Recipe: My My's Strawberry Layer Cake and Frosting (using cake mix)

MY MY'S STRAWBERRY LAYER CAKE
WITH STRAWBERRY FROSTING

"Not only does this cake taste good, it's also a very pretty cake. Its pink color dresses up even the most mundane meal, and its subtle strawberry aroma is divine. When My My brought this cake to the picnic table as the finale to one of our summer get-togethers in her backyard, you could hear our "oohs" and "aahs" echoing throughout the neighborhood."



1 (18.5 ounce) box white cake mix (without pudding)
1(3 ounce) package strawberry Jell-O
1 tablespoon self-rising flour
4 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
5 ounces of frozen strawberries, thawed and well drained (reserving any juice in a separate bowl)
Strawberry Frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour three 8-inch round cake pans. Set them aside.

Combine the cake mix, Jell-O, flour, and sugar in a large bowl. Mix well. Add the oil. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the water and strawberries to this mixture. Mix well. Divide the batter evenly into the prepared pans.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of each layer comes out clean and the layers pull away from the sides of the pans. Transfer the layers from the oven to wire racks. Let them cool, still in their pans, for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, run a knife around the inside edge of each pan, then unmold each layer onto the racks to cool completely.

Transfer the cooled cake layers, one at a time, onto a serving platter. Frost between each layer, on top of the cake, and around the sides with frosting.

STRAWBERRY FROSTING

5 ounces of frozen strawberries, and well drained (reserving any juice in a separate bowl)
2 boxes (1 pound each) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
Red food coloring (optional)

In a bowl, combine the strawberries with the confectioners' sugar and the butter. Beat with a mixer (or mash by hand) until smooth and well blended. If necessary, add the reserved juice, one tablespoon at a time, until a frosting-like consistency is achieved. My My added red food coloring to the frosting-one drop at a time - then she'd blend until she achieved the pink color that she was after.

Makes one (8-inch, 3-layer) cake
Source: Sweets: Soul Food Desserts and Memories by Patty Pinner