Great chocolate cake (& strawberry shortcake variation)

Basic Cake:
      1 c  Ghirardelli Unsweetened
           -Cocoa
      2 c  Boiling water
      1 c  Melted butter
  2 1/2 c  Sugar
      4    Eggs
      2 ts vanilla
  2 1/3 c  Unsifted cake flour
      2 ts Baking soda
    1/2 ts baking powder
    1/2 ts Salt
           Additional- for Great
           -Strawberry chocolate
           -Shortcake:
      1 c  Heavy whipping cream
      2 tb Powdered sugar
    1/2 ts vanilla
           Strawberries
      2 oz Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet
           -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