2010 4th of July Chocolate Layer Cake

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Chocolate Cake
Cake recipe from foodnetwork.com courtesy of Cathy Lowe
Filling and topping courtesy of Miss Bojambo

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Serves 8 to 12

1¾ cups all purpose flour
  2  cups sugar
 ¾  cup unsweetened cocoa
1½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons baking powder
  1  teaspoon salt
  2  eggs
  1  cup milk
 ½  cup vegetable oil
  1  teaspoon vanilla
  1  cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by rubbing with butter, sprinkling with flour and tapping out extra. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix together with a wooden spoon then set aside. In small bowl combine eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat well with hand mixer. Slowly add boiling water and mix. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and fold and stir until smooth. Pour batter into pans, dividing evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove cake from pans and cool on racks.

Topping/filling

  2  to 4 tablespoons strawberry jam
  1  pint strawberries, tops removed, thinly sliced
      reserve 3 strawberries, tops removed
 ½  cup sugar
 ½  cup blueberries

In a bowl combine thinly sliced strawberries with sugar. Cover; let stand in refrigerator for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place first layer of cake on cake stand. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of strawberry jam evenly over surface. Lay a thin layer of strawberries evenly over jam, place second layer of cake over strawberries. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of strawberry jam evenly over surface. Make a ring of strawberries along the outer edge of cake, fill in with blueberries. Place remaining 3 strawberries at the center of cake.

♥ Miss Bojambo