Recipe: Fresh Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Fresh Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 T vanilla extract
1/2 t salt
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 t baking soda
2 cups mashed strawberries
3 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13" baking pan.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat 1 minute. Stir in vanilla and salt.

In a small bowl, stir together yogurt and baking soda. Add with flour to egg mixture. Beat well, then stir in strawberries.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 30 minutes, or until top of cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool cake completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl.
Spread on cooled cake.

Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Filling:
3 cups sliced rhubarb, (1 inch pieces) fresh or frozen
2 pints fresh strawberries, mashed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter or margarine, cut in small pieces
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping:
1/4 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar

In a large saucepan combine rhubarb, strawberries and lemon juice. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Combine sugar and cornstarch; stir into strawberry rhubarb mixture. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened; remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a separate bowl, beat together buttermilk, eggs and vanilla; stir into crumb mixture.

Spread half of the batter evenly into a greased 9x13x2-inch baking dish. Carefully spread filling over the batter. Drop remaining batter evenly over filling with a tablespoon.

Directions for Topping:
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in flour and sugar until mixture is crumbly then sprinkle over batter.

Lay foil on lower rack to catch any juicy fruit spillovers. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, or until cake is done. Cool cake in pan on rack. Cut cake into squares to serve.