Strawberry Shortcake Birthday Cake

This is a very special cake for one of the most special people in my life. Just a little pressure that I put on myself. But anyway, when I asked my very special person what she would like for a cake for her 14th birthday, she replied, " Um mm, chocolate cake, No.......chocolate cupcakes, No... can I have a Strawberry Shortcake?"  I responded, "Okay, so would you like a Strawberry Shortcake Cake?"  She exclaimed with much glee, "Yes please!!" Well that settles that. I have made strawberry shortcake ump-teen times ( it just so happens to be my husband's favorite dessert- go figure?), but a Strawberry Shortcake Cake.....not a one. I checked out what the Internet would have to say about that and up popped The Pioneer Woman's recipe----Strawberry Shortcake Cake! I am really excited now because I keep up with the famous food blogger and I have made a couple recipes of The PW's and they have been really delicious. The PW gets her shortcake recipe from The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, another one of my favorite chefs...I am starting to get goosebumps, I know, it really is the little things.

It really is a pretty cake.

I think I took more pictures of the cake than my daughter. Yes, I am sure of it.

This is a delicious fun cake to eat, since there is a pound of strawberries in one cake, it really is a healthy cake!

I like the look of the cake, no one cake has the same look with strawberries mixed in the icing.

Refrigerate cake to keep frosting from being soft.

My daughter said her cake tasted like, " Strawberry Deliciousness".

Stop for Cake Candles- It's true- we all should, stop for cake, that is.

This is one of my favorite cakes now. I knew it would be great, but I didn't know it would be this great!

Ingredients:


Cake

1-1/2 cups Flour
3 Tablespoons Corn Starch
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
9 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, softened
1-1/2 cup Sugar
3 Large Eggs
1/2 cup Sour Cream, Room Temperature
1 teaspoon Vanilla


__________


Icing


8 ounces Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
2 sticks Unsalted Butter
24 ounces Powdered Sugar, Sifted
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 pound Strawberries


Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two- 8" pans.
• Sift together flour, salt , baking soda, and corn starch.
• Cream 9 tablespoons butter with sugar until fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time, mixing well each time. 
• Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until combined. 
• Add sifted dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just barely combined. Pour into cake pans. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until no longer jiggly. Remove cake from pan immediately and place on cooling rack, allow cake to cool completely. Cake will be golden brown on the outside.
• Stem strawberries and slice in half from top to bottom. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar. Stir together and let sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, mash the strawberries wit a fork into two batches. Sprinkle each half with 1 tablespoon sugar and allow to sit another 30 minutes.
• Make icing: combine cream cheese, 2 sticks softened butter, sifted powdered sugar, vanilla and a dash of salt. Mix until light and fluffy.
• Spread strawberries evenly over each cake. Then place cake topped with strawberries in the freezer for 5-10 minutes, just to make icing easier.
•  Remove from freezer. Use a little less than 1/3 of the icing to spread over the top of the strawberries of the bottom layer. Place the second layer on top. Add half of the remaining icing to the top spreading evenly, then spread the remaining icing around the sides.
• IMPORTANT:Cake is best when served slightly cool. The butter content in the icing will cause it to soften at room temperature. For best results store in fridge.

Recipe Adapted from The Pioneer Woman and The Barefoot Contessa
  Serves 10

This recipe may be linked with:

Monday: Mingle Monday (Add a Pinch), Joy of Desserts. Tuesday: 2 Maids a Baking (2 Maids a Milking), Tea Party Tuesdays (Sweetology), Mushki Loves My Stuff (Mushki Loves), Totally Tasty Tuesdays (Mandy's Recipe Box). Wednesday: Cast Party Wednesday, Made It On Monday (Lark's Country Heart), This Chick Cooks.  Thursday: Sweet Treats Thursday (Something Swanky), Chic-and-Crafty (Frugal Girls), Turning the Table Thursdays (Around My Family Table), Tasty Thursday (The How-To Mommy). Friday: Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), I'm Lovin' it Fridays (TidyMom), Friday Favorites (Simply Sweet Home). Saturday: Sweets for a Saturday (Sweet as Sugar Cookies), Seasonal Inspiration (Crumbs and Chaos). Sunday: A Well-Seasoned Life,Sharing Sundays (Everyday Sisters)