Preheat oven to 350. Grease two 9″ cake pans and dust well with cocoa.

Using a stand mixer, cream sugar and butter together on medium speed. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing each before adding another. Reduce speed to low and add vanilla and Pinot Noir.

In a large bowl combine flours, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Mix well with a fork. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix on medium speed until smooth, about two minutes. (I always cover my mixer with a dish towel so I don’t have flour flying everywhere. Or mix it in and then turn the mixer on.)

Divide mixture between 2 cake pans and bake for about 25-30 minutes-inserting a toothpick to determine if the center comes out clean. Sides should also have shrunk slightly from the edges of the pan. Let cool on rack for about 20 minutes. Now start the filling.

Filling:
In a medium saucepan, heat strawberries, Pinot Noir and sugar over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Once sugar is dissolved, bring heat up to high and bring mixture to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.

Strawberry Filling should be reduced by about 1/2 and slightly thickened. Remove from heat and let cool. Stir in pepper if using.

For the frosting:
In a stand mixer, beat softened butter on medium speed for 3 minutes. Slowly add half of the powdered sugar and beat on low for 1 minute. Add the whipping cream and beat on low for one minute. Slowly add the cocoa powder and the rest of the powdered sugar and gradually increase the speed to high. Beat for three minutes, until fluffy.

On a cake plate, place one layer of the cake with bottom side down. Frost with a thin layer of frosting. Now top with the filling, reserving a little bit for garnish. Now top with the other cake round, round side up. Ice with the rest of the frosting. I chose to use most of the frosting on the top of the cake, rather than icing the entire cake. That way you can see the pretty interior. I also used a few dried strawberries on top, because I like their color, next to a few fresh ones. I then drizzled with a little of the reserved filling. (This sure beats a chocolate rabbit!) Dust with cocoa if you want.