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Recently I was offered the opportunity to work with Driscoll’s Berries and was asked to come up with a cake recipe. Well, the first Strawberry Cake of any kind that popped into my mind was my former husband’s wife -Sherry’s Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Cake. Every time I host a birthday party or family function, this is the cake that we beg her to bring. The kids love it, my father asked for it on his most recent 81st birthday, we enjoyed it at Christmas, so I’m bringing this to the lucky readers of 30AEATS.com, thanks to her.

This weekend I will be hosting a triple threat Father’s Day Crawfish Boil in honor of my fab Dad, my wonderful husband who took me on plus two kids 16 years ago when they were 5 & 6 in age, and my crawfish boiling king of an ex-husband. The crawfish are being shipped from Louisiana and vowed to be monster-sized, so I’m pretty excited. Also exciting…Sherry will once agin be bringing the beloved cake.

Take the easy way out and go for the boxed (what we do), or if time is not of the essence make the cake from scratch.
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Sherry’s Sensational Strawberry Cake

Ingredients:

1  strawberry (or vanilla for #shortcake taste) boxed cake mix, prepared according to directions, divided into two round 8” or 9” pans

2- 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened

Driscoll’s Strawberries, washed and patted dry

1 ¼ cups- powdered sugar

½ tsp. – vanilla extract

1 tub Baker’s Secret Melting Chips, prepared according to directions

1- 8 oz. container of Cool Whip

Preparation:

Place the softened cream cheese in a medium size mixing bowl.  Using a hand mixer on low to medium speed, slowly add the powdered sugar and vanilla.  Mix until the consistency of smooth icing.  (You may add a little warm water – 1 tsp.- if necessary to get a spreadable consistency.)  Set aside.

Place one layer of cooled cake on a footed cake stand. Spread ½ of the cream cheese mixture on top of the cake.  Add a layer of sliced Driscoll’s Strawberries.  Melt chocolate melting chips in the microwave according to directions.  Dip a fork in the melted chocolate and spread a light layer of chocolate over the strawberries by using a side to side swinging motion of the fork.  Dipping the fork in the chocolate repeatedly until desired amount of chocolate is achieved.

Add the second cake layer.  Spread the remaining cream cheese mixture over the cake.  Place a thick layer of Cool Whip to the TOP ONLY of the cake. Do Not Cover the sides of the cake. Some of the Cool Whip can drip slightly over the edge.  Place a layer of sliced Driscoll’s Strawberries on top of the Cool Whip. Add another layer of melted chocolate stripes.

Cover a cookie sheet with waxed paper.  Dip whole Driscoll’s Strawberries (leave stems and leaves attached) in melted chocolate and place them on the cookie sheet.  Chill until firm.  Garnish the cake by placing the largest chocolate covered Driscoll’s Strawberry in the center of the cake.  Add additional chocolate covered DRISCOLL Strawberries around the outside edge of the cake plate.  Refrigerate cake until ready to serve.

Note:  If time is not of the essence, make the cake as seen below.

Cake: 2 cups cake flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature, 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 6 large egg whites, at room temperature.

Directions: Preheat oven 350°F. Lightly grease bottom and side of two 8 x 2-inch round cake pans. Line bottom of pans with round of parchment paper. Grease paper and dust the pans with flour, tapping out excess. Set aside.

Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Combine milk, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a separate bowl or liquid measuring cup. Beat butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment about 4 minutes or until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and alternately add flour mixture and milk mixture in several additions, starting and ending with flour mixture just until combined. Set aside.

In a clean mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold beaten egg whites into cake batter in 3 additions until evenly combined. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans and bake about 35 minutes or until golden and cake tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Cool completely, then ice.

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