Saturday…and it was gone by Monday. SOSOSOSO GOOD. Just make it.
Love it! So glad it was a hit 🙂
Strawberries and chocolate for Valentine’s day is what led me to this recipe. Grain-free and refined sugar-free is what attracted me even more, and the result was outstanding!
I like cream cheese frosting, so I substituted 8 oz butter with 8 oz of cream cheese. No stores around had freeze-dried strawberries, so I had to use fresh fruit instead. I had no nut butter either and used tahini, since it is one of my pantry staples.
The cake was sensational!!! Fruit and chocolate paired masterfully, presentation was great and the best thing was that it had only healthy ingredients! All you need with it is a glass of ice-cold water…and maybe an espresso.
Thank you, Monique, I will be visiting your site regularly to learn more great recipes!
Amazing! So glad those little swaps worked out well 🙂 I hope you keep finding recipes here that you love!
Made exactly as written and turned out fabulous. Wish I could upload a picture. Really rich!
So glad you loved this one!
My girlfriend made this cake for my birthday and it was one of the best cakes I’ve ever had! Perfect cake and perfect icing. The strawberry comes through so clearly and tastes so accurate. We left off the chocolate drizzle but added chocolate chips into the cake mix.
Amazing!! Love the idea of adding chocolate chips 🙂 Glad you enjoyed!
This cake blew my mind! I’m not typically a huge fan of a chocolate/fruit combo, but I made this for Valentine’s Day and it was DELICIOUS. The cake was so brownie and fudgey-like and the frosting was such a pretty color and had a perfect strawberry flavor to it. I made it dairy-free by substituting the butter in the frosting with a vegan butter stick and it tasted great! I’m going to save this cake recipe for later – I think it would taste great with a peanut butter frosting or simply a chocolate frosting as well. Thank you for the great recipe!
Love it! So glad you enjoyed 🙂
Made exactly as written…fabulous! It’s not really hard, just lots of steps and a little time consuming, but what layer cake isn’t! The frosting is to die for!! I made it the night before I needed it and stored in fridge. Would definitely recommend that so you aren’t rushed in making it
Absolutely! Great idea to make it ahead of time. Glad you loved it!
Hi,
I was just wondering if you could substitute the almond butter in the recipe with any other ingredient other than another butter or can I remove it all together and get the same results?
Thanks
Hi! Check out the full blog post for optional ingredient swaps. Feel free to use a cashew butter or tahini.
This was a show stopping, absolutely yummy cake! My only sub was sugar free boca sweet sweetener for the powdered sugar in the frosting to cut the carbs a bit. This was my first attempt at a recipe from your website, and I will definitely be back for more! Thank you for this wonderful cake!
I’m glad that worked out well! Hope you keep finding recipes here that you love 🙂
This is one of the best cakes I have ever made and probably THE best GF cake I’ve ever made. I used the 2 9″ pans and wished I had a tad more frosting, but that could have just been my fault / I have a heavy hand. Regardless, SO GOOD, 5/5 for me.
So glad you loved this one! Feel free to make a little extra frosting next time, too 🙂
Made the cake exactly as written except for the almond butter (which I didn’t have, so I subbed hazelnut chocolate. I’m not a huge fan of chocolate, but the chocolate flavor was excellent and the texture was very pleasing. Gluten-free baking is new to me, but I have had enough disappointments to know this recipe is a keeper. Thank you so much!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
I made this cake for my bday and it was delicious! This recipe is so easy and simple to follow and the cake turned out to be such a great mix of chocolate and strawberry. I loved it, my family loved it and I love that it was “better for us” too! Thank you for this recipe!
So happy to hear that! Happy belated birthday 🙂
I made this cake for my boyfriend’s birthday and I am obsessed!! I didn’t have any almond flour handy so I had to substitute: I used ground almonds instead but since they don’t absorb as much moisture as almond flour does, I added a bit of regular flour (unfortunately I didn’t write down the amount. I had to wing it). I’m sure the original version is even better but it still worked and it tastes great! Thanks Monique!
I’m glad that worked out well! Let me know if you compare the written version sometime 🙂
I loved this cake! It was perfectly moist, and the strawberry icing was the perfect pair!
So glad it was a hit!
I made this cake for Valentines day last month and everyone loved it! Followed the recipe and used the exact ingredients and it turned out great (though I used two 8-inch pans since it was all I had on hand but I was able to make a 2 layered cake with this recipe). Loved the strawberry frosting too, not too sweet unlike other frosting recipes. Plus the chocolate drizzle on top added the perfect touch!
Amazing! So glad it was a hit!
Delicious! Instead of a cake I made cupcakes and the recipe made about 15 cupcakes. Also made the strawberry buttercream icing, halved that recipe and it was more than enough for my liking! A great recipe.
Love that! Perfect dessert.
Could I substitute the cocoa powder with ground up cereal to make this a cereal cake?
Hmmm I wouldn’t recommend it in this recipe as I’m afraid the texture will change!
This recipe is fire. I made this incredible cake on Valentine’s Day for myself and it was absolutely delightful… One of the best cakes I’ve ever made/had. I ended up freezing a third of it for my mom and stepdad and they too said it’s the best cake they’ve had. I made it dairy free, so used my favorite Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips for the ganache and Earth Balance original vegan butter in the frosting. I made it two tiered because I only had 9″ pans available at the time, but feel like the chocolate ganache would have been more fun if I had done 3 tiers… Will definitely try 3 next time! Needless to say, I think saving 1/3 of it to share was the most self-restraint I’ve shown in a long time! Fantastic work with this recipe!!!
Amazing! So happy to hear that!!
How many carbs? My son is type 1 diabetic, so this is useful info. Thanks.
I don’t calculate nutrition for my more indulgent recipes like this one, so I’m not 100% sure – sorry! I will note that while this cake is gluten free and naturally sweetened it is not low sugar.
Really love the recipe and the options listed related to my knowledge of ingredients. I don’t usually cook vegan or paleo recipe but this cake dounds as delicious as it is beautiful! My paleo and gluten free adult children will b impressed! Can’t wait to make it! Thank you for sharing! ❤️
Absolutely! So happy to hear that 🙂
Delicious!!! Will definitely be making it again.
So glad you loved it!
Every thing looks so good and easy to following directions
Absolutely!
Monique, this cake is pure bliss! The taste and texture were exceptional and even my toughest critics had no idea it was GF. The freeze dried strawberries were a little hard to come by, but found them on amazon and I’m glad I did because the frosting was SO INCREDIBLE, the real MVP if you will! made it exactly per your instructions with small 6 inch dark pop out bottom pans so probably baked them for a little less time.
Amazing! So happy to hear that!
This is SO good!! A friend made this for my bday since I’m currently having to live the gluten-free, dairy free, refine sugar free life. I absolutely love how delicious this is!! And, I love how I don’t ha e a sugar crash shortly afterwards. SO. GOOD.
Perfect! So happy to hear that!
Fun fact…you cannot substitute vegan butter with dairy free chocolate chips for the drizzle. Wish I could post a picture…maybe I should’ve added milk too? Or I didn’t use enough butter? Not sure…but it wasn’t pretty
But it was delicious!!
Be sure to use coconut oil for best results here!
This recipe deserves 10 stars!!! It truly taste like a chocolate covered strawberry but so much better!! For transportation reasons, made these into cupcakes. Topped it with fresh chopped strawberries and finished it with the ganache drizzle. Omg wow! Already have a request to make this again!
Perfect!! So glad it was a hit!
This recipe was a huge hit. I turned it in to cake balls with chocolate and freeze dried strawberries on top.
Sounds amazing!!
Made this for Valentines Day and it was as delicious and beautiful as it looks. I’m always impressed with her recipes and this one did not disappoint. The whole family loved it!
So happy to hear that!!
Delicious!!! Came out perfect
So happy to hear that!
This cake was delicious and so easy to make!!
So glad you liked it!
I needed an icing for another cake that had the dripping look so I used this recipe. It turned out great! Can’t wait to try this full recipe soon.
Perfect! Let me know if you give this one a try, too 🙂
Hi!
I’m wanting to know some tips on how to use this as a first birthday cake! How do I make is not sweet but still good?
Hi! oh gosh, this one might be hard to make less sweet and still have successful results! I recommend my peanut butter banana cake for 1 year olds! you can half that recipe! https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/grain-free-peanut-butter-banana-cake/
New favorite cake. I can’t wait to use this strawberry buttercream for other cakes/cupcakes, it was so good (and I bought way too much freeze dried strawberries so have to use it up). Made this for my husband’s birthday since he loves strawberry flavored things – he loved it and so did the rest of the family. Beautiful presentation points too!
Love that! And yes that frosting is delicious on literally everything 🙂 Glad it was a hit!
This strawberry cake was amazing!! The most delicious cake I have ever made and the strawberry buttercream frosting is 5 stars as well. Will make this again for sure!
Omg most delicious EVER?! I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks, Shannon 🙂
This cake was so delicious and so moist. The frosting was so amazing. It had such a wonderful strawberry taste — I will use this on many other things (cupcakes, vanilla cake, etc.) The coconut oil overpowered the chocolate taste somewhat so next time I might substitute the coconut oil with butter or maybe olive oil or canola oil?
Hi, Carin! So glad you’re loving it! Yes, you can absolutely use melted butter or vegan butter in here 🙂 Can’t wait for you to make it again soon!
I have not tried this recipe…yet. I have enjoyed making many of your recipes. I just want to pass along a comment. I would really appreciate the inclusion of weights for dry ingredients. Thanks for the great website!
Sorry, I have yet to do this, but it’s something I’ll consider for the future for sure!
The cake was dense and grainy. Not a fan.
Hi, Warren. This is definitely a dense and fudgy cake. I haven’t found it grainy though–did you use almond flour (not almond meal)?
I made these in cupcake version but didn’t change anything about the recipe and OMG. WOW! Delicious! AK once again hits it out of the park!
Oh yay! Great idea to turn this into cupcakes. So happy you loved them! ❤️
I’m thinking of doing the same with leftover batter (wanna make smash cake for baby first birthday) how long dis you cook for as cupcakes?
Thanks in advance!
I made this as cupcakes for my daughters first birthday and it was a hit for everyone! The strawberry frosting is SO good and impressed everyone it’s made from real strawberries. The cupcakes do dry out after the first day, but still delicious.
Can you confirm the number of cake pans used for this recipe? How many 6″ pans or 9″ pans? If the volume of batter is constant then I’m assuming 2 X 9 inch or 3 X 6 inch. Correct?
Hi, Max! It’s listed in the instructions but to confirm: 3 6″ or 2 9″!
Much appreciated for your response. Having issues in purchasing the freeze-dried strawberries. I know you provided a link but in Canada, there’s no Trader Joes.I checked Amazon Canada and the price is $30 for 55 grams. If I can use fresh ripe strawberries, how much weight would I need? Thanks again.
Hi, Max! Darnit, sorry to hear they’re so expensive. I haven’t actually tested the frosting with fresh strawberries so I’m not really sure. I’d start with maybe 100 grams of fresh berries and see how it tastes? Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
I found a recipe for strawberry buttercream that included strawberry puree as the strawberry flavouring. Approximately 1/4 cup puree from about 1/2 cup fresh strawberries. Will let you know how it turns out.
Amazing! That sounds delicious. Hope you enjoy it!
Well, I finally assembled the cake today. My daughter’s belated birthday event.The strawberry puree was an excellent replacement for the freeze-dried version in the recipe. I took 1 cup frozen sliced strawberries, pureed them and then heated them up and reduced it further to a syrup. Cooled it and then blended it together with the buttercream. The glacage turned out really nice although I used butter instead of the coconut oil. Also, added some heavy cream to thin it out a bit. The cake was nice and moist. Nice combination of cacao, almost flour and almond butter. BTW, I used three 7 inch springform pans. Worked great. Will do it again. Thanks.
Thanks for reporting back! So happy to hear the reduced strawberry puree + 3 7″ pans worked well and that you enjoyed the flavors and textures 🙂
I made this cake for my son’s birthday and everyone loved it. Thank you so much
You’re so welcome, glad that it turned out well!
Question…if I were to do a 3” pan for baby first birthday how long would I cook for? Anyone try this! Thanks
Sorry to say I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure!!
I went GF over a year ago and have missed fluffy cakes. With my birthday coming up I wanted a decadent chocolate cake and wasn’t sure I could find something that looked this amazing and tasted even better. This cake is my go-to chocolate cake now and the chocolate/strawberry combination was amazing! I had friends over to help celebrate my birthday and they were all blown away by the cake. Even my 21-year old son who turns his nose up at anything GF loved the cake and wants me to make it for his birthday 🙂
This is so amazing to hear! Thrilled you love this one and that it won your son over 🙂 Happy almost birthday!!
Can you use honey instead of maple syrup?
I haven’t tried it! Often honey can burn in cake and bread recipes, so I’d recommend sticking with the maple syrup if you can find it.
I just made this today and OMG it is amazing! Followed the recipe as-is and it was perfect. Can’t wait to make this again for Valentine’s Day. Perfect flavor combination and sweet without leaving you with a sugar high. Thank you!
Woohoooo! So happy you love it. And yes PERFECT for Valentine’s Day 🙂
Looking forward to making this, but can you halve the recipe?
Definitely! Feel free to halve the batter + make it in one 9-inch cake pan. Half the frosting amount should be good too.
Made this cake for my daughters 2nd birthday party and it was such a hit! Even the gluten free haters loved it!! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Can this be made in three 5” cake pans instead of 6”?
I haven’t tested that but possibly! Just not quite sure if the batter would overflow, and you may need to bake it for a bit longer so that it cooks in the middle. Let me know if you try it 🙂
This is a crumbly, but moist cake. The cake batter is really brownie-cake like. It’s not too sweet! I only had raspberry powder so I used that instead and it was absolutely delicious. I’m giving it a 4 out of 5 because the bottom cake layer crumbles, allowing pieces of the cake to come apart. It doesn’t stick together but maybe that’s why it’s made with almond flour. If I would do it again, a 6 inch 3- layer would look prettier than my 9 inch two layer. Still easy and doable either way.
Hi, Kristie! Happy you enjoyed it, but sorry to hear it was crumbly! It definitely should hold together so I’m wondering if something went wrong? Did you follow the recipe closely?
Considering this was my first attempt at gluten and dairy free baking, it wasn’t terrible, but the cake was very dense and crumbly, not moist as the recipe suggests. That said, I was able to serve it to my company and they said it was good. I think the recipe may need to be tweaked a hit. Also, the 11 minute range for cooking time seems unusual.
Hi, Angela. Sorry to hear that the texture was a little off. I haven’t had that issue — did you change anything about the ingredients? Really appreciate the feedback 🙂
Hi! I hope you are well! Hoping to make this cake for a Jubilee celebration here in London this weekend. I can’t find freeze dried strawberries but do have freeze dried blueberries. Would this work do you think? Thank you so much 🙂
Hi, there! Such a fun idea 🙂 I haven’t tried it with blueberries but I think they would be excellent!
Hi!
Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. Fab. Will whizz up the blueberries now and send a pic of the completed cake tomorrow. Have a wonderful Saturday 🙂
Just awesome! Thanks. Wish I could post a pic. Nowhere near as tidy as yours but delish! Jubilee worthy 🙂 x
Loved it. Made a great birthday cake…
I’ve made this cake twice now and both times it has been a big hit! Once for my own birthday with the pink frosting and chocolate drizzle, and for my daughters 1st birthday with Monique’s regular buttercream frosting! Easy to make and turns out great! I used 2 9in cake pans.
I made this cake for my sisters birthday and my family loved it! They were all impressed with the strawberry buttercream. It was so beautiful, they all thought I ordered the cake from somewhere. I only added a bit of coffee to the batter because I heard that brings out the chocolate flavor in cakes. This recipe was easy and delicious like all the other Ambitious Kitchen recipes!
Ahh this is amazing! I am so glad this recipe was a hit ❤️🙂
This cake turned out great! I am not usually a fan of fruit and chocolate, but I could not stop looking at the picture of that cake. It was beautiful and I decided to make it. So glad I did, The frosting is perfect with this cake. It would also be great on lots of other things to. I liked the texture of the cake. Would definitely make again.
YUM! I am so glad you gave this recipe a try and are loving it – Appreciate your comment ❤️
I made this for my daughter’s birthday and everyone loved it. The strawberry frosting was amazing and the chocolate cake was so moist!! I made the strawberry frosting with vegan butter. It was perfect since I’m allergic to dairy and my husband is gluten free. My other daughter wants it for her birthday too!
I made this over the weekend for my mom for mother’s day. It was a big hit. I’ve never baked anything like this before, but the recipe was easy to follow. Thanks!
Ah this is the best! So glad this cake turned out great for you ❤️