Refreshing Strawberry Layer Cake

Ingredients 0/12

Step 1

Heat your oven to 350°F and lining three 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. In a large bowl, beat together the cake mix, water, eggs, and oil with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes until smooth. Pour a third of the batter into one pan. To the remaining batter, stir in half of the strawberry gelatin and 2 teaspoons of strawberry extract, then divide this pink batter between the other two pans.

Step 2

Bake the cakes for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Once baked, flip them out onto a wire rack lined with parchment paper and let them cool completely.

Step 3

While the cakes cool, set aside about a dozen whole strawberries for decoration. Chop the rest and gently pat them dry with a paper towel. In a bowl, beat the cream cheese with the remaining strawberry gelatin until smooth. Add the remaining strawberry extract and confectioners’ sugar, mixing until the filling is creamy. Fold in the chopped strawberries.

Step 4

To assemble, place one pink cake layer on your serving plate and spread half of the strawberry filling over it. Add the plain cake layer next, top with the rest of the filling, and finish with the second pink layer. For the frosting, whip together heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract until it’s thick enough to spread. Cover the entire cake with the frosting. Lay a piece of parchment paper on top and smooth the surface with a spatula, then gently peel the paper away.

Step 5

Finally, pipe some swirls of frosting around the edges and top each with a whole strawberry for a pretty finish. Enjoy!