GF Cream Filled Strawberry Brownie Cake

Playing on Pinterest, my ds saw the cake by Pillsbury.  Immediately, he requested it for his birthday cake... but Pillsbury doesn't have any GF mixes, and Betty Crocker, which does, doesn't have a strawberry cake mix, or even a good yellow cake mix (we find it grainy and only like their chocolate mix).  And my kiddos need to be gluten free due to allergies!  Soooooo I went on a quest, using Pillsbury's recipe as my basis, to make a GF version of this cake :)

Ingredients:

Brownie layer:
2 Betty Crocker GF brownie mixes
4 eggs
1 stick (half cup) butter, melted

Cake layer:
2.5 C GF flour mix (I use one from Gluten-free Bible)
1 C sugar
2/3 C coconut oil, melted
4 eggs, beaten
3 oz box strawberry gelatin
16 oz container frozen sweetened strawberries, thawed
1 T baking powder
1 t xanthum gum
1 t vanilla
1/2 t salt (I prefer celtic sea salt)

Filling:
8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 C butter, softened
3 C powdered sugar
8 oz container cool whip, thawed

Frosting and Garnish:
16 oz container cool whip, thawed
2/3 C powdered sugar
3 C sliced, fresh strawberries

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees, F.  Coat three 9 inch round cake pans with melted coconut oil.  Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper.  Oil paper with more coconut oil.

Step 2: In medium bowl, mix brownie ingredients well.  Spread about 1/3 batter into bottom of each pan.

Step 3: In large bowl, combine all ingredients for cake.  Spread 1/3 cake mix over the brownie mix in each of the three cake pans.

Step 4: Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until done in center.  Let cool in pans for about 10 minutes, then flip out onto cooling racks, removing parchment paper.  Cool until completely cool - about an hour.

Step 5: In medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese and butter until creamy.  Beat in the three cups of powdered sugar.  Fold in the cool whip.

Step 6: In a separate medium bowl, beat the thawed 16 oz cool whip with the powdered sugar, for the frosting.

Step 7: Assembling the cake!  Place one cake layer, brownie side down, on the cake platter.  Spread half the filling, from step 5, on top, keeping it within 1/4 inch of the edge.  Top the filling with 3/4 C of the strawberry slices (garnish).  Repeat with the second layer, the second half of the filling, and another 3/4 C of the strawberry slices.  Put the third cake layer on top.  Frost sides and top of the cake with frosting.  Use the remaining 1.5 C of strawberries to decorate the cake.

Step 8: Refrigerate cake for at least an hour, prior to serving.  Enjoy!!! Keep leftovers refrigerated until gone :)