Fresh Berry Chocolate Layered Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare two 8-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring.

For the chocolate cake:

2. Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk through to combine or, using your paddle attachment, stir through flour mixture until combined well.

3. Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water to the cake batter until well combined.

4. Distribute cake batter evenly between the three prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the chocolate cake comes out clean.

5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cool completely.

6. While cakes cool, make the purees. You’ll make the strawberry puree mixture separately from the blueberry one and have more strawberry than blueberry. To puree the berries, add them separately to a food processor and pulse until smooth.

7. Add the water and sugar to the strawberry puree and stir until combined. Repeat with the blueberry puree. Set both aside.

8. To make whipped cream, whip heavy whipping cream until it begins to thicken.

9. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract and whip until stiff peaks form.

10. To stack the cake, first remove the domes from the cakes with a large serrated knife. Then, use a small straw, or something similar, to poke holes in the top of each cake.

11. Place the first layer of cake on your cake plate. Spread half of the strawberry puree over the cake, so that it soaks into the holes.

12. Top cake with a layer of whipped cream. You’ll use about 2 cups of whipped cream per layer.

13. Top the whipped cream with blueberries and sliced strawberries.

14. Repeat layers 14-16 with the second layer of cake using the blueberry puree, whipped cream and berries.

15. Top the cake with the last layer of cake, using the other half of the strawberry puree, then spread with remaining whipped cream.

16. Slice remaining strawberries for use on the top of the cake to make the flower.

17. To make the flower, place slices of strawberries around the top edge of the cake, allowing the bottoms of the “petals” to touch. Make three rows of slices, overlapping them.

18. Fill in the center of the flower with blueberries.

19. Refrigerate cake until ready to use. Best if eaten within 2 days of making.