Recipe: Ghirardelli Great Chocolate Cake and Great Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake

GHIRARDELLI GREAT CHOCOLATE CAKE AND
GREAT CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

FOR BASIC GREAT CHOCOLATE CAKE:
1 cup Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa powder
2 cups boiling water
1 cup melted butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/3 cups unsifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
FOR GREAT STRAWBERRY CHOCOLATE SHORTCAKE:
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
fresh strawberries
2 ounces Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate

Mix cocoa with boiling water, stirring with wire whip until smooth. Cool in refrigerator while preparing other ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 round pans (9x1 1/2-inch) with buttered waxed paper.

In large mixer bowl, beat butter with sugar, eggs, and vanilla on high speed 5 minutes.

Sift flour with baking soda, baking powder and salt. On low speed, add dry ingredients alternately with cocoa and liquid, starting and ending with flour. (Do not overbeat.) Divide batter into prepraed.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes or until cake tests dry with a toothpick. Cool in pans for 10 minutes; remove cake and cool on racks.

Use one layer of cake for Great Strawberry Chocolate Shortcake dessert. The second layer may be frozen for other great chocolate desserts- or the 2 layers may be frosted together.

FOR GREAT CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE:
Whip cream with powdered sugar and vanilla. Spread over top of 1 layer of cake. Arrange fresh strawberries on top. Melt semi-sweet chocolate and drizzle over berries. Chill to firm chocolate.

Servings: 8
Source: Ghirardelli Chocolate Company of San Francisco