First of the Season and BIG NEWS :-)

Hello!  The other day was my friend Amy’s birthday, which I thought was the perfect excuse to make the first Strawberry Shortcake Cake of the season.  It is one of my most favorite things to have around when the weather is hot and the strawberries are ripe.  It is one of those things that I can’t help but stick a fork into no matter how full I am or how big of a slice I had thirty minutes prior. :-)

Make it today.  You will not be sorry…I promise.

I got the original recipe from my girl Katie Lee Joel’s cookbook, The Comfort Table.  But, as usual, I’ve made a few modifications to make it THE BEST strawberry shortcake cake I’ve ever had.

Here’s how I did it…

Start by rinsing 4 cups of fresh strawberries.

Slice off their tops.

 Then quarter them.

Toss them all into a bowl and pour 1 cup of sugar over them.

 Make sure the sugar coats every last surface, then set the bowl aside (a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 3 hours) and let the magic happen :-)

 In a separate bowl, pour in 2 cups of all-purpose flour.

 2 Tablespoons of sugar

 3 teaspoons of baking powder

 and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt.

 Next, get out your COLD salted* butter.

*The recipe calls for unsalted butter, but I always use salted butter...because that's what my Mama's always done and we Southerners tend to like things a bit saltier than those who live up north :-)

O, and make sure your butter is cold.  The cold bits of butter puff up and make holes in the cake when you bake it.  These holes are what make your cake fluffy and flaky!

 Slice it in half.

 Then each half in half.

 Then cube it.

 Add the cubed butter into your dry ingredients.

 Get out your pastry blender.

If you don't have a pastry blender, a fork works just fine (it's just a little more time (and muscle) consuming).

Blend it until your mixture resembles coarse meal.

Make a well in the middle.

 Then measure out 1/2 cup of buttermilk

 And 3/4 cup of milk.

 Pour them into your well.

 And mix until it resembles biscuit dough.

Before you get your hands dirty, butter an 8 or 9 inch round cake pan.

Then, spoon the batter into your cake pan.

 Flour your hand.

 And pat it down gently to get the surface relatively flat.

 Next, pop it into your 450 degree oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until it is golden brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean.

It's very important to check it with a toothpick, because I have undercooked it before and, trust me, it is a disaster.

Let it cool slightly.

Meanwhile, go check on those strawberries and see the magic with your own eyes...

You see all of that juice?!  It is pure heaven.  

So, of course, you must give it a taste.

Rinse off your handy pastry blender, then pull it out again :-)

 Give 'em a mash until they are coarsely chopped.

You can skip this step.  I just do it because I like a lot of strawberry in every bite, instead of having big pieces in the cake.

 This is how I like 'em.  They don't have to all be the same size, just a rough mash.

 Get the cake out of the pan and set it on a flat surface.

 Get out your lovely, rusty serrated knife.

 And cut the cake into two layers (trying your best to keep them about the same thickness).

Next, top each layer (flat-side-up) with half of the strawberry mixture.

Then, to make icing them easier, place them into the freezer for about 10 minutes or so.

I HAVE NO MORE PICTURES.  I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO ME.  I GOT BUSY AND WAS IN QUITE A HURRY, SO THE RESULT IS I DON'T HAVE A PICTURE OF THE FINISHED PRODUCT...OOPS.  I'LL TRY MY BEST TO EXPLAIN THE REST OF THE PROCESS...

Make cream cheese icing :-) (recipe below)

Pull one of the cake halves out of the freezer.  Top the flat surface with a glob of cream cheese icing.  Using an offset spatula or knife, spread the icing evenly over the layer.

Pull the next cake half out of the freezer, put it on top of the other half, and repeat.

After the top layer is iced, spread the icing over the sides and smooth it out.

It will not look perfect.  I love it when little bits of strawberry peep through the white icing.  It makes it look enticing and homemade :-)

Refrigerate the cake until you're ready to eat it...or cut into it right away and say, "Ahh...yummm!" :-)

ENJOY!!!!

(If you want, you can serve this cake with a dollop of freshly-made whipping cream instead of going to the trouble to ice it with the cream cheese frosting.  I've made it that way too, but the frosting takes it over the top!

I'm going to make a peach individual-sized variation this summer.  I'll be sure to share!

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IN OTHER NEWS…

Have y’all read The Pioneer Woman’s book, Black Heels to Tractor Wheels?  If you haven’t, it is an absolute must.  It is hilarious, entertaining, sentimental, and utterly delightful.  It will have you laughing, crying, and nodding your head all within a few pages of one another.  When I read, I want something that I feel isn’t a “waste of my life,” do you know what I mean?  I want to escape somewhere else, but feel that I’m, in some way, spending my time wisely.  This book did that for me.  It’s the perfect escape.  Read it :-)

This book is now on my nightstand because…

Phillip and I are expecting our first addition to the family September 25, 2011!!!  We are beyond excited and so thankful for this true blessing.  I am 16 weeks and feeling great.  No morning sickness, thankfully, and no complaints so far.  It is an unbelievable feeling knowing that the Lord has chosen us to be the mother and father to this precious baby who He loves so dearly.  My prayer the past few months has been, “Lord, prepare us!” and I know He has and will continue to do so.

We go in two weeks to find out if it is a BOY or a GIRL!  I can hardly stand it!!

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O and I almost forgot, my sweet cousin took some amazing pictures over the holidays and was kind enough to share them with me.  I posted a few of them on my Thanksgiving blog, but somehow forgot to give her credit.  I tried to go back and edit the blog, but had issues because I am quite the amateur when it comes to blogging.  Instead, I will post a link to her blog, then you can see for yourself how talented she is :-) Sorry for the oversight, Sarah!! 

Here’s her blog:  sarahcruzedesigns.blogspot.com

THANKS FOR READING!  I'LL BE BACK SOON!!

Strawberry Shortcake Cake

1 quart strawberries, stemmed, quartered

1 cup sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoons sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 stick butter, chilled, cut into cubes

1/2 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup milk

Cream Cheese Icing

1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese

1 stick butter, at room temperature

1 pound powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pinch salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Butter an 8 or 9 inch round cake pan.

For the strawberries:

In a medium bowl, mix the strawberries and the sugar.  Set aside for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.  The longer they sit, the juicier they become.

For the cake:

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until your mixture resembles a coarse meal.  Make a well in the center.  Pour in the buttermilk and milk.  Mix until it resembles biscuit dough.  Pour dough into buttered cake pan.  If necessary, flour your hand and flatten out the dough. Bake until golden brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean (15-20 minutes).  Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

While the cake is still warm, split in half horizontally and put both flat surfaces facing up.  Top each half with half of the strawberry mixture (be sure to use all of the juice as well).  Put the cake halves in the freezer for 5-10 minutes (to make it easier to ice).  Remove one half from the freezer.  Using about 1/3 of the cream cheese icing, ice the flat surface of the half.  Then pull out the remaining cake half, place it on top of the other half, and cover the top of it with icing.  After the top is covered, use the remaining icing to cover the sides of the cake.

Pop it into the refrigerator until ready to serve!