Good morning! As the weather gets warmer and we inch our way closer to summer, I want to share a recipe that’s full of sunshine and happiness!

Pink cake!

I made this strawberry cake for Easter and loved it! I’m not much of a cake person, but the addition of strawberries really piqued my interest. Also the fact that the cake is pink on both the INSIDE and OUTSIDE really sold me. What more could you really ask for!? 🙂

If you read my earlier post on Paleo General Tso’s Chicken, you’re probably thinking what is this girl doing making a strawberry cake? Well, I absolutely love to cook and don’t always let my dietary choices rule all of my decisions! I do give myself one cheat day a week to indulge in some naughty food (sometimes that one day is really two when I’m feeling really bad) and Easter was definitely one of those occasions. More importantly, being health conscious is great but it doesn’t always mean depriving yourself of a treat once in a while. Also, nobody’s perfect. That being said, this cake is very easy to make, pleases a crowd, and uses some pre-packaged products that add to its ease and deliciousness.

I originally found the recipe here, but I made a few adjustments of my own.

Pink batter!

To make the batter, combine any boxed white cake mix with eggs, water, oil, unsweetened puréed strawberries, and a box of strawberry Jell-O. Jell-O seemed like a strange addition, but it gave the batter a nice pop of color and little denseness that kept it moist.

Pink cakes!

Divide the batter equally between two 9-inch cake pans. I didn’t have any 9-inch pans, of course I never check my pan sizes before I bake, so I used 8-inch pans instead. I didn’t find it to be a problem, but I had to add at least 8 minutes of baking time to get a clean toothpick test. Once the cakes are done baking, let them cool for a few minutes and then pop them out onto cooling racks. Now, get started on the icing!

Pink purée!

The icing calls for more puréed strawberries, cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar. Look how lovely the purée looks! Because I used frozen strawberries, I ran them under some warm water until they defrosted a bit so they wouldn’t make strawberry shaved ice in the food processor.

Super pink frosting!

Another issue I had with the original recipe is that it made WAY TOO MUCH frosting! I actually had enough to frost an entire second cake, which I made and gave away so I didn’t devour the whole thing in a moment of sheer insanity. Yes, it’s THAT good.

Once the cakes are completely cooled, trim any uneven edges and place the first layer on a cardboard cake round, cake stand, plate, or whatever you want to use. I used a cardboard cake round because it made a makeshift cake turner. I was never really into the buy-specialty-kitchen-products-you’ll-only-use-once-ever thing, but I have to say that it’s a lot easier to ice the cake when you have the ability to turn it easily. Spread some of the frosting on top of the first later, add the second trimmed layer, and slather the cake with the perfectly pink icing.

Pink cake!

While make cake did not come out as neat as I thought it would, it was absolutely delicious! I decided to get fancy-fancy and garnish with fresh sliced strawberries. A word of warning, if garnishing with fresh strawberries make sure to do it right before you serve it or they will get a little gooey in the fridge. I made that mistake the first time. It didn’t change the taste of the cake or the icing, but it just didn’t look as nice.

So, there’s your early taste of summer. If you try it out, please let me know how you like it!

And now, I leave you with the beautiful view from Acapulco, Mexico. Have a wonderful Saturday and don’t forget to practice a little Aloha in your day!

Print

Strawberry Cake

Per Serving 427 calories

Fat 20 g

Carbs 58 g

Protein 5 g

12

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 16.25-ounce box white cake mix (if you can't find that exact size, get whatever is closest)
• 1 3-ounce box strawberry-flavored jell-o
• 2 cups unsweetened frozen strawberries, thawed
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup water

For the icing:

• 1/8 cup butter, softened
• 4-ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup unsweetened frozen strawberries, thawed
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• Strawberries for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 2 8 or 9-inch round cake pans.
2. Combine cake mix, jell-o, eggs, oil, and water in a large mixing bowl.
3. Puree 2 cups of thawed strawberries in a blender or food processor.
4. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat in pureed strawberries to other ingredients until smooth.
5. Pour batter equally into greased pans and bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. If using 8-inch pans, additional time may be necessary.
6. Cool cakes for about 15 minutes, then remove cakes from the pans to cool completely on wire racks.
7. In a medium bowl, combine softened butter and cream cheese.
8. Puree 1/2 cup of strawberries in blender or food processor.
9. Using an electric mixer on medium, beat butter, cream cheese, and strawberries until creamy. Add powdered sugar little by little until mixture is smooth.
10. When cakes are completely cooled, trim any uneven edges.
11. Spread icing on the top of the first layer, add second layer, and cover cake with remaining frosting on the top and sides.
12. Garnish with fresh strawberries before serving.