Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and prepare three 8” round cake pans by greasing the sides and lining the bottoms with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer), use an electric mixer to cream together butter, oil, and sugar until creamy and well combined.

Add eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition.

Add vanilla extract and stir until combined.

In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add about a fourth of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and use a spatula to gently fold into the batter until mostly combined. Add approximately a third of the buttermilk and gently stir in until combined. Continue to alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk until both have been combined into the batter. You may still have some small lumps in the batter, this is fine. Do not use an electric mixer for this step and take care to not over-mix the batter.

Evenly divide your batter between prepared cake pans and bake on the center rack of preheated 350F (175C) oven for 24-26 minutes. Once cakes are finished baking, the tops should spring back if lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Allow cakes to cool in their pans for 10-15 minutes before running a knife around the edges of the cakes to loosen them from the pan then carefully inverting onto a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Set aside about ½ pound (226g) of strawberries for decorating the top of your cake and slice in half lengthwise. These will be for decorating the top of your cake.

Chop remaining strawberries into small pieces (¼ – ½”, about 1cm) and toss in a medium sized mixing bowl with sugar, use a spatula to stir together. Set aside while you prepare your frosting.

In a small, microwave safe dish, whisk together gelatin and cold water until all gelatin is absorbed. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl (preferably a chilled metal bowl) use an electric mixer to combine heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat until mixture has thickened, but stop before reaching soft peaks.

Your bowl of gelatin should have solidified by this point. Microwave it for 5-10 seconds, just enough to liquify it again (it should not be hot), and whisk until smooth.

With mixer on low speed, drizzle liquid gelatin into cream mixture until combined. Slowly increase mixer speed to high and continue to beat until you have reached stiff peaks (mixture will be thick and fluffy and will resemble Cool Whip in consistency).

Once cakes are completely cooled, level them if necessary.

Transfer frosting to a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip or closed star tip (I like the Ateco 848).

Place one cake layer on cake plate and spread a thin even layer of frosting over the surface. Pipe a dam of frosting around the edge of the cake.

Use a slotted spoon to layer half of your chopped strawberries into the center, draining the strawberries of excess juices before layering them into the cake. Top with the next layer of cake and repeat. Top with the last layer of cake and spread an even layer of frosting on the top, and a thin, even, semi-naked layer around the sides.

Use remaining frosting to pipe swirls around the top edge of the cake and arrange reserved strawberries over the top of the cake.

Place cake in refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serving note: the cake can be messy to slice, I recommend a serrated knife and using your hand or a bench scraper to support the side of the cake when slicing. If any berries fall out, just spoon them off the cake platter on top of your slice!