That cake just kept haunting my thoughts so when fresh strawberries showed up at Ream's I made this yummy cake, from scratch. It was a HUGE HIT at my house. So much so that a couple of weeks later we all wanted it again, but me? I really didn't want to go to all that scratch-cake trouble so I have created what I call-
Strawberry Dream Cake- Lazy Girl's Version
(This cake uses about 3 pints of strawberries)
Cake
1 white cake mix
3 eggs white
1/4 c oil
1 1/2 cup strawberry puree (about 1 pint of strawberries)
Put strawberries into food processor or blender and puree. I used fresh sweetened strawberries, but you could go with unsweetened or frozen and defrosted strawberries.
Mix ingredients in mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Bake at 350° for 22-28 minutes. Cool completely.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
10 tbs butter, softened
12 oz cream cheese, cold and cut into cubes
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup strawberry pulp
In a food processor or blender puree 1 cup of strawberries. Push through a fine sieve to remove juice. You should end up with about 1/3 cup of pulp. (Reserve juice for a wonderful glass of strawberry milk- yummy!)
In a mixer combine butter and powdered sugar. Cover and beat until it is light and fluffy. Add cubes of cold cream cheese one at a time until combined. Scrape sides. Don’t over mix. Add strawberry pulp.
To Assemble Cake
Slice remaining strawberries and lay on paper towel to absorb some of the juice.
When cakes are cooled, spread 3/4 cup frosting over 1 cake round. Press strawberries in even layer over frosting and cover with additional 3/4 cup frosting (I find it easier to just frost the bottom of the top layer instead of trying to spread frosting across the strawberries). Top with second cake round and spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. Garnish with remaining strawberries. Serve. (Cake can be refrigerated for 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
Super Lazy-girl’s version
Pour cake batter into 9 x 13 cake pan. Bake at 350° for 25- 30 minutes. Cool cake.
Prepare a half of recipe of frosting, this makes an ample amount to frost the top of a 9 x 13 cake.
Slice remaining strawberries; sweeten if desired. Serve pieces of cake with sliced strawberries or arrange on the top of the cake.
Original Country Cook's Recipe for Scratch Cake
Strawberry Dream Cake
Ingredients CAKE
- 10 ounces frozen whole strawberries (2 cups)
- 3/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 6 large egg whites, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups (9 ounces) cake flour
- 1 3/4 cups (12 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened
Instructions
- 1. For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment, grease parchment, and flour.
- 2. Transfer strawberries to bowl, cover, and microwave until strawberries are soft and have released their juice, about 5 minutes. Place in fine-mesh strainer set over small saucepan. Firmly press fruit dry (juice should measure at least 3/4 cup); reserve strawberry solids. Bring juice to boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until syrupy and reduced to 1/4 cup, 6 to 8 minutes. Whisk milk into juice until combined.
- 3. Whisk strawberry milk, egg whites, and vanilla in bowl. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed until combined. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, and mix until only pea-size pieces remain, about 1 minute. Add half of milk mixture, increase speed to medium-high, and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium-low, add remaining milk mixture, and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Give batter final stir by hand.
- 4. Scrape equal amounts of batter into prepared pans and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Cool cakes in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, discarding parchment, and cool completely, about 2 hours. (Cooled cakes can be wrapped with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.)
