~Fun Food Friday...Choc.-Strawberry Celebration Cake~

~So here's the recipe that I promised to post of this yummy cake I made.  It looks complicated, but I found it to be pretty easy, yummy, and FUN to make!  A line that caught my attention when I first saw this cake in the T.O.H. magazine was..."As a groom's cake, it gets more attention than the wedding cake!"~

(I just made a choc. cake mix and DID NOT add anything to it.  (With the high altitude here I have trouble with homemade cake recipes.)  So, you can follow their cake recipe, or just make a choc. cake of your choice, then use their icing, choc. garnishes, and choc. ganache.

Ingredients

• 1 package (18-1/4 ounces) chocolate cake mix
• 1 package (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
• 
  FROSTING:
• 2 cups butter, softened
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1/2 cup 2% milk
• 
  GARNISHES:
• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
• 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled
• 
  GANACHE:
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

• Combine the first seven ingredients; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Transfer to two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans.
• Bake at 350° for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter, confectioner's sugar and cocoa until light and fluffy. Beat in milk until smooth. Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake.
• Pipe or spoon melted chocolate onto waxed paper in decorative designs; let stand until set. Arrange strawberries on top of cake.
• For ganache, place chocolate in a small bowl. Heat cream just to a boil; pour over chocolate and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over top of cake, allowing ganache to drape down the sides. Top with chocolate garnishes. Yield: 12 servings.

~This made a TON of choc. icing which I stored in the refrigerator in a zip lock bag.  Yesterday I made some choc. cupcakes and threw the rest of the cake in a loaf pan.  Then I used some of the left-over choc. icing to icing the cupcakes and this cake.  (I STILL had choc. icing left over!)
Then, for today's dessert I cut some of our TREASURED Mini Reeses cups that the Hausmans brought us and garnished the top of my cake.  DELICIOUS!~

And as ALWAYS...Enjoy!