Chocolate Cake with Mixed Berry and Cream Cheese Filling

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• 2 cups all-purpose flour
  Ingredient note

  Source: 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups + 1/3 cup sugar (granulated)
  Ingredient note

  Source: 2 cups sugar (granulated); Source: 1/3 cup sugar (granulated)
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  Ingredient note

  Source: 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
  Ingredient note

  Source: 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
  Ingredient note

  Source: 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
  Ingredient note

  Source: 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
  Ingredient note

  Source: 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  Ingredient note

  Source: 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 each eggs
  Ingredient note

  Source: 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  Ingredient note

  Source: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; Source: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup hot coffee
  Ingredient note

  Source: 1 cup hot coffee
• 1 1/2 pounds mixed berries (frozen)
  Ingredient note

  Source: 1 1/2 pounds mixed berries (frozen)
• 3 tablespoon cornstarch
  Ingredient note

  Source: 3 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  Ingredient note

  Source: 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoon butter (melted, for pans)
  Ingredient note

  Source: 2 tablespoon butter (melted, for pans)
• 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup heavy cream
  Ingredient note

  Source: 1/2 cup heavy cream; Source: 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup powdered sugar
  Ingredient note

  Source: 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup cream cheese
  Ingredient note

  Source: 3/4 cup cream cheese
• 8 ounce chocolate chips (semisweet)
  Ingredient note

  Source: 8 ounce chocolate chips (semisweet)
• 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules
  Ingredient note

  Source: 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules
• 3/4 cup fresh strawberries (sliced optional)
  Ingredient note

  Source: 3/4 cup fresh strawberries (sliced optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
2. You will need 2 cake pans, each 8 inches in diameter. Cut out 2 parchment paper circles that will fit inside the cake pans. Place the parchment papers inside and using some melted butter, butter each pan well.
3. In the bowl of your mixer, add the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Using the paddle attachment mix everything until well combined on low speed. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix. With the mixer still on low speed, slowly add the coffee and continue mixing until everything is well combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl with a spatula and mix as needed. Pour the batter into the 2 prepared pans, equally.
4. Bake the cake for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until baked enough. Do the toothpick test, insert a toothpick in the middle of the cake and if it comes out clean, it's done. Let the cake cool in the pans for about 30 minutes then turn them out onto a cooling rack or a cutting board and cool completely.
5. Add the mixed berries to a medium size sauce pan. To it add the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. The mixed berries that were in the bag I used, were raspberries, strawberries and blueberries. Cook this over medium heat until the mixture thickens. Make sure you continue to stir, otherwise it might stick to the bottom. It will take between 5 to 10 minutes for the mixture to thicken until it's done.
6. In a small sauce pan add the heavy cream, chocolate chips and instant coffee together and cook it over a double boiler over boiling water until smooth and warm. You will need to stir occasionally, this won't take long to make, under 5 minutes. Let cool completely, refrigerate if needed.
7. To make the cream cheese and whipped cream topping, you'll need heavy cream, confectioner's sugar, vanilla extract and cream cheese. Start by placing the heavy cream in the bowl of your mixer and mix until the cream has thickened and it forms soft peaks. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until the cream cheese is fully incorporated in the whipped cream. The cream cheese should be at room temperature so that it mixes easier. The mixture should be thick enough so that it's spreadable.
8. To assemble the cake, cut each cake into 3 pieces or 2 pieces, first cutting off the top part of the cake, so that the cake is even on the top. On a plate, add the first cake piece, then add a layer of fruit filling, another cake piece, cream cheese filling, cake piece, fruit filling, cake piece, cream cheese filling, cake.
9. Refrigerate the cake for a couple hours so that it sets. After a couple hours cut out the uneven parts from sides of the cake with a sharp knife. Using a cake spatula, spread the ganache evenly over the top and side of the cake. Top with sliced strawberries.