Easter Celebration - Part 1: Fresh Strawberry Cake

Before you prepare the meal, you always have to ready the dessert – which is why Part 1 of my Easter celebration features our Fresh Strawberry Cake. I prepared the cake today in advance for tomorrow’s lunch, but my mom and I couldn’t help but sample it a little early.

Unfortunately, I can’t take credit for the recipe. I found it in the February/March 2013 issue of eat. drink. Mississippi magazine, and it was created by a lady named Annie Massingale Crimm.

It’s an absolutely marvelous cake, much like a decadent version of the classic strawberry shortcake. Also, it’s surprisingly much lighter than you would imagine it to be.

Fresh Strawberry Cake (a.k.a. "Miss Annie's Strawberry Cake")

Cake:

1 box white cake mix

1 box instant vanilla pudding mix

1 2/3 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. almond extract

4 eggs, separated

2/3 cup oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat the egg whites until fluffy and reserve. Combine the other ingredients and gently fold in the egg whites. Bake in two greased 9-inch round pans for 30 minutes or until done. Cool and reserve.

Icing:

8 oz. cream cheese (room temperature)

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

16 oz. whipped topping

2 tbs. butter (room temperature)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. almond extract

Sliced strawberries

Combine all ingredients (except strawberries) until evenly blended. Spread between the layers of the cake and add the desired amount of sliced strawberries. Then spread the icing on top of the cake and on the sides. Add more strawberries to the cake as desired. Make sure to store the cake in the refrigerator. 

(I apologize in advance for the sub-par quality of the photos. I'm at home, and the only camera I have on me at present is my cell phone camera. And no, I don't have a fancy, newfangled iPhone, so just deal with it!) 

(Berry good! ...Sorry... I watched far too much Strawberry Shortcake as a child...)

Enjoy!