Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cake

This cake is Awesome! I got the recipe from my niece Laura Jean who had made it for Christmas. She said that everyone loved it, and she is right. It is the most moist cake I have every had. One tip that she gave me is to bake the cake ahead of time (if you can) and put it in the freezer, since the recipe calls for splitting the cake layers. This can easily be done then with a large serated knife. Be sure to make extra Dipped Strawberries if your kids are around to help!

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 1 (18 ounce) box  betty crocker supermoist  white cake mix
• 1 (3 ounce) package strawberry gelatin
• 1 1⁄4 cups water
• 1⁄3 cup  vegetable oil
• 3  eggs
• 2  cups  medium-large strawberries (18-20 Strawberries)
• 1⁄2 cup  white  vanilla baking chips
• 1  teaspoon shortening or 1  teaspoon  vegetable oil
• 1  cup  seedless strawberry jam
• 1 (1 lb) container  betty crocker rich & creamy  milk chocolate frosting

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 (325 for dark or nonstick pans). Grease bottoms and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans with shortening and lightly flour, or spray with baking spray with flour.
2. In large bowl, mix cake mix and gelatin. Beat in water, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally (batter will be lumpy). Pour in pans.
3. Bake as directed on box for 9-inch round cake pans. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, rinse strawberries and dry on paper towels (berries must be completely dry). Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. In 1-quart saucepan, melt vanilla baking chips and shortening over low heat, stirring frequesntly, Remove from heat.
5. Dip lower half of each strawberry into vanilla chip mixture; allow excess to drip back into saucepan. Place on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet. Regrigerate until coating is firm, about 30 minutes, or until serving time.
6. Split each cake horizontally into 2 layers. On serving plate place top of 1 layer, cut side up; spread with 1/3 cup of the jam. Add bottom half of layer, cut side down; spread with 1/3 cup jam. Add top of second layer, cut side up; spread with remaining 1/3 cup jam. Add bottom of remaining layer. Frost side and top of cake with frosting. Arrange dipped strawberries around top of cake. Place 5 strawberries on top of cake. Store in refrigerator.