Chocolate Strawberry Cake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups white sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening
4 egg whites
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup strawberry syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 (1 ounce) squares semi-sweet baking chocolate (such as Baker's(R))
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese (such as Philadelphia(R)), softened
1/3 cup white sugar
2 1/2 cups whipped topping (such as Cool Whip(R))
1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 cup crushed chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreo(R)) (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Grease and flour three round 9-inch baking pans.
Sift flour, 2 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl; cut shortening into flour mixture until fine crumbs are formed.
Beat egg whites, milk, strawberry syrup, and vanilla extract into flour mixture with an electric mixer on low for 1 minute; increase to high until smooth and blended, about 2 more minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl frequently.
Pour batter into prepared baking pans.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
Place chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl; heat on High in microwave until melted, about 1 minute. Stir chocolate until smooth.
Beat cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on High until combined, 1 minute; stir chocolate into mixture until well mixed.
Gently fold whipped topping, pudding mix, and chocolate sandwich cookies into cream cheese mixture to form the filling.
Spread about 1/3 filling on top of one cake. Place second cake atop filling layer. Repeat with a filling layer, the third cake, and a final layer of filling on top.