This is the prettiest cake and it tastes amazing! You might be intimidated by how beautiful this cake is, or with the list of ingredients but with a little effort, I am sure you’ll be able to pull this through.
Ingredients
Cake:
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3 cups flour
3 cups Sugar
1 1/2 cups special dark chocolate cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large Eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup warm water
1/2 c. Kahlua
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting:
2 cups unsalted sweet cream butter, softened
6 cups powdered sugar
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup finely diced strawberries
5-7 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Strawberries for topping
1 large piping bag fitted with a star tip
Large ice cream scooper
Chocolate Ganache:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 large squeeze bottle
How to make Chocolate Kahlua Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Step 1: Prepare the oven. Preheat it to 350 degrees. Using a Pam baking spray, grease three 9-inches cake pans.
Step 2: Whisk the espresso, Kahlua, and warm water in a small bowl.
Step 3: Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt using a standing mixer until well combined.
Step 4: Slowly add in the eggs, sour cream, buttermilk, espresso, oil and
vanilla extract, mixing until incorporated.
Step 5: Between the three pans, divide the batter. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 to 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven when done and let the cakes cool for at least 20 minutes.
Frosting:
Step 6: Cream the butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, diced strawberries, and heavy whipping cream with a standing mixer until well combined, creamy, and stiff peaks form.
Step 7: Into the piping bag, scoop a cup of the frosting.
To build the cake:
Step 8: Onto a cake board, place the first cake layer. Scoop out 4 to 6 scoops of the frosting using an ice cream scooper and evenly smooth it on the cake.
Step 9: On top, put the second cake layer, and spread more frosting.
Step 10: Place the third layer on top and frost with the rest of the frosting.
Chocolate ganache:
Step 11: Until steaming, heat heavy whipping cream in a small pot.
Step 12: Meanwhile, into a heat-proof bowl, place the chocolate chips.
Step 13: Pour the heated heavy whipping cream over the chocolate chips and let it sit for about a minute, then whisk until smooth.
Step 14: Into a squeeze bottle, pour the ganache. On the edge of the cake, pipe dollops of the ganache, then on the frosting on top of the cake. Into the dollops of frosting, place the strawberries.
Step 15: Slice the cake and serve. Enjoy!

Ingredients
- Cake:
- 3 cups flour
- 3 cups Sugar
- 1 1/2 cups special dark chocolate cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 large Eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup warm water
- 1/2 c. Kahlua
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- Strawberry Buttercream Frosting:
- 2 cups unsalted sweet cream butter, softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup finely diced strawberries
- 5-7 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- Strawberries for topping
- 1 large piping bag fitted with a star tip
- Large ice cream scooper
- Chocolate Ganache:
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 large squeeze bottle
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the oven. Preheat it to 350 degrees. Using a Pam baking spray, grease three 9-inches cake pans.
Step 2: Whisk the espresso, Kahlua, and warm water in a small bowl.
Step 3: Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt using a standing mixer until well combined.
Step 4: Slowly add in the eggs, sour cream, buttermilk, espresso, oil and
vanilla extract, mixing until incorporated.
Step 5: Between the three pans, divide the batter. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 to 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven when done and let the cakes cool for at least 20 minutes.
Frosting:
Step 6: Cream the butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, diced strawberries, and heavy whipping cream with a standing mixer until well combined, creamy, and stiff peaks form.
Step 7: Into the piping bag, scoop a cup of the frosting.
To build the cake:
Step 8: Onto a cake board, place the first cake layer. Scoop out 4 to 6 scoops of the frosting using an ice cream scooper and evenly smooth it on the cake.
Step 9: On top, put the second cake layer, and spread more frosting.
Step 10: Place the third layer on top and frost with the rest of the frosting.
Chocolate ganache:
Step 11: Until steaming, heat heavy whipping cream in a small pot.
Step 12: Meanwhile, into a heat-proof bowl, place the chocolate chips.
Step 13: Pour the heated heavy whipping cream over the chocolate chips and let it sit for about a minute, then whisk until smooth.
Step 14: Into a squeeze bottle, pour the ganache. On the edge of the cake, pipe dollops of the ganache, then on the frosting on top of the cake. Into the dollops of frosting, place the strawberries.
Step 15: Slice the cake and serve. Enjoy!