I am a big fan of Strawberry Cakes. On Saturday, I was looking in my fridge for ingredients that I was using for dinner and saw two containers of strawberries. All of a sudden, I was whisked away to when I was younger and my Nanny would make the best strawberry cake known to man. Oh my gosh, was it delicious...it was then that the seed was planted. I knew I was going to have to make the cake, but when? I was busy with cleaning the house, going to a baby shower, and cooking an already planned meal for my in laws... I decided that Sunday would have to be the day. And I couldn't wait!
This recipe is from The Cake Doctor. I've made a few other cakes from this cook book and have always been impressed with the outcome, this one though takes the cake (see what I did there?).
Strawberry Cake:
Solid Vegetable shortening for greasing the pans
Flour for dusting the pans (I used a short cut-baker's joy spray)
1 package plain white cake mix
1 package (3 oz) strawberry gelatin
1 cup mashed fresh strawberries with juice (1 1/2 cups whole berries)
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup whole milk
4 large eggs
1 cup frozen unsweetened (I used sweetened since it was something I already had) grated coconut, thawed
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I didn't have any of these, so this was left out)
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350. Lightly grease and flour pans.
Place the cake mix, strawberry gelatin, mashed strawberries and juice, oil, milk, and eggs in a large mixing bowl and blend on low for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down sides with a spatula. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping sides if needed. The strawberries should be well blended into the mixture. Fold in coconut and pecans. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and place in the oven on the center rack.
Bake the cakes until they are light brown and just start to pull away from the sides of the pan, 28-30 minutes (or if you only use 2 pans, around 35-40 minutes-just keep an eye on them).
Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and invert each onto the rack, then invert again onto another rack so that the cakes are right side up again. Allow them to cool completely for 30 more minutes.
Buttercream Frosting:
8 tablespoons (1 stick butter) at room temperature
3 3/4 cups confectioners sugar sifted
3 to 4 tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
Place butter in mixing bowl and mix until creamy and fluffy. Stop machine and add confectioners sugar, 3 tbsp milk and vanilla extract. Blend on low until the sugar is incorporated (I slowly added in the sugar-I didn't put it in all at once). Increase speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy one more minute. Blend in 1 more tbsp of milk if the frosting seems too stiff.
The cake mix and gelatin
All cooked and cooled, ready for icing.
I love to hate to toot my own horn, but I'd have to say if my Nanny was here, she'd probably say this cake is giving her recipe a run for it's money. I've gotten rave reviews already from my friends and family. If I were you, I'd TOTES give this recipe a shot. You won't be sorry and your friends and family will think you should open up your own bakery! Just sayin'
Happy cooking!
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