1-Preheat oven and prepare pans: Preheat oven to 350°F and line the bottoms of two 6-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.

2-Mix dry ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

3-Heat wet ingredients: In a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, heat butter, milk, oil, and vanilla until butter melts; do not boil. Cover and keep warm.

4-Beat eggs and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for 6 minutes, until pale, thick, and ribbony.

5-Add dry ingredients: Add half of the flour mixture on low speed, mixing just until combined, then add the rest and mix until a few streaks of flour remain.

6-Incorporate hot milk mixture: With the mixer on low, slowly stream in the hot milk mixture and mix until the batter is smooth and liquid.

7-Fill pans: Divide batter evenly between prepared pans, filling them about halfway.

8-Bake: Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean or with a few moist crumbs.

9-Cool cakes: Let cakes cool in pans for 15 minutes, then run a small spatula around edges, turn out onto a wire rack, and cool completely.

10-Make whipped cream filling: Beat whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form. Scoop out about ¼ cup of cream and set aside.

11-Beat to firm peaks: Continue beating the remaining cream until firm peaks form, without overbeating.

12-Color reserved cream: To the reserved cream, add 1 teaspoon cocoa powder (or brown food coloring) and mix until uniformly brown.

13-Prepare piping bags: Transfer plain whipped cream to a piping bag and snip the tip; do the same with the chocolate cream. Refrigerate while preparing cake layers.

14-Assemble first layer: Place one cooled cake layer on a serving plate. Pipe a border of whipped cream dollops around the outer edge, then smear the tails inward to create a jam well.

15-Add jam: Spoon strawberry jam into the center well and spread evenly within the cream border.

16-Add second layer: Place the second cake layer on top and press gently.

17-Top with cream and strawberries: Pipe more whipped cream dollops over the entire top surface and arrange halved fresh strawberries, cut side down, in a circle or scattered pattern.

18-Insert candle: Gently insert a birthday candle into the top center.

19-Pipe legs: Using the chocolate whipped cream, pipe two rounded legs extending from the bottom of the bottom cake layer, about an inch apart.

20-Decorate face: Melt dark chocolate (microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between). Transfer to a small piping bag, snip a tiny tip, and pipe eyes and a smile on the front of the bottom cake layer.

21-Chill cake: Chill the assembled cake for at least 15 minutes before serving to let the cream set.