Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Broken Heart Cake

Make the strawberry sauce: Add the strawberries, lemon juice, and sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries have softened but are still vibrant red.

Strain the strawberry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Use a spatula to press the juice out of the berries. Discard the pulp and set the sauce in the refrigerator to cool.

Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease 2 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake mix, water, canola oil, and eggs until smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.

Bake the cakes according to the package instructions, until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Let cool completely.

Place one of the cooled cakes on a cutting board on top of a 10-inch (25 cm) square of parchment paper. Carefully trim off the domed top of the cake so it is level. Use a sharp knife to lightly make an X across the cake. Using the X as a guide, trim the top and bottom of the cake to create straight edges, discarding the trimmings. Cut the top triangle of the cake out, and place on the bottom, so it aligns neatly along the bottom edge. Trim the top points of cake so they become rounded, to create a heart. Use a pencil to trace the heart on the parchment. Move the cake pieces and parchment aside, reserving the parchment for later use. Repeat with the remaining cake.

On a rimmed serving platter, build the cake: Transfer one of the heart cakes to the platter. Pipe a strip of chocolate frosting to attach the top and bottom of the heart. Pipe a layer of frosting over the top of the cake. Stack the remaining cake layer on top and repeat frosting.

Pipe frosting onto the sides of the cake and use an offset spatula to spread evenly over the entire cake. Pipe a thick ¾-inch (2 mm) tall border around the top edge of the cake. Make sure there are no gaps. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Place the parchment with the traced heart on a baking sheet. Pour the melted chocolate into the center of the traced heart, using an offset spatula to fill in evenly. Place the other square of parchment on top. Refrigerate until hardened, at least 20 minutes.

Peel back the top sheet of parchment from the chocolate heart and pipe a thin layer of chocolate frosting on top, spreading evenly with an offset spatula. If not using immediately, cover with the second piece of parchment paper again and place in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the cake.

Remove the cake from the refrigerator and carefully pour in the strawberry sauce into the bordered top until nearly full. Carefully place the frosting-coated chocolate heart on top of the frosting border. Use the remaining chocolate frosting to carefully fill in the sides between the heart and the cake, then spread another thin layer of frosting over the top. Return to the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.

Make the chocolate ganache: Combine the chocolate chips and ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream in a microwave-safe medium bowl. Microwave on medium power for 1½ minutes, then let sit 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Add the remaining ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream and stir to incorporate. Let cool at room temperature for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until just slightly warm to the touch, but still runny.

Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Pour about ½ cup of the ganache in the center of the cake. Use an offset spatula to lightly push to the edges, allowing some of the ganache to drip over the sides. Add more ganache as needed. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.

Dip the strawberries in the remaining ganache and arrange around the edges of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, until completely set, or until ready to serve.

Slice and serve.

Enjoy!