1-First, preheat your oven to 350°F and grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans to prevent any sticking. This simple prep ensures your cake slides out perfectly later on.

2-Next, in a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until they’re well combined.

3-Then, add the eggs, buttermilk, strong black coffee, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to the dry mix. Beat everything on medium speed for about 2 minutes don’t worry if the batter looks thin; that’s normal! Pour the batter evenly into your prepared pans and pop them into the oven.

4-Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before moving them to wire racks to cool completely.

5-For assembly, place one cake layer on a plate, spread about one-third of the strawberry frosting on top, and arrange the sliced fresh strawberries evenly over it.

6-Stack the second layer on top, then frost the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Finish by pouring chocolate ganache over the top, letting it drip down the sides for that professional look. Decorate with extra fresh strawberries dipping some in ganache makes it extra fancy!