Chocolate Strawberry Layer Cake

Did you know that the first book devoted entirely to chocolate, “Libro en el cual se trata del chocolate” came from Mexico all the way back in 1609. Chocolate has been on everyone’s mind for even longer that, I read some where that chocolate was keeping the Mayans happy all the way back in the 6th century AD. They called it xocolātl. Nice huh? I love how what word roles off my tough xocolātl.

There is nothing like chocolate in the world is there? It’s my go to happy place. Thank you Aztecs, Mayans, Columbus and Briton John Cadbury and Rodolphe Lindt  for bringing this to my doorstep. Chocolate is amazing all by itself but add strawberries to it and you’re in heaven. Take deep red strawberries and dark satiny chocolate and you have a gift for the gods or any other person.

Lets get baking

Ingredients

Cake

1 ¾ flour

1-cup coco powder

1 ½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ salt

¾ or 188grams butter

¾ cup castor sugar (that’s just fine sugar)

2/3 cup Demerara sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 ½ cups buttermilk (mix 3 tablespoons yogurt mixed water)

Chocolate frosting

113 unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup icing sugar sifted once

2 teaspoons good vanilla extract

200 grams dark chocolate melted and cooled a bit (to melt - cut into pieces add 1 ½ teaspoon water and microwave for 1 minute mix with a metal spoon if not melted completely microwave for another 30 seconds)

Strawberries

Chocolate chips (white, dark)

Let's bake Cake

-   Turn oven up to 170 F, butter and flour 2 round cake pans.

-   Sift dry ingredients- flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt onto a newspaper twice.

-   Cream the sugars and butter together with a hand mixer until it lightens (for about 5 minutes). Add the eggs and vanilla and continue to mix.

-   Fold in the dry ingredients alternating with the butter, milk and ending with the dry ingredients. Don’t over mix.

-   Divide the batter between the 2 cake tins. Pop in the oven for about 30 to 35 minutes till toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

-   Let the cake cool in the pan. Once cooled move to a rack and bring to room temperature            

Chocolate Frosting

-    Cream butter and sugar till it turns a pale shade of yellow. Add the vanilla and chocolate and beat until smooth.

-   Place one cake on a turntable; spread a little the frosting on top. Line with thinly cut strawberries, place the 2^nd cake on top of the strawberries and smother with frosting. Decorate with lots of strawberries, either thinly cut or whole. Sprinkle with chocolate chip swirls.