• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare three 8” cake pans for a three layered cake (or two 9” pans for two layers) with pan spray (or butter) and flour.
• In a large bowl, add flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt and whisk everything together.
• Add the vegetable oil, and eggs and start mixing together.
• Add warmed buttermilk and vanilla and mix together until all the dry ingredients are mixed in.
• Slowly add the hot water to batter and stir until mixed through, batter will be runny.  
• Pour the batter into the 8” pans and place in the oven to bake for about 18-20 minutes. The cake will be done when a toothpick in the center comes out clean.  Allow cake to cool completely

Make Strawberry Filling

• While the cake rounds are baking, add your strawberries, lemon juice and sugar to a medium saucepan and heat on medium low for about 20-30 minutes to allow the mixture to reduce down. 
• About half way into the cook time, mash the strawberries with a potato masher.  After the berries are reduced, turn the heat down to low.
• Mix the water and cornstarch to make a slurry and then slowly add about ½ of the mixture to the berries while stirring.  Allow to cook for about a minute. 
• If the mixture is still too thin to fill your cake, add the other half of the slurry.  You want the filling to be pretty thick so it doesn’t ooze.  When the filling is the right thickness, set aside to cool. 

Make Strawberry Buttercream

• While the filling is cooling (30 minutes), make the buttercream.  In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, add the room temperature butter and begin to cream with the mixer on low.
• Add heavy cream and vanilla and continue to cream.  Slowly add the powdered sugar to the bowl and mix on low until the powdered sugar is mixed in. 
• Turn the mixer up to medium high and allow to mix until light and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes.
• When the strawberry filling is cooled add about ¼ cup to your buttercream.  Put your buttercream in a large piping bag with a large circle tip. 

Cake Assembly

• Assemble the cake by placing one of three cake rounds on a cake board.  If your rounds are domed, cut them straight across the top to level them out.
• Pipe a thick border of buttercream around the outside edge and fill the center of the cake with half of the strawberry filling up to the edge of the buttercream.
• Top with the second round and pipe another thick border of buttercream and fill with the remaining strawberry filling.
• Place the third round on top, with its bottom up so you have a nice flat top. 
• Use the remaining buttercream to frost the sides and top, you will end up with more of a rustic coat, it won’t completely cover the whole outside.  Place the cake in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to set up. 

Make Ganache

• In a small, heat safe bowl add your chocolate chips, butter and corn syrup and melt in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
• Stir everything together until it’s smooth.  If it needs to be melted a little more, only add about 10 seconds at a time. 
• Remove the cake from the refrigerator and start by pouring the slightly cooled ganache in the middle of the top of the cake and allow it to move to the edge and just drip over.
• You may have to “encourage” the ganache to the edge with a spoon or offset spatula.
• Chill for about 10-15 minutes to set the ganache and then serve.  Enjoy!