Twinkle's Kitchen | Southern Style Strawberry Cake

Simple, succulent and sweet, strawberries have a flavor that brings back memories of summertime, shortcake and hugs from grandmothers.

I know strawberries always remind me of both my Grandmaw Rose and my Mamaw Gean laughing and singing, busy making wonderful things to eat in their kitchens. One of the most delightful things they made was Homemade Strawberry Cake.

This melt-in-your-mouth dessert was always something one of us grandkids was practically begging for anytime we visited either of them.

I’ve updated the recipe a bit, but it’s simple, cheap – unless strawberries are out of season – and quite possibly one of the best cakes you’ll ever make.

Sweet Strawberry Cake + Icing

Makes one 4-layer, 8-inch cake

Ingredients

The Cake:

• 2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tbs. double-acting baking powder
• 1-3 oz. package of strawberry Jello
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup fresh strawberries, finely diced

Sift the first five ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer.

Mix egg, butter, vanilla and water into a separate bowl until just incorporated.

Turn mixer on low and add egg mixture slowly, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Let blend for about 1 minute, then add the strawberries and let mix for another minute or so.

Pour batter into two floured, parchment-lined round cake pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center of the cakes comes out clean.

Cool on a cake rack.

Ice once the layers are completely cooled.

 

Fresh Strawberry Icing

• 1-8 oz. package of cream cheese
• ½ cup of butter (1 stick)
• 2 cups fresh strawberries, diced
• 5 cups of sifted, powdered sugar

Let the cream cheese and butter soften to room temperature.

Put in the bowl of a stand mixer and cream until light and fluffy.

Sift in your powdered sugar, adding the strawberries after the second cup.

Beat for 2 minutes after all ingredients are added.

Ice your cooled cake layers.

*Note: For four layers, split each 8” layer in half. The thinner layers will make this cake more moist.

Ice in between each layer, and the outside. Garnish with fresh strawberries.

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Twinkle VanWinkle was born in a small town in Mississippi. A life-long lover of music, media and food, she grew up following those three things along her path. She has almost 20 years of professional cooking under her apron strings, feeding thousands of friends, family and other folks while working in restaurants and bakeries in Oxford, Miss. She baked apple pies for the “Oprah Winfrey Show” and appeared on Food Network's “The Best Of...” in the same year. Along with producing dynamic lifestyle content for LIN Media, she is a mother, musician and social media fanatic.

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