DIY Mother’s Day Cake Strawberry Chocolate Dessert
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This DIY Mother’s Day cake is deliciously chocolatey and easy enough to make that kids can help with baking.
I’m Keri from One Mama’s Daily Drama. I love easy recipes, especially ones that the kids can help make. Treat Mom to something special this year – or if you are Mom, spend some time making this DIY Mother’s Day cake with your kids!
Is there a more decadent combination than chocolate and strawberries? This chocolate cake is rich and fudgy. Combined with fresh berries, it reminds me of the chocolate covered strawberries you can get at fancy bakeries.
This cake is easy to make at home! It’s the perfect dessert to bake at home to treat someone special. And even though it looks impressive, the steps are simple enough that a child can help you make it.
I just garnished my cake with whole strawberries, but you could remove the stems and slice them up if you prefer. Either way, you’re going to want to have a bite of cake and strawberry together!
How to Make a DIY Mother’s Day Cake
I love the combo of chocolate and strawberries, but you can swap for any fresh fruit or your favorite cake decorations.
What you need:
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Kitchen Tools Needed:
- 5×9-inch glass loaf pan
- Parchment paper
- Stand mixer or whisk
- Spatula
- Measuring cups and measuring spoons
Ingredients Needed:
These are the ingredients you’ll need. All the exact amounts are in the printable card at the bottom of this post.
- sugar
- butter, softened
- eggs
- milk
- vanilla extract
- hot water + instant coffee power OR coffee
- all-purpose flour
- cocoa powder
- baking powder
- salt
- For decorating:
- powdered sugar
- milk
- fresh strawberries
DIY Mother’s Day Cake Tips:
How to measure dry ingredients
Older recipes often call for sifting flour and other dry ingredients. You can usually skip that step, but make sure you aren’t packing the flour into the measuring cup. Use a spoon to scoop flour into the measuring cup and level it off at the top with the handle.
How to soften a stick of butter
For this recipe, the butter should be soft, around room temperature and not melted. The best way to soften butter is to let it sit on the kitchen counter for an hour or so. When you’re pressed for time, cut the butter into small cubes and spread it on a cutting board or plate. Set the plate near (not in) the oven so the ambient heat can warm it. Keep a close eye on it so that the butter doesn’t melt.
How to make sure cake batter is mixed thoroughly
It’s difficult to make a batter with no lumps and rarely does it need to be that smooth. It’s important when using a stand mixer to stop and scrape down the bowl a few times. Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl and across the bottom to remove any bits of butter.
How to easily get a cake out of a cake pan
Grease a cake pan and/or line it with parchment paper to prevent a cake from sticking. Cut the parchment to be longer than the ends of the pan so that it sticks up several inches. This will make lifting the cake out easy, using the parchment as handles.
How to store a homemade cake
This cake is best served the day it is made. If you want to bake it ahead of time, allow the cake to cool but do not decorate it. Cover the cool cake in plastic wrap and store at room temperature up to 24 hours.
Both the icing and strawberries have moisture that will make the cake soggy if stored for too long. Prepare the icing and strawberries, then add them to the cake just before serving.
Mother’s Day Cake
Equipment
- 1 5×9-inch glass loaf pan
- 1 stand mixer
- 1 Spatula
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup hot water or substitute leftover coffee
- 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder or substitute leftover coffee
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
For decorating
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 4 teaspoons milk
- 12 strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the loaf pan and cut a piece of parchment to cover the bottom and 2 shorter sides. The ends of the parchment should stick up, so just fold them outward to be out of the way.
- Cream the butter and sugar together in the bowl of the stand mixer using the whisk attachment.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and whisk to combine completely.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the hot water and instant coffee powder, if using.
- Add the vanilla extract, milk, and coffee mixture to the egg mixture. Whisk to combine.
- Combine the dry ingredients – flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt – in a separate bowl and add to the wet mixture. Whisk until combined and mostly smooth.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes. Test for doneness by sticking a toothpick in the thickest area; it should come out dry with a few crumbs.
- Cool the cake in its pan for 15 minutes, then lift with the parchment to remove it. Cool the cake on a rack until room temperature.
- To make the icing, combine powdered sugar and milk and whisk to desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake and garnish with fresh strawberries.
Nutrition
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What’s Next?
If you enjoyed this DIY Mother’s Day cake then you’ll enjoy these Mother’s Day ideas too.
Printable Mother’s Day Mad Libs Style Card
Printable Mother’s Day Coloring Card
Hogwarts House Mother’s Day Printables
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