Strawberry Cake

This is the perfect cake for summer! It's sweet, cold, fruity, and pink :) I've been through almost every strawberry cake recipe trying to find the perfect one, & believe it or not, my favorite starts out with a cake mix. I'm usually against using cake mixes unless its to make something cake batter flavored. But in this cake recipe, you cannot taste the cake mix or tell that I used one because you add more ingredients to disguise it. Here's what you need for the cake

White cake mix, strawberry jello, eggs, vanilla, oil, milk, and strawberries (pureed). Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl

Mix on low speed until combined. Then beat on medium speed until well combined. Do not over beat. Pour into 2 greased 9-inch round cake pans

Bake! Flip out of cake pans onto wax paper to cool

This is optional, but if you want to make the cake four layers instead of two, you can use a knife and cut each layer in half

Here's what it will look like when you cut them in half

If you do decide to cut the layers in half, be very careful because they are thin and fragile. While cooling, prepare the frosting. Here's what you'll need

Cream cheese, butter, vanilla, strawberries, and powdered sugar. Wash, dry, crush, and well drain the strawberries; set aside. (Strawberries must NOT have any juice in them or the frosting will become runny)

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla

Once well combined, add the powdered sugar

Mix well, stir in the strawberries

Mine wasn't very pink so I added a little pink food coloring

Once the cake is cooled, fill layers and frost the outside and top

Decorate and refrigerate

Here's what the four layers will look like

perfect strawberry cake. Yum. These also work perfectly as cupcakes

Strawberry Cake

1 box white cake mix

1 small box strawberry jello

1 cup pureed strawberries, washed and capped

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup whole milk

4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Combined all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir on low speed until combined. Turn up to medium and beat until well combined, but do not over beat. (You don't want the cake to become tough). Pour finished batter in 2 greased 9-inch round cake pans. Bake at 350 for about 20-30 minutes. When cakes are done baking, remove from oven and let cool in pans about 3-5 minutes. Carefully flip out onto a wax paper lined cooling wrack. (If making into four layers, cut the layers in half using a long serrated knife.) Prepare frosting while the cake is cooling.

strawberry cream cheese frosting:

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup crushed strawberries, well drained

1 tsp. vanilla extract

7 cups powdered sugar

In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Stir in the strawberries. (Add pink or red food coloring for more of a strawberry color.) Once the frosting is finished and cakes are cooled, frosting in between cake layers, outside, and top of cake. Decorate and top with fresh strawberries as a garnish. :) Store cake in fridge.