Strawberry Fields Forever Cake

My dad requested a strawberry cake for his birthday. I searched everywhere on my quest to find a recipe for a homemade strawberry cake that did not include white cake mix! I gleaned this recipe from the Honeyed Hashette blog - her photos looked so yummy, I just had to make it!







INGREDIENTS:
2 3/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 3oz. package strawberry Jell-O
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1 cup whole milk
1 Tbs vanilla extract
1/2 cup frozen sweetened strawberries, puréed
Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing
Strawberry Filling

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) round cake pans.

In large bowl, cream together butter, sugar and gelatin until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Combine the flour and baking powder in medium bowl. Add to batter, alternating with milk until flour and milk are incorporated. Blend in vanilla and strawberry purée.

Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

ASSEMBLY:
Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread top with Strawberry Filling. Spread Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing evenly over filling on cake layer. Top with second cake layer; spread top with Strawberry Filling. Spread remaining Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing on top and sides of cake. Garnish, if desired.

GARNISH:

Sugar-Frosted Strawberries (Using a pastry brush, coat fresh, clean strawberries with egg white, then roll in sugar. Let dry on wax paper for 2 hours. NOTE: Do this step just before serving as frosted strawberries do not refrigerate well.)

CREDIT: "Strawberry Cupcake Fields Forever post" from the Honeyed Hashette blog