Running from the Law: Valentine Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Icing

Monday, January 11, 2016

Valentine Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Icing

Today is my birthday! When I told Mac how old I was his jaw dropped and his eyes got really wide and he said, "Woah! That's almost a hundred!" So, there's that. I'll spare you the shock and horror of telling you how old I really am and just skip to the best part of having a birthday...the CAKE. I usually make my own birthday cake (chocolate with white icing), but this year I decided to mix things up a bit. This recipe for "magic pink cake" is absolutely amazing and would be perfect for Valentine's Day. It's super easy and is guaranteed to knock your socks off. If you're a strawberry fan, this cake is going to be your new best friend. Even Mac, who usually just licks the icing off cake and leaves the cake part, ate every single bite and has begged me for pink cake 9,000 times a day since I made it. Believe me, it's a winner. 
All you need to do is mix a box of white cake with some flour and strawberry flavored Jello. In a separate bowl, mix eggs and strawberries. If you mix them with a mixer, you'll get tiny specks/bits of strawberry in your cake batter. If you just use a spoon to mix, you'll have much larger chunks of strawberry. Your choice (you can't really go wrong either way)! Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir. Voila, pink cake! 
This homemade strawberry buttercream icing couldn't be any easier. Cream butter and strawberries, add powdered sugar. Then be prepared to battle everyone in your house for the rights to lick the beaters! Don't say I didn't warn you.
Once the cake is cooled, just dump the icing on top! You can also make this cake with chocolate cake mix, which is fantatic. It's not pink, but it's really really good! Or swap out the frozen strawberries for raspberries and use raspberry flavored Jello. You can also make this in cupcake form, but you will need to make the icing stiffer (less butter, more powdered sugar) because this recipe is a bit runny and tends to ooze off the cake (which I love). Feel free to add sprinkles!
Ingredients:
1 box white cake mix
1 small box strawberry jello
3 tablespoons flour
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1 cup frozen strawberries, thawed and chopped
1 stick butter
3 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Mix cake mix, Jello and flour in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, oil and 1/2 cup strawberries. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix. Spray 9x13" pan with nonstick spray and add cake batter.
2. Bake cake in a at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool in pan for 15 minutes.
3. To make icing: cream butter and 1/2 cup strawberries. Add powdered sugar and mix well. (For stiffer/thicker icing, add more powdered sugar.)
4. Spread icing over cooled cake. Enjoy!
This cake has become a favorite in our house, even surpassing my beloved chocolate.
What's your favorite cake flavor?

37 comments:

  1. This is seriously my most favorite strawberry cake ever! I always request this for my birthday, it's so incredibly moist & delicious! Happy birthday sweet friend, hope you have a fabulous day!

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  2. Love this! I've pinned to make next month. Thanks for sharing!

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  3. Yum! Happy birthday, Sara!! You don't look anywhere close to 100. :)

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  4. Sound and looks delicious! Happy Birthday!!!!

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  5. Looks so good! Happy happy birthday - you share it with my sister!!!!

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  6. Happy birthday pretty lady! And that cake... Now I will be craving it all day long!

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  7. Happiest of birthdays to you sweet friend!

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  8. The cake will always be my favorite part of birthday celebrations! Happy Birthday Sara! Its also my baby brother's 20th today, great day for cake!

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  9. Happy, happy birthday! I hope it's full of all of your favorite things!

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  10. Happy Birthday friend! What a delicious sounding cake! Though for my birthday (which is coming up soon) I'm adamant to not make anything, so we usually go with store bought. But this sounds delicious for Valentine's Day!!!

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  11. Omg that cake sounds amazing!! Gonna be pinning this one. :) happy birthday friend! Cracks me up what Mac said. Silly kid!

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  12. Happy Birthday! This does look good and I bet my kids would love it. I love jazzing up a cake mix.

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  13. Happy Birthday! This does look good and I bet my kids would love it. I love jazzing up a cake mix.

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  14. Happy birthday! This cake looks delicious, and perfect for valentine's day!

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  15. First of all, Happy Birthday!!!!
    Second of all, I'll be over in 5 minutes, k? K.
    This sounds AMAZING!!!! I'm definitely going to have to try this!

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  16. Happy Birthday, Sara!!!! That cake looks fabulous.

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  17. I love strawberry cake. Definitely making this!

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  18. Wishing you a very very happy birthday!!!

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  19. Happy birthday! So true, the cake is the best part of a birthday, and this one looks delicious. Saving this recipe for later.

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  20. Happy, Happy Birthday, friend!!
    That cake looks and sounds fantastic. Pretty sure we'll be making it very soon!

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  21. Happiest of birthdays to you sweet friend!

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  22. Happy Birthday!!!! And thanks for making me drool on my desk first thing this morning! :)

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  23. Happy Birthday! That cake looks amazing!! I was just thinking the other day that I need to find a pink dessert for Valentine's Day, so thanks :)

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  24. This looks delicious and so festive!

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  25. The Viral Site best ideas , will definitely work for valentine

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  26. Happy birthday!!! That cake looks absolutely amazing. Mila has been requesting pink cake - I may need to try this out!

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  27. This cake is giving me life!! YUMMMMM. It looks so moist and delicious. Can't wait to try it!

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  28. Happy Birthday! This looks delicious and perfect for Valentine's Day. Can't wait to try it!

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  29. Oh my word! I am craving a strawberry cake something fierce now. My Grandma used to make me a strawberry cake every year on my birthday and it was my favorite. It was much like this, but instead of the icing she used whipped cream with strawberries on top. I can't wait to try your version of this amazingness! PS - hope you had a really great birthday sweet lady!

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  30. Wow - is it Valentine's Day yet??? Now i'm really wanting to make this!

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  31. Give me this right now!!!! Seriously, my mouth is watering!

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  32. And happy belated birthday, sweet friend!!!!! :)

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  33. Happy belated birthday! Now I want that cake! haha!

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  34. You had me at strawberry! Love any and all things strawberry. Hope your birthday was wonderful!

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  35. Happy birthday!!! I hope it was a great one - I'm sure those cute kiddos spoiled you! This looks amazing!!

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  36. I never would have thought to swap out with raspberry!! That's genius!!

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