Chocolate Strawberry Nutella Cake

Recipe from The Pioneer Woman

This cake is off the chain!

The recipe is from The Pioneer Woman and this girl sure knows what she's doing.  It is as delicious as it is impressive. 

It is filled with dense chocolate cake, fluffy whipped cream, delicious Nutella and strawberries.  In the culinary world, this hits a home run. 

I can't wait to make it the next time we have guests over.  Actually, who needs to have people over to make this? Make it for fun one night and ENJOY!

Happy baking!

Chocolate Strawberry Nutella Cake:
For the cake -
2 sticks butter
4 T. (heaping) cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
1 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. Nutella

For the strawberries-
2 pints strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla

For the whipped cream-
2 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 round baking pans with parchment, then spray the parchment with baking spray.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter.  Add the cocoa and stir it until smooth.  Pour in boiling water, let mixture bubble up for about 20 seconds, then turn off and set aside.

In a bowl, mix together buttermilk, baking soda, eggs and vanilla.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the sugar, flour and salt.  Stir in the hot chocolate mixture, stirring gently until it's halfway combined and less hot.  Pour in the buttermilk mixture and continue stirring till it's all combined. 

Pour batter evenly among pans and bake 17-20 minutes (I had to bake mine MUCH longer so keep that in mind and keep an eye on it till it's done).  Let cool completely. 

Meanwhile, prepare the strawberries by stirring them with the sugar and vanilla.  Let that sit for 15 minutes, then drain the excess juice off.

Whip the cream with the powdered sugar.

To assemble, lay one cake on a platter and using an offset spatula (if you have one) smear half the Nutella on top.  Layer with half whipped cream and then top with half the strawberries.  Repeat process.  Enjoy immediately.  This cake does not do well after 20 minutes sitting out.  My tip is to make it RIGHT before you serve it.  If there are leftovers then put it in the fridge as soon as possible and it should stay good for a day. 

* Cooks note - when putting the Nutella and whipped cream on the first layer don't spread it to the edges because when you put the second layer on it will smash everything out the sides, and we don't want that!