Triple-Decker Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

(I know, I know. "That's not Strawberry Frosting," you say. I can't fool you people for one second. Just read on and everything will be explained.)

Berry season is coming up, and there's nothing like fresh strawberries. But honestly I can get pretty good ones year-round at the grocery store so it's always a good time of year to make this cake. But don't substitute frozen - they get too mushy and juicy. I think it's important to have at least one big pink cake in your repertoire; you never know when it will come in handy, especially in a house like mine, full of girls.

This cake is supposed to be frosted with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting (recipe follows.) But for my daughter's birthday this year she wanted a strawberry cake with chocolate frosting, and in our house the birthday girl gets what the birthday girl wants, at least when it comes to cake. It was still really good with the chocolate, but I think it would be out-of-this-world with strawberry frosting, or even simple vanilla.

Triple-Decker Strawberry Cake (print recipe)

1 pkg (18.25 oz.) plain white cake mix

1 pkg (3 oz.) strawberry gelatin

4 T all-purpose flour

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup whole milk

4 large eggs

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries and juice

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray three 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray, then line the bottoms with rounds of wax or parchment paper, also sprayed. Set pans aside.

2. Place all cake ingredients (cake mix through strawberries with juice) in a large mixing bowl and blend on low speed for 1 minute. Stop machine and scrape down sides. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and place in oven on center rack. (If your oven is not large enough, place two pans on the center rack and place the third pan in the center of the highest rack.)

3. Bake cakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your fingers and just start to pull away from the sides of the pans, 33 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, invert each onto a rack, remove wax or parchment paper from bottom, and invert again onto a wire rack to cool completely (so the cakes are right side up.) Allow to cool completely, 30 minutes more.

4. Prepare the frosting and assemble the cake.
Since we had strawberry cake with chocolate frosting for her family-party, I made chocolate cupcakes with strawberry frosting for my daughter's friends-party. I pretty much just wanted that frosting! It makes plenty so I had lots leftover to make graham cracker sandwich treats, which I love with any flavor frosting, but they are especially great with this fresh fruity spread.

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted, or more if needed

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries and juice, or more if needed

1 cup halved fresh strawberries, optional, for garnish

1. Place butter in large mixing bowl and blend on low until fluffy, 20 seconds. Stop the machine and add 4 cups powdered sugar and 1/2 cup strawberries with juice. Blend on low speed until the frosting is creamy and of a spreadable consistency. If it is too thin, add more sugar; too thick, add more chopped strawberries.

2. To assemble cake, stack layers right side up with frosting between each. You can do 1/3 of the frosting between each layer and on top and leave the sides unfrosted, torte style, with strawberry halves to garnish the top. Or you can do a little less between each layer and finish it by frosting the top and sides. Either way is fabulicious.

Recipe adapted from: