I don't know if y'all love strawberries as much as I do, but I can't get enough of them this time of year.
I'm eating strawberries all day, every day.
I start the day with a cereal bowl of berries and coffee. After lunch I have another bowlful and again in the evening. My evening bowl is sometimes paired with some kind of cake or cookie.
The berries I can't eat in time get placed in zip-close freezer bags and tossed in the freezer for when Arkansas' strawberry season is over.
I blame my mom. She loves strawberries even more than I do. She was the one who taught me at an early age the strawberries at the grocery store may look like strawberries, but they don't taste like strawberries.
When I was a little kid we would go pick strawberries at a farm near my grandparents' place in Rose Bud. I was much more interested in eating the berries than picking them and would usually relieve myself of picking duty and instead spend the time playing with strawberry farm's resident St. Bernard, Gladys.
I don't remember if strawberry picking was part of our Mother's Day weekend celebrations, but we have always eaten strawberries on Mother's Day. Always.
The following cake would make a great Mother's Day dessert.
My mom recently turned me on to this easy cake. When I told her I planned to write about it, she quickly pointed out it was not her original idea, but she doesn't remember where she heard about it. I heard about it from her, so she's getting credit.
It's really quite simple: Take a box of cake mix (white, yellow or chocolate) and prepare it according to the package instructions, but replace the water with pureed strawberries.
I took it a step further and made a confectioners' sugar and butter glaze with strawberry puree mixed in. Mom keeps hers simple (and more figure friendly) and serves the cake topped with whipped cream and sliced strawberries.
Thanks, Mom. And Happy Mother's Day.
Strawberry Cake
- 1 box cake mix (white, yellow or chocolate — I like devil's food cake)
- 1 ½ to 1 ¾ cups strawberry puree, divided use
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 3 to 4 cups confectioners' sugar
- Fresh strawberries, for garnish
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch pan with baking spray.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, 1 cup of the strawberry puree, the eggs and vegetable oil and mix vigorously by hand with a whisk or with an electric mixer on medium for 2 minutes. Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a flexible spatula.
Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean or almost clean.
Let cake cool slightly while you make the icing.
For the icing, in a mixing bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add 3 cups confectioners' sugar and ½ cup remaining strawberry puree and beat until smooth and pour-able. If necessary, adjust consistency with more puree or sugar. Spread icing over warm cake. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve garnished with fresh berries, if desired. Store leftover cake in the refrigerator.