Strawberry Birthday Cake

Not the best photo. It was eaten so quickly,
I hardly had time to snap a pic!

This is the season of birthdays for our family! This year's March baking includes  Shamrock Poke Cake, Lemon Bars, Carrot Cake, Coconut Cream Pie, and an added special cake for a sister-in-law. I was glad to have that excuse to make this Strawberry Cake that I'd tasted at church coffee time a few weeks ago. It has a fresh strawberry flavor that is light and refreshing for the season.

Best Strawberry Cake

           

Cake Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) container fresh strawberries

1 (16.5 oz) package white cake mix

3 eggs

¾ cup vegetable oil

1 (3-oz) package strawberry flavored instant gelatin

Icing Ingredients:

¼ cup butter (½ stick), room temperature

4 oz. cream cheese

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon strawberry flavored instant gelatin (reserved from cake)

2 tablespoons strawberry puree

Cake Instructions:

1.     Wash and hull the strawberries and gently puree them in a food processor until chopped well but not liquefied. This will probably produce more puree than you need, but if not add enough water to make 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons.

2.     Preheat oven to 350° F. and lightly spray a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, mix together cake mix, eggs, and vegetable oil until well combined. Open the gelatin and measure out 1 teaspoon to save for the icing. Pour the remainder of the gelatin and 1 cup of strawberry puree into the batter and mix well.

3.     Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 30–35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before icing.

Icing Instructions:

        In a large bowl with a mixer, cream together butter and cream cheese until well combined and all lumps are gone. Add vanilla and mix well. Slowly add 3 cups of powdered sugar separately mixing well after each addition. Add 2 tablespoons of strawberry puree and reserved 1 teaspoon of strawberry gelatin and mix well. Add additional powdered sugar if the icing is too thin. Spread over cooled cake. Store in the refrigerator.