Categories: Chocolate, Cakes/choc. 
      Yield: 8 servings 
  
---------------------------------BASIC CAKE--------------------------------- 
      1 c  Ghirardelli Unsweetened         2 1/3 c  Unsifted cake flour 
           -Cocoa                              2 ts Baking soda 
      2 c  Boiling water                     1/2 ts Baking powder 
      1 c  Melted butter                     1/2 ts Salt 
  2 1/2 c  Sugar                                    Additional- for Great 
      4    Eggs                                     -Strawberry Chocolate 
      2 ts Vanilla                        
 
---------------------------------SHORTCAKE--------------------------------- 
      1 c  Heavy whipping cream                     Strawberries 
      2 tb Powdered sugar                      2 oz Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet 
    1/2 ts Vanilla                                  -Chocolate 
  
  DIRECTIONS: Mix cocoa with boiling water, stirring with wire whip until 
  smooth. Cool in refrigerator while preparing other ingredients. In large 
  mixer bowl, beat butter with sugar, eggs, and vanilla on high speed 5 
  minutes. Sift flour with baking soda, baking powder and salt. On low speed, 
  add dry ingredients alternately with cocoa and liquid, starting and ending 
  with flour. (Do not overbeat.) Divide batter into 2 round pans (9 x 1 1/2") 
  lined with buttered waxed paper. Bake at 350-F for 30 to 35 minutes or 
  until cake tests dry with a toothpick. Cool in pans for 10 minutes; remove 
  cake and cool on racks. Use 1 layer of cake for Great Strawberry Chocolate 
  Shortcake dessert. The second layer may be frozen for other great chocolate 
  desserts- or the 2 layers may be frosted together. 
   
  For shortcake: Whip cream with powdered sugar and vanilla. Spread over top 
  of 1 layer of cake. Arrange fresh strawberries on top. Melt chocolate and 
  drizzle over berries. Chill to firm chocolate. Makes 8 servings. 
   
  Source: Recipes from Ghirardelli Chocolate Company of San Francisco 
   
  From: Sallie Austin