Chocolate Strawberry Chocolate Cake

Bake at 350*
1 Devil's Food Cake Mix
3 eggs
1/2 C. Vegetable Oil
1 1/4 C. Water
1 C. Instant Chocolate pudding prepared (makes cake super moist!)
Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting (Recipe Below)
Fresh Strawberries
Powdered Sugar

Combine cake mix, oil, water, eggs. Mix until well combined. Fold in Chocolate pudding. Grease with shortening then lightly flour two 8-inch circle pans, pour batter into both pans, distributing batter equaly. Cook for 30-34 minutes. I cook mine for 31 min. and that works perfectly for my oven. Set cakes on counter to cool for about 10-15 mins. Take butter knife and loosen edges. Cakes need to be somewhat cooled before removing them from pans. Place cooling rack against cake pans, turn both rack and cake over so cake is resting on rack. Cool thouroughly on rack. Cakes are great made the night before and stored in an airtight container. Make Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting. (Recipe Below) Take a small amount of frosting and put it on center of cake board or cake stand. This will keep the cake from slipping while decorating. Once cooled, take the cakes turning it right side up and place it on cake board or stand. Remove crowns from cakes center so that the tops of the cakes are flat. To Tort the cakes place one hand on top of cake and slide knife evenly through cake to divide it into two equal layers. Carefully remove top layer and set aside. Spread some of the Chocolate Butter Cream frosting on bottom layer evenly, replace top layer. Frost top layer with frosting. Take 2nd cakes bottom and place on top. Frost and then top with final layer. Frost top and sides of cake. Layer strawberries in a ring around edge of cake and dust the cake with powdered sugar.

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting
1/3 C. Butter
4 C. Powdered Sugar
1/2 C. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/4 C. Milk
1 1/2 Tsp. Vanilla

In mixing bowl beat butter and cocoa until fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the sugar, beat well. Slowly beat in 1/4 C. Milk and vanilla. Add rest of sugar. Add more milk if too thick and more powdered sugar if too thin!



Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting