Over the weekend I visited my parent’s house to celebrate my nephew’s 9th birthday. When my mom asked him what kind of birthday cake he wanted, he was certain he wanted a strawberry cake. We were a bit surprised but Grandma is always happy to make birthday wishes come true.
She found this awesome recipe on Kraft Recipes for a strawberry cake that uses fresh strawberries in the frosting. It also received fabulous reviews so it seemed like an easy decision.
- 1 pkg. (2-layer size) white cake mix
- 1 pkg. (3 oz.) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup oil
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup mashed fresh strawberries, divided
- 1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
- fresh strawberries, shredded coconut or chocolate shavings for garnish
- Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans.
- Stir together cake mix and dry gelatin mix in large bowl. Add in eggs, oil, water and ¾ cup mashed strawberries.
- Beat with mixer until well blended.
- Divide batter evenly into round pans.
- Bake for 30 or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for 10 min before removing to wire racks. Cool completely.
- Drain remaining ¼ cup strawberries very well to avoid problems with frosting.
- Beat cream cheese in large bowl with mixer until nice and creamy. Gradually beat in sugar. Add drained berries then mix well.
- Whisk in COOL WHIP. (Do not use lite or fat free to maintain proper spreading consistency.)
- Spread 1 cup strawberry frosting mixture in between cake layers. Frost top and side with remaining frosting mixture. Garish with fresh strawberries, shredded coconut or chocolate shavings. Keep refrigerated.
While my mom made the cake, I stacked and frosted it for her. I found the cream cheese and cool whip frosting to be very easy to work with and simple to layer and frost. It looked so pretty I couldn’t resist snapping a few photos with my iPhone.
I was actually shocked how simple it was to slice into when serving. Usually I’m constantly wiping the knife down to have nice, clean cuts but this frosting didn’t stick at all to the knife. It was a breeze! Of course the most important thing was that the birthday boy loved it. This cake is really easy and absolutely delicious! Would be great in the spring and summer but works for any time of year.
Happy Birthday Christian!
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courtney b says
November 1, 2013 at 9:17 amwow my mom and my husband would love that! we love strawberries…..
Jean says
November 1, 2013 at 11:52 amThis looks incredible! Strawberry is one of my favorites, but the chocolate lovers in my house often bully me into picking chocolate when I make cakes. This one may be worth fighting for!
Jennifer @ Mom Spotted says
November 1, 2013 at 12:44 pmthat looks yummy! I wanna see the inside!
Emilie says
November 1, 2013 at 12:52 pmI have a shot but since it is at night with my phone, it isn’t so fantastic.
Darlene Epps says
November 1, 2013 at 2:00 pmOh wow This looks so yummy. Cant wait to make this.
judy gardner says
November 1, 2013 at 10:32 pmall i can say is yum! my granny used to make the best strawberry cake but i think i might like this one just as well! the icing sounds heavenly!
ellen beck says
November 2, 2013 at 12:42 amIt looks delicious and I have always liked cakes with Cool Whip ‘frosting’ I think it makes the cake slce easier. Happy Birthday Christian!
Janet W. says
November 2, 2013 at 5:36 amI want to stick my finger in the frosting so bad! This looks delicious!
stephanie says
November 2, 2013 at 6:14 amwhat a yummy cake. 🙂
Vickie Couturier says
November 2, 2013 at 8:03 amwhat a beautiful cake,,my husband would love this,,im going to save this an make it for his birthday,,thanks for sharing
Mary Happymommy says
November 2, 2013 at 8:56 amWhat a beautiful cake! I love the fresh strawberries on top. I would have loved to see the inside layers.
Sarah L says
November 2, 2013 at 6:47 pmPardon me while I wipe the drool off my keyboard… YUM! That looks delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
Rosie says
November 4, 2013 at 6:41 amThis is such a sweet cake – I love it! It really is perfect for a birthday, too. I love anything with strawberries and cream cheese, and this is very pretty, too!
Julie Wood says
November 8, 2013 at 2:42 pmThis is such a wonderful delicious cake that makes a great birthday cake. I always find very good recipes on this blog and the cake has all the ingredients that I like to make a good cake for my son next month. He likes strawberries and this is his type of cake!
Britta says
November 9, 2013 at 12:29 amI made this recipe but substituted raspberries for the strawberries and added a bit of vanilla to the frosting as well and instead of water used milk and one extra egg to add richness . Turned out amazing and the most beautiful colour! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Mary says
February 20, 2015 at 9:13 amI just made this cake for my son’s birthday and all of the guests absolutely devoured it! Can you tell me if this batter would be okay to use for cupcakes? My granddaughter’s birthday is coming up and I would love to make some!