Ingredients
Scale
To create this enchanting cake, you’ll need a few simple ingredients that come together to make something extraordinary.
- 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
If you’re out of whole milk, a fine substitute is a mixture of half heavy cream and half water. The strawberries can be swapped with raspberries for a different berry twist.
Instructions
Follow these steps to bring this cake, rich with chocolate and strawberry goodness, to life in your kitchen.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans and set them aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir until well mixed.
- Add the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until the batter is smooth and well combined.
- Carefully stir in the boiling water until the batter is thin. This step makes the cake incredibly moist and rich.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. My sister Ouma always taught me to trust the toothpick test – it never lies!
- Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove them from the pans to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Once the cakes are cool, place one layer on a serving plate and cover it with a generous layer of sliced strawberries. Top with the second cake layer.
- Decorate the top with more strawberries and a dusting of powdered sugar if desired.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: International