Spring is elusive this year with its up and down extremes dancing about the thermometer. In spite of the slow start to the spring season however, I cannot resist the urge to indulge in some of my favorite spring recipes. This week I dusted off my strawberry recipe file and got busy baking in the kitchen. Even though our crop of strawberries is a few weeks away, I caved into the urge to bake my favorite spring dessert recipe last night, Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.
It’s challenging to find a strawberry cake recipe that doesn’t utilize a store-bought cake mix. I searched all my cookbooks thinking I could find a scratch strawberry cake. No such luck. After perusing some recipe blogs online however, I was thrilled to find a Strawberry Sheet Cake recipe from a blog called the Homesick Texan. I love her recipe because it is a strawberry version of the classic Texas Sheet Cake which happens to be one of my family’s favorite cakes!
I modified this recipe a bit by removing the lime from the frosting and by using gluten-free flour (all-purpose flour works perfectly too). After baking the cake, my whole house smelled like sweet, buttery goodness so much that I just wanted to take a bite of the air!
If you are looking for a yummy strawberry cake to get you in the spring spirit, give this recipe a try. Be sure to stay up to speed on our homegrown strawberry crop and our first ever Eckert’s asparagus by following us on Facebook and Instagram. Hope to see you soon on the farm!
Eat well this spring,
Angie
Scratch Strawberry Cake
Scratch Strawberry Cake
3 cups hulled and chopped strawberries
2 cups of sugar plus 2 teaspoons, divided
2 cups of all-purpose flour*
1 cup unsalted butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk**
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. pure vanilla
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature
3 cups of powdered sugar
1/2 cup crushed strawberries (from above)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of sugar and 1/4 cup of water over chopped strawberries. Let them sit for one hour at room temperature so they can release some of their juices. In a blender or food processor, crush the berries on a low speed for a few seconds. They should be juicy but still have some texture. Separate 1/2 cup of the strawberry mixture and set aside for the frosting.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine sugar and flour.
Melt the butter on low in a saucepan, remove from heat. Whisk in eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and baking soda into the saucepan with the butter. Pour the liquid mixture into the bowl with the sugar and flour and stir. Add in one cup of the crushed strawberry mixture and stir until well incorporated.
Pour batter into greased 9×13 inch pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center and cake is well-browned. Let it cool completely before frosting.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
With a stand or hand mixer, whip cream cheese and butter until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar until blended. Add the strawberries and vanilla. Spread over cooled cake. (If the icing is runny due to extra juicy strawberries, add a few more tablespoons of cream cheese to thicken it up.) Serve immediately or chill until serving time.
*I made this recipe gluten free by substituting “Cup 4 Cup Flour.”
**I made my own buttermilk by placing 1½ teaspoons white vinegar in a ½ cup measuring cup and filling the remaining space with 2% milk.
***This recipe originally found on www.homesicktexan.com and adapted slightly.
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