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Southern Style Strawberry Cake

June 2, 2008 by Joy the Baker 126 Comments

Praise the heavens!  I got a new cookbook!  I think I was in a cookbook rut.  I found myself relying on the same two cookbooks day after day for my baking indulgence.  Granted, they’re great cookbooks- charming, attractive and funny- but I had heard all their stories, seen all of their dress shirts, and laughed at all their jokes.  I needed something new.

Just when I was about to accept my circumstance, a charming new love came into my life. Sweets by Patty Pinner is my new darling.  This book is more than just a collection of recipes.  Sweets is a gathering of family memories.  In my life food is all about family and memories, so this book has quickly become so so dear to my heart.

Sweets is a southern style cookbook.  The recipes are extremely approachable.  Some of the cakes are made with (gasp!) cake mix, and then fancied up with additional ingredients.  The family pictures are utterly charming and the stories that go along with each recipe are really touching.  I read this book, cover to cover on an airplane, like a novel.  I just love it!

Let me tell you about this strawberry cake.  First things first- it’s sweet and moist and covered in cream cheese frosting and pink tinted coconut.  The best part?  It’s pink on the inside.  Pink!  Come on!  Who doesn’t like pink cake?  This is the kind of dessert that needs to be presented on your prettiest cake platter, under the spot light in your china cabinet.  It’s a show cake.  But it’s also really delicious.  And…  with the fabulous presentation of the cake, and the inevitable oooohs and aaaaahs you’ll get from guests, you’ll NEVER have to tell anyone just how easy it was to make.  It’ll be our little secret.

Southern Style Strawberry Cake

from: Sweets

Print this Recipe!

1 (18.5 ounce) box white cake mix (without pudding)

1 (3 ounce) package strawberry jello

1 Tablespoon self rising flour

4 teaspoons granulated sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup fresh strawberries, finely diced.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the cake, combine to cake mix, Jello, 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 and mix well.  Divide the batter evenly into three 8-inch round baking pans that have been oiled and floured.  Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean and the layers pull away from the sides of the pan.

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.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8 ounce) block cream cheese, softened

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

2 (1 pound) boxes powdered sugar

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

pink food coloring

4 sliced strawberries

To make the frosting, in a bowl combine the cream cheese and butter.  Beat until soft and pliable and no lumps remain.  Add one box of the powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract.  Beat until incorporated.  Add the second box of sugar and mix until incorporated.  If you would like a smoother consistency, and a slash of milk.  If you would like a thicker consistency, and a bit more powdered sugar until the desired consistency is achieved.

Put the coconut in a small bowl and sprinkle with two or three drops of pink die.  Mix with hands to distribute the color and wash hands immediately.  Once the cake is frosted, decorate the top of the cake with the shredded coconut and sliced strawberries. Enjoy!  Happy Strawberry Summer!

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  1. AmbalaCakes

    October 28, 2021 at 10:37 pm

    Tasty STRAWBERRY CAKE recipe

    Reply
  2. Sarah McClung

    September 21, 2021 at 1:08 am

    Hi from down here Joy! Noted that you were planning to delete some older recipe posts and wanted to do some perusing. I actually made this cake once, for money, as part of a Neapolitan situation. You may be amused to know that I’m going to a dinner party on Thursday – as in September 23, 2021 – and I’m using the “frosting” mixes from you Neapolitan kit! I use the ” ” bc are we just making flavored whipped cream there, tell the truth. I feel like you will identify with this but of course I went in there and repurposed the cake mix for something else and am getting creative w the frosting for Thursdays cake – swapping the strawberry out for a pumpkin spice situation bc tis the season. Have loved your blog for so long, it’s fun looking at these older ones. I once made the peanut butter bacon cookies for a dude! His name was Luke, we were a thing, briefly. Okay this is getting long. Peace, love, and blessings!

    Reply
  3. Sherrye

    December 28, 2016 at 7:29 pm

    Let me just say that this is the very best strawberry cake in the whole entire world. Strawberry cake is my hands down favorite cake and I order it every time I’ve seen it offered, but nothing compares to this moist perfection of a cake. My husband and daughter bake this for my birthday every year. Anyway, here it is 8 years later and my recipe was worn out. I got the JTB app to find it again…. and other delectable recipes!

    Reply
  4. Oscar

    March 26, 2014 at 10:02 am

    I found this recipe the other day and immediately ordered the book! I love how the little stories attached to each recipe make you want to try everything, right then! I have only made the peanut butter cookies from the book so far and they were gobbled up by more work buddies.

    Reply
  5. Elaine

    April 13, 2013 at 7:29 pm

    Hi from the U.K. this cake sounds lovely but is the JELLO a powder that is mixed into the dry ingredients or is it like the stuff we get here that need melting in boiling water,then let cool before adding? sorry to sound dumb but not being in the U.S.A. and unused to your recipes it is difficult to know quite what is what .Thanks for some super recipes though .

    Reply
    • Paola Parsons

      June 24, 2013 at 2:40 pm

      Hi Elaine! You’re not dumb at all. That same JELLO is the stuff I’m talking about. It adds really great flavor to cakes!

      Reply
  6. Edwin McGee

    April 4, 2013 at 1:08 pm

    What do you think about doing these as cupcakes? Might have to do them for my wife to take to work!

    Reply
  7. Elena

    July 26, 2012 at 12:59 am

    I’ve made the cake and it’s delicious. How do I make this into a cupcake recipe??

    Reply
  8. Vicky

    July 4, 2012 at 10:51 am

    Hi Joy!

    Even with the 104 temp outside I had to try and make this wonderful cake for a 4th of July celebration. Cake is out of the oven and cooling(along with the kitchen now that the oven is off). My son and daughter tinted the coconut red and blue for the 4th. Thank you for a wonderful blog and sharing with the rest of us. My house smells GREAT!

    Thanks again!

    Reply
  9. The Blissful Baker

    April 29, 2012 at 8:14 am

    This looks amazing! I was just wondering if I could leave out the fresh diced strawberries? Thanks!

    Reply
    • joythebaker

      April 29, 2012 at 10:30 am

      you can if you’d like. yes.

      Reply
« Older Comments

Trackbacks

  1. Southern Style Strawberry Cake. | themidnitewriter says:
    July 29, 2013 at 4:31 pm

    […] I followed the recipe completely, till it came to the icing. I just used 2 big cans of Whipped Cream Cheese icing. Also, […]

    Reply
  2. “J” is for Junk food and Jell-O « Venti Mocha Moments says:
    April 11, 2013 at 12:36 am

    […] of great recipes that is calling for packages of Jell-O like this one I found on Pinterest for Southern Style Strawberry Cake and Homemade Gummie Bears.  I would love to try them but I can’t seem to get past the Jell-O […]

    Reply
  3. Strawberry Coconut Cake « Sweet & Savory Kitchens says:
    June 17, 2012 at 9:08 pm

    […] adapted from Joy the Baker […]

    Reply
  4. it started with strawberry cake | Dinner Party Diaries says:
    May 30, 2012 at 5:38 am

    […] was somewhat dismayed that the glorious pink cake of a many a Sunday afternoon, starts with a boxed cake mix.  Ever since then, I’ve been trying to recreate it using my standard cake recipe.  I had […]

    Reply

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