Chocolate-strawberry Shortcake

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate baking squares, for baking
• 3/4 cup butter or 3/4 cup margarine
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 pints fresh strawberries, cut in half, lengthwise
• 5 -6 additional whole berries (to garnish)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 1/2 cups cool whip, thawed
• 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate baking squares, for baking
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon butter or 1 tablespoon margarine
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Recipe

• 1 make cake.
• 2 preheat oven to 350, and grease and flour 2 9inch round layer pans.
• 3 microwave 6 chocolate and 3/4 cup margarine in large microwavable bowl on high 2 minutes until margarine is melted.
• 4 remove and stir until chocolate is completely melted.
• 5 stir 1 1/2 cups sugar into melted chocolate til well blended.
• 6 beat in eggs one at a time with electric mixer.
• 7 mix well.
• 8 add 2 tsp vanilla.
• 9 add ½ cup of flour, baking soda and salt, mixing well.
• 10 beat in remaining 2 cups flour alternating with the water until smooth.
• 11 bake 35 minutes until toothpick inserted comes clean.
• 12 cool in pans 10 minutes then remove from pans and cool on wire racks.
• 13 make glaze.
• 14 in microwavable bowl, put 3 sqrs chocolate, 3 tbs water and 1 tbs margarine on high 1-2 minutes, until chocolate is almost melted, stirring once during cooking.
• 15 remove from oven and stir until chocolate is completely melted.
• 16 stir in powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla until smooth.
• 17 (if thinner glaze is desired add ½ -1 tsp more water).
• 18 dip 5-6 garnish berries lightly into glaze and set on wax paper lined plate in refrigerator to slightly firm up.
• 19 to assemble cake.
• 20 mix strawberries, 2 tbs sugar and 1 tsp vanilla together.
• 21 place one cake layer on serving plate, flat side up, (place small strips of wax paper all around the sides of cake to catch drips).
• 22 spoon ½ of strawberries top of cake, laying them as flat as possible.
• 23 drizzle with ½ of the glaze over berry mixture and down sides of cake.
• 24 top with ½ of the cool whip.
• 25 repeat layer.
• 26 remove wax paper strips.
• 27 garnish with chocolate covered strawberries.
• 28 refrigerate.