Strawberry Shortcake Cake

I mentioned before that we have an awesome neighbor who keeps us supplied with fresh strawberries throughout the summer months. Last year I used the strawberries for strawberry pretzel squares, and with the first batch he brought us this year I made strawberry cheesecake ice cream. When he brought us another batch a few weeks ago, I knew exactly what I wanted to make with them: the Pioneer Woman’s strawberry shortcake cake, which I’ve seen popping up on a lot of blogs lately.

You guys, this cake is absolutely amazing. Amazing! I can’t say enough good things about it. Ree has really outdone herself with this recipe. The cake itself is delicious, but the sweet, juicy macerated strawberries and thick, luscious cream cheese icing really take it over the top. I took a few slices over to our neighbor and his family, and when I saw him outside the next day he couldn’t stop raving about how good it was. I told him that as long as he keeps me supplied with strawberries, he’ll get this cake every single year.

Strawberry Shortcake Cake
source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks!

For the cake:

1 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 whole large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the icing:

1/2 pound cream cheese at room temperature
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pound strawberries

1. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and corn starch.

2. Cream 9 tablespoons butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well each time. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until combined. Add sifted dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just barely combined.

3. Pour into greased and floured 8-inch cake pan. Be sure to use a cake pan that’s at least 2 inches deep. Before baking, the batter should not fill the pan more than halfway.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, or until no longer jiggly. Remove cake from pan as soon as you pull it out of the oven, and place on a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely.

5. While cake is baking, hull strawberries and slice them in half from bottom to top. Place into a bowl and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar. Stir together and let sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, mash the strawberries in two batches. Sprinkle each half with 1 tablespoon sugar and allow to sit for another 30 minutes.

6. To make the icing, combine cream cheese, 2 sticks butter, sifted powdered sugar, vanilla, and dash of salt in a mixing bowl. Mix until very light and fluffy.

7. Slice cake in half through the middle. Spread strawberries evenly over each half (cut side up), pouring on all the juices. Place cake halves into the freezer for five minutes, just to make icing easier.

8. Remove from freezer. Use a little less than 1/3 of the icing to spread over the top of the strawberries on the bottom layer. Place the second layer on top. Add half of the remaining icing to the top spreading evenly, then spread the remaining 1/3 cup around the sides. Serve slightly cool.