Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter 3 – 8 inch cake pans and set aside.

|| Cake || Melt butter and place in a mixing bowl with sugar. Whip together until incorporated then add the eggs in one at a time. Whip together until it becomes slightly pale. Mix in the vanilla and cocoa powder.

In a separate bowl, sift the dry ingredients together and set aside. While mixing the batter pour in the hot coffee, then the dry ingredients, then the buttermilk.

Divide the cake batter between the three cake pans and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from pans and place on a cooling rack until the cake becomes room temperature.

|| Ganache || Melt the chocolate chips, cream and butter together and set aside.

|| Frosting || In a small saucepan, put in 1 1/4 cup of sugar and a half cup of room temperature water and set on medium to high heat on the stove.

Separate egg whites into an electric standing mixer with a whisk attachment and whip on medium speed until foamy. Add the generous pinch of cream of tartar and 1/4 cup sugar. Whip on high until the egg whites form stiff peaks and turn off the mixture.

Once the mixture on the stove is boiling set a candy thermometer in the saucepan and wait for the syrup to reach 245 degrees. Do not leave the room. As soon as it registers that temperature turn your mixer on high and slowly pour into the egg whites. This process will cook your egg whites.

Once the syrup is completely in the egg whites continue to whip on high for another 10-15 minutes or until the mixing bowl is at room temperature.

Once it is completely at room temperature continue to whisk on high and add the butter in two tablespoons at a time. Once the butter is added incorporate 1 cup of the ganache. Your mixture will soften but continue to mix for another 10 minutes or so until the mixture thickens.

Slice about 10 strawberries. Leave some whole for the top of the cake.

Layer the cake with a thick layer of the ganache meringue cream and a layer of the sliced strawberries. Frost the whole cake with the remaining frosting.

Reheat the ganache and dip the whole strawberries in and place on top of the cake.