This strawberry cake is a spring favorite of mine–and is often my choice of birthday cake. It’s a ‘cheat’ version, because you start with a box cake mix. I use a gluten free yellow cake mix, preferably Kind Arthur’s, but I think any regular yellow cake mix would also work!
Start by prepping your pans(s). I’ve done this cake as a flat sheet cake, a layer cake, cupcakes, and a bundt. It works well in any form!
Grease and flour pans. If you are using round layer cake pans, line with parchment paper.
Ingredients
2-3 cups fresh strawberries
1 box gluten free (or regular) yellow cake mix
3 T (or 1/2 of a 3 oz package) strawberry gelatin (I have used strawberry pudding mix for the bundt cake version)
1/2 vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare baking pans.
- Rinse, then pat dry the strawberries. Mash or puree the strawberries, then cook down in a sauce pan until volume is approximately half of where it started. You need 3/4 cup strawberry puree. Cooking down the strawberries intensifies the flavor! Cool before using.
- Mix together cake mix, gelatin or pudding mix. Add room temperature puree, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Beat until all ingredients are well blended. Mix for an additional 1-2 minutes, scraping down sides of the bowl.
- Pour batter into prepared pan(s) or cupcake tin.
- Bake approximately 18-22 minutes, until top is lightly browned and knife comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool at least 15 minutes before releasing from the pan.
Frost or glaze (to make the frosting thinner for a bundt cake glaze, add a little cream (or alternative milk) until desired consistency is reached.
Frosting
1-2 fresh strawberries
4 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
4 T (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
3-4 cups powdered sugar, to taste. I prefer the frosting a little less sweet so I use less powdered sugar.
- Rinse and pat dry the strawberries. Discard stem and dice or mash.
- Add cream cheese and butter to a mixing bowl. Beat until creamy.
- Add strawberry. Beat to incorporate.
- Add sugar and continue beating until creamy and desired sweetness is reached.
Enjoy!