Pink Saturday Strawberry Cake

Welcome to another Pink Saturday. Please take time to visit, Beverly, our lovely host of this Pink Extravaganza. She has a list of all the Pink participants.

This week I'm sharing with you a recipe from Paula Deen of the Food Network. I made this cake a few weeks ago. It was a huge hit and Mitch requested I make it again for his 21st birthday. So, last weekend I once again made it and it was another huge success.

Check out that darling cake plate. It was a yard sale find last summer. I've been waiting for Easter to roll around so I could put it to good use. What better occasion than an April Birthday.
It has resin eggs all painted up that hang from the edges. So Cute.....btw, it was a bargain at just $3. The middle of the plate has a cute bunny, which you can't see now, but could not long after the cake was cut and GONE.

The recipe is below the photo. It was super easy to make and sooooo soooooooo moist.

Ingredients
1 (18.25-ounce) box white cake mix
1 (3-ounce) box strawberry-flavored instant gelatin
1 (15-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
4 large eggs
1/2 cup veg. oil
1/4 cup water

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 (9-inch) round 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 pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (10-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
7 cups confectioners' sugar
Freshly sliced strawberries, for garnish, optional

For the frosting:
In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in 1/4 cup of the strawberry puree (The rest of the puree is leftover but can be used in smoothies or on ice cream for a delicious treat.) Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth.
Spread frosting in between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish with sliced fresh strawberries, if desired

NOTE: I did make a few changes to the frosting. I only used 6 cups of the confectioners sugar and used all 10 oz. of the pureed strawberries. The frosting is not as thick as Ms. Deen's, but it wasn't as sweet and I also only used half of it on the cake. The other half I saved and will use on cupcakes or on a bundt cake.

Please take a moment to Pray for the people in Middle TN that lost their homes, businesses and family to a devastating tornado that touched down in Murfreesboro, TN. on Friday.

Have a HAPPY EASTER

Kris