Strawberry Layer Cake

Y.u.M. This recipe is from C&H Sugar ~ that should tell you something about just how (bad it is for you) good it tastes! This the cake that my girls decorated for Mr. & Mrs. H.'s party :-)



Strawberry Layer Cake

3/4 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. vegetable oil (I used additional butter)
3 c. C&H granulated sugar
5 large eggs
3 c. cake flour, sifted (I used/sifted all-purpose)
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp. strawberry gelatin (straight from the box)
1 c. frozen sweetened strawberries, thawed and pureed (I used UNsweetened berries from our freezer - grown in our garden)
1/4 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. red food coloring (I omit this unnecessary stuff!)

Preheat oven to 350* F. and arrange racks to oven center. Grease three 9" round layer pans and line bottoms with rounds of waxed paper or parchment paper. Grease top of paper and sides of pans well, then dust with flour.
Beat butter with oil until smooth and creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until very light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Sift flour with baking soda and gelatin powder, and set aside.
Blend pureed strawberries with milk, vanilla extract (and food coloring - yuck).
Reduce speed to low and stir flour mixture and milk mixture alternately into the batter, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
Divide batter evenly among pans and bake 30-35 minutes or until tops spring back if lightly pressed in their centers. Cool layers in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto racks to completely cool before frosting.

Frosting

1 1/2 packages (12 oz.) cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. butter, softened
6 c. powdered sugar (1 1/2 pounds)
2 tsp vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese with butter until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Blend in vanilla extract and continue beating until frosting has s satiny appearance. Spread generously between layers and over the sides and top of the cake.

Note: When I made this for the Cowgirl's birthday last year, we didn't have enough frosting for the sides of the cake. When we made it this last week, the girls put the cream cheese frosting between the layers and used buttercream frosting for the outside. Yummy, any way you frost it!