Strawberry Cake

Nothing says summer to me like strawberry anything and everything :)

Griffin picked out a strawberry cake for our family fiesta back in April and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since.  I pulled out a recipe that a co-worker gave to me years ago and Griffin and I got to work.

Here's What You'll Need for the Cake

- 1 white cake mix

- 1 package strawberry jello

- 3/4 cup vegetable oil

- 3/4 cup milk

- 3 eggs

- 3/4 cup crushed strawberries (with the juice)

Here's What You'll Need for the Icing

- 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)

- 4 tablespoons margarine (room temperature)

- 3.5 cups powdered sugar

- 1/2 cup crushed strawberries (with the juice)

"Hmmm... what have we got here, mom?"

Step 1 - Wash and crush the strawberries.  I actually crushed mine by hand.  Seriously.  I cut the stems off and then just squeezed them with my hands to crush them.  It was messy and oddly therapeutic :)  At first I tried my blender but it pureed them too much so I found the hand-crushing route to be my best bet.

Step 2 - Mix together the cake mix and jello in your mixer (or by hand).  Add the milk vegetable oil, eggs and milk until combined.  Stir in 

Griffin LOVES to help and has to stop and smell after every addition :)

Step 3 - Pour batter into a greased and floured pan (I use Pam for Baking because it has the flour in it!) and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean).

Step 4 - Let the cake cook for a little bit and then put it in the refrigerator to make sure it's chilled before icing it.  

Step 5 - Beat together your cream cheese and margarine until combined (make sure you scrape the sides of the bowl down).  Add half of the sugar, beat.  Add the other half, beat some more.  Add 1/2 cup crushed strawberries and blend until smooth.  Pour icing over the cake and spread evenly.  ENJOY!!!

This cake was moist and full of strawberry flavor.  It had that made from scratch taste (despite using a box mix) and the chunks of strawberry in the icing and the cake sent it over the top for me.

If you love strawberries or have someone in your life requesting a pink cake this is the one for you!  It's best served cold and with a big glass of milk ;)

ENJOY!!!