Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake with Strawberries

My sister is home for the week, and as the big sister, I feel obligated to cook for my kin who has no tendencies towards all things domestic. She lives off take-out and pasta, which is about the only meal she can cook. Occasionally she throws in a veggie burger. She is also way too skinny. So to fatten her up, I decided to bake a home-made chocolate cake. I guess my mom had the same idea because when my sister came over for cake, she was toting a stash of Boston Creme cupcakes that my mom sent over for us.

Ingredients
2 cups boiling water
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/4 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips

1 can whipped vanilla icing

2 quarts of strawberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Grease and flour 2 9' round cake pans--I used heart shaped pans.

3. In medium bowl, pour boiling water over the cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool.

4. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside.

5. In a mixing bowl or food processor, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at time, then stir in vanilla.

6. Add the flour mixture and cocoa mixture to the creamed butter, alternating each. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.

7. Pour the batter evenly into the two pans and bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. (To determine if the cake is done, stick a fork or toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. If not, bake for a few more minutes and try again.) Allow to cool.

8. While the cake is baking, prepare your strawberries. With one quart, cut the tops off and halve them vertically. With the other quart, slice the strawberries thinly.

9. When the cakes have cooled, place one down on the plate. Top with the sliced strawberries. Add the other cake layer. Frost. Then decorate with the halved strawberries.

Serves: a lot. This is a big, rich cake.

Bon Appetit!

The Food Whore