• Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray three round 9 inch cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.

Prep the strawberry purée.

• In a blender, purée the fresh strawberries.
  ½ pound fresh strawberries
• Cook strawberry purée over medium heat, stirring often, until reduced to ¼ cup (68 grams). Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Make the vanilla cake layer.

• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  1 ¼ cup cake flour,, 1 ⅛ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar for 3 minutes until blended and smooth.
  4 Tablespoons unsalted butter,, ¾ cup plus 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• Add eggs and mix on low speed until blended. Then turn mixer up to high speed and beat for one minute.
  1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
• Add oil and both vanillas and beat until well blended.
  1 ounce vegetable oil, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• With the mixer running on low speed, add one third of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until blended. Add half of the milk, continuing to stir until combined. Add another third of the flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk, and then the final third of flour mixture, blending slowly between each addition. Gently fold in any final bits of flour, being careful not to over mix the batter.
  ½ cup whole milk,
• Pour the batter into one of the prepared cake pans.
• Bake the cake at 350º F for 23-25 minutes, or until the top sprigs back when gently poked and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
• Run a cake tester or knife around the edge of the cake to keep it from sticking to the sides of the pan once cooled. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.

Make the chocolate cake layer.

• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, ⅜ cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
• To the dry ingredients add milk, oil, sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Stir until well combined. The batter will be thick, similar to the texture of brownie batter.
  3 ounces whole milk,, ¼ cup vegetable oil, 2 Tablespoons full-fat sour cream, 1 large egg,, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Add hot coffee to the batter, carefully mixing with a whisk until well blended. The batter will now be very thin.
  ½ cup hot coffee
• Pour the batter into one of the prepared cake pans.
• Bake the cake at 350º F for 30-35 minutes, or until the top sprigs back when gently poked and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.

Make the strawberry cake layer.

• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  1 ¼ cups cake flour, 1 ⅛ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar for 3 minutes until blended and smooth.
  4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, ¾ cup plus 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• Add eggs and mix on low speed until blended. Then turn mixer up to high speed and beat for one minute.
  1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
• Add oil and vanilla and beat until well blended.
  1 ounce vegetable oil, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, stir together the cooled strawberry purée and milk.
  ¼ cup whole milk
• With the mixer running on low speed, add one third of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until blended. Add half of the strawberry milk mixture, continuing to stir until combined. Add another third of the flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk mixture, and then the final third of flour mixture, blending slowly between each addition. Gently fold in any final bits of flour, being careful not to over mix the batter.
• Stir the food coloring (is using) into the cake batter until blended.
  2-3 drops red food coloring
• Pour the batter into the remaining prepared cake pan.
• Bake the cake at 350º F for 23-25 minutes, or until the top sprigs back when gently poked and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

Make the vanilla buttercream frosting.

• In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer), beat butter on medium-high speed until smooth. Add vanilla and salt and beat on medium-high speed until blended.
  ¾ cup unsalted butter,, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 pinch fine sea salt
• Add sugar slowly – one cup at a time – beating well on medium speed and scraping the bowl often. When all sugar is added the frosting will be slightly dry. 
  3 cups confectioners' sugar
• Add milk and beat on high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.
  1 ½ Tablespoons whole milk
• Place a damp towel over the frosting to keep it from crusting until you're ready to frost the cake.

Make the chocolate buttercream frosting.

• In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer), beat butter on medium-high speed until smooth. Add vanilla and salt and beat on medium-high speed until blended.
  ¾ cup unsalted butter,, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 pinch fine sea salt
• Add sugar and cocoa powder slowly – one cup at a time – beating well on medium speed and scraping the bowl often. When all sugar and cocoa are added the frosting will seem dry. 
  2 ⅔ cups confectioners' sugar, ⅓ cup cocoa powder
• Add milk and beat on high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.
  2 Tablespoons whole milk
• Place a damp towel over the frosting to keep it from crusting until you're ready to frost the cake.

Make the strawberry buttercream frosting.

• In a food processor, blend freeze-dried strawberries into a powder. Set aside.
  1 ⅓ cups freeze-dried strawberries
• In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer), beat butter on medium-high speed until smooth. Add vanilla and salt and beat on medium-high speed until blended.
  ¾ cup unsalted butter,, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 pinch fine sea salt
• Add sugar and powdered freeze-dried strawberries slowly – one cup at a time – beating well on medium speed and scraping the bowl often. When all sugar and strawberry powder are added the frosting will seem dry. 
  2 ⅔ cups confectioners' sugar
• Add milk and beat on high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.
  1 ½ Tablespoons whole milk
• Place a damp towel over the frosting to keep it from crusting until you're ready to frost the cake.

Assemble the Cake

• Place the vanilla cake layer onto a cake plate and spread vanilla frosting on top of the cake layer.
• Place the chocolate cake layer onto the frosted vanilla cake layer and spread chocolate frosting onto the chocolate cake layer.
• Place the strawberry cake layer onto the frosted chocolate cake layer and spread strawberry frosting onto the strawberry cake layer.
• Spread or pipe each frosting flavor onto the sides of its corresponding cake layer.
• Use a large offset spatula or bench scraper to smooth the sides of the cake, being careful not to smear the different frostings into each other.