I’ve always been the type of gal who prefers a fruit-based dessert (strawberry pie, apple crisp, or peach cobbler) over a chocolatey one, but every once and a while, I get hit with a massive chocolate craving. So the other day when that craving struck, I decided to combine the chocolate craving with my love for fruity desserts, and I ended up with this cake here!
If you ask me, chocolate and strawberry is one of the most delicious, yet so underrated flavor combinations out there. The rich, slightly bitter flavor of chocolate pairs perfectly with the fresh, sweet strawberries, and it leaves your taste buds feeling absolutely amazing! And luckily, this cake is no exception.
While this cake may look fancy or hard to make, it’s actually quite the opposite! Don’t you just love when a cake is tasty and easy to make? I know I sure do!
To make this cake, you’ll need two bowls: one large mixing bowl for the cake batter, and then one smaller bowl for the filling. It doesn’t matter which one you make first, but I personally always start with the cheesecake filling, just so it’s there and ready to go for when you need it. Once you mix the cake batter, pour about 1/3 of it into the pan, pour the cheesecake mixture on top, and then pour the remaining cake batter over top. After that, it’s into the oven she goes!
When the cake comes out of the oven, it’s very important to leave it in the pan for at least 30 minutes to allow it to cool. If you get too excited and remove it from the pan right away, the heat will cause it to collapse, and you’ll be left with a sad-looking bundt cake. And that’s the last thing we want, right?
After waiting for it to cool, take your serving plate and place it on top of the bundt pan. Slowly flip it over (keeping the plate in place) and gently tap the pan so the cake slides out. Once it’s on the plate, you’ll have to wait for it to fully cool before finishing it up with icing. I know, I know… more waiting? You’re kidding, right? But trust me – this cake will be well-worth all of the waiting! In the meantime while it’s cooling, you can read a book, go for a walk, catch up on that TV show you recorded last night, or even do a little meal prep for dinners that week. Trust me, the time will fly by, and then before you know it, it’ll be time to ice the cake and dig in!
Now this cake would certainly be good on its own without any extra frosting, but when I told you that I had a chocolate craving, I wasn’t messing around. The only way to handle that chocolate craving was to handle it right – and that meant going full-on chocolate mode with a chocolate frosting on top!
As soon as the cake was frosted, I wasted no time at all in slicing it up.
Just look at that strawberry cream cheese layer in between all of the chocolate. Talk about yum!
And good news, it tasted just as good as it looked! And it definitely did the job of satisfying my chocolate craving.
As a dietitian, I preach to people all the time about the importance of honoring your cravings. There is no such thing as a “bad food”, just like there is no such thing as a “good food”. All food is just that – food. That means you should never feel bad about indulging in a slice (or two) of chocolate cake, and you should never feel better than someone else because you chose a salad when they chose pizza. Life is all about balance, and that applies to food as well. Eat the foods that make you feel good, but at the same time, listen to your body and honor what it wants. If it wants cake, give it cake. If it wants a salad, then feed it salad! Just do me a favor and never try to push aside your cravings or feel guilty because you’re craving cake. Food is meant to be enjoyed! So with that being said, go ahead and slice yourself a big piece of cake and enjoy!
Chocolate Bundt Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt vanilla or plain
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk or regular milk
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp. instant espresso powder or instant coffee
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips optional
For the Filling:
- 12 ounces strawberry cream cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup sugar
For the Frosting:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 TBSP melted butter
- 2 TBSP cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2-3 TBSP unsweetened almond milk or water or milk of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and remove the middle rack from the oven. Grease a bundt cake with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Filling: use an electric mixer to combine all ingredients, and mix until smooth and creamy. Set aside for now.
- Cake: in a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the applesauce, Greek yogurt, sugar, eggs, almond milk, and vanilla.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, instant coffee, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix until well-incorporated.
- Add the boiling water and mix well. If using chocolate chips, fold those in here.
- Pour about 1/3 of the batter into the greased bundt pan and spread it around evenly. Pour all of the cream cheese filling on top, and spread it around evenly.
- Add the remaining cake batter on top of the cheesecake layer, and then place the pan in the oven.
- Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until the center is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes. Place a plate on top of the pan and flip the pan upside down to remove cake from pan. If cake does not come out, lightly tap the pan, or use a knife to loosen the edges.
- Allow the cake to completely cool before frosting. To make the frosting, combine all of the ingredients with an electric mixer. If mixture is too thick, add extra liquid, and likewise, if frosting is too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.
- Slice the cake and enjoy!
