Two things I need to mention here. First, I’m sorry for all the strawberry recipes. It’s just that time of year and, well… it’s just that time of year. Second, I don’t often throw around words like “best,” but this time I mean it. You know how much I love the ease of a sheet cake and here we have my most favorite strawberry version. I’ve been tweaking this recipe for some time until I got it right where I want it. The cake is light and fluffy, but super moist and the icing is the perfect sweetness. I just love this cake. I mean LOVE it. Like it ate two pieces while trying to photograph it. There’s no shame. It’s that good. Now go make it so you can see what I’m talking about.
Ingredients
For the cake:
1 (16-ounce) container fresh strawberries
1 (16.5-ounce) package white cake mix
3 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 (3-ounce) package strawberry flavored instant gelatin (I used Jell-O)
For the icing:
1/4 cup butter 1/2 stick, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon strawberry flavored instant gelatin reserved from cake
2 tablespoons strawberry puree
Instructions
For the cake:
Wash and hull the strawberries and gently puree them in a food processor, blender, or with a hand (stick) blender. You want them to be good and chopped up but not all liquid. You will need 1 cup of this puree for the cake and 2 tablespoons for the icing. This should make more puree than you need. However, if it doesn’t, pour the puree into a measuring cup and add just enough water to make 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons.
Preheat the oven to 350° F and lightly spray a 9X13 baking pan (or dish) with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl with a hand mixer (or in a stand mixer), mix together the cake mix, eggs, and vegetable oil until well combined. Open the gelatin and measure out 1 teaspoon into a small bowl and set aside for use in the icing. Pour the remainder of the gelatin and 1 cup of the strawberry puree into the batter and mix well.
Pour the mix into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before icing.
For the icing:
In a large bowl with a hand mixer (or in a stand mixer) cream together the butter and cream cheese until well combined and all lumps are gone. Add the vanilla and mix well. Slowly add 3 cups of the powdered sugar separately mixing well after each addition. Add 2 tablespoons of the strawberry puree and the reserved 1 teaspoon of strawberry flavored gelatin and mix well. Add additional powdered sugar if the icing is too thin. Spread over the cooled cake. Store in the refrigerator.
0 Comments