Simply Delicious Strawberry Cake

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My very best friend Joanie brought me dinner last week (and I assure you that she's not just my best friend because she brought me dinner). It was a wonderful break from my frozen meals that, while wonderful to have stored away, were starting to taste the same.

She brought a Seafood Lasagna, Cheesy Garlic Bread, Tossed Salad and CPK Ranch Dressing, and a wonderful Strawberry Cake. While the entire meal was wonderful, the cake, well, takes the cake. Each and every member of my family, including my mother, decided it was a winner, It was moist and very fruity, without being overly sweet. In fact, the cake was so good, I would be inclined to just bake the cake and serve it with simple whipped cream instead of frosting.

Before I asked for the recipe, I never imagined that it was a doctored cake mix recipe. I also never imagined that strawberry flavored Jello was involved. But leave it to Paula Deen to devise a recipe so delicious and easy. You could easily Google this recipe and find loads of hits, but I'll post it here for you for ease. I'm told it was in Paula's magazine.

Simply Delicious Strawberry Cake

1 box white cake mix
1 (3 oz) box strawberry-flavored instant gelatin
1 (10 oz) pkg. frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
4 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
Garnish with sliced fresh strawberries


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease 2 round 9-inch cake pans.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix and gelatin.
Add pureed strawberries, eggs, oil and water;
beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.
Pour into prepared pans, and bake for 20 minutes,
or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Let cool in pans for 10 minutes.
Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.
Spread Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting in between layers
and on top and sides of cake. Garnish with sliced fresh strawberries, if desired.



Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes about 4 cups

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8-oz) pkg. cream cheese softened
1 (10-oz) pkg. frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed**
1/2 tsp. strawberry extract
7 cups confectioners' sugar

In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed
with an electric mixer until creamy.
Beat in 1/4 cup strawberry puree, reserving remaining for another use.
Beat in extract. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth.

** Note that only 1/4 c. of puree is used in this recipe.
The rest is (gasp) wasted.
My guess is you could substitute your own fresh macerated strawberries
unless you have a use for the rest of the box of frozen strawberries.

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