Strawberry Cake

Cooking tutorial

Ingredients

• 1 box (15.25 oz) white cake mix
• 1 package (3 oz) strawberry Jell-O
• 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries, pureed (about 1½ cups whole berries)
• 4 large eggs
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• For the frosting:
• 1 stick (½ cup) butter, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• ½ cup strawberry puree (from the same batch)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 to 3 tbsp heavy cream or milk, as needed

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat your oven to 350°F and grease two 9-inch round cake pans real good, then dust them lightly with flour.

2. 2

   In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix and strawberry Jell-O powder until well combined.

3. 3

   Add the eggs, oil, milk, vanilla, and 1 cup of strawberry puree to the dry mixture and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes until smooth and well blended.

4. 4

   Divide the batter evenly between your two prepared pans and bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. 5

   Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting.

6. 6

   For the frosting, beat the softened butter until creamy, then gradually add the powdered sugar, beating on low speed.

7. 7

   Add the ½ cup strawberry puree and vanilla, then beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, adding cream or milk a tablespoon at a time if it's too thick.

8. 8

   Once the cakes are completely cool, place one layer on your serving plate, spread frosting on top, add the second layer, then frost the top and sides of the whole cake.

9. 9

   Let the cake sit for about 30 minutes before slicing so the frosting can set up nice.

Pro Tips

• ★Make sure those cakes are completely cool before you frost them, or that frosting will slide right off.
• ★If fresh strawberries aren't in season, frozen strawberries work just as well — just thaw them first and drain off any extra liquid before pureeing.