STRAWBERRY CAKE

By Cathie

Ingredients

• 3 cups + 2 Tbsp. cake and pastry flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups halved strawberries
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 6 drops red liquid food coloring (optional)
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla

Preparation

Step 1

Butter two 9 inch cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper; then flour sides, set aside.
In bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. In blender, puree together strawberries, buttermilk and food coloring if using. In another bowl, beet butter until light and fluffy; on high speed, beat in sugar, 1/3 cup at a time, about three minutes. Beat in eggs, on at a time’ beat in vanilla. Gradually stir in flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, making 3 additions of dry and two of wet. Divide evenly between pans, smoothing tops.
Bake in center of 350 degree oven until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 - 35 minutes. Let cool in pans on racks for ten minutes. Slide knife around edges and remove from pans; peel off paper. Let cool on racks.
Ice cake with either strawberry buttercream icing or lightly sweetened whipped cream and decorate lavishly with fresh strawberries.