Strawberries and Cream Sheet Cake

Yesterday I found strawberries in my strawberry patch. Really. Already. Of course, they're still green and there's only a few of them but I am super excited. Then last night I saw this recipe. There it was, looking yummy in the April issue of Southern Living magazine. Guess what I'm planning to make with some of those strawberries when they ripen. Yep. That's right. This very cake.

Strawberries and Cream Sheet Cake

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 tablespoons strawberry-flavored gelatin
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup chopped fresh strawberries
shortening
parchment paper
vegetable cooking spray
Strawberry Frosting (recipe follows)
Garnish: fresh strawberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating 4 to 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Beat in lemon juice and vanilla.

Stir together flour, gelatin, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended. Stir in strawberries.

Grease (with shortening) and flour a 13 x 9-inch pan; line with parchment paper, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over long sides. Lightly grease paper with cooking spray. Spread batter in prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 30 minutes. Lift cake from pan, using parchment paper sides as handles. Invert cake onto wire rack; gently remove parchment paper. Cool completely(about 1 hour). Spread Strawberry Frosting on top and sides of cake.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Strawberry Frosting

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar, divided
2/3 cup chopped fresh strawberries
1 drop pink food coloring (optional)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Beat cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add strawberries and food coloring (if desired). Beat until blended.

Beat cream and juice at medium speed until foamy; increase speed to medium-high and slowly add remaining 1/3 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold half of cream mixture into cheese mixture; fold in remaining cream mixture. Use immediately.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Bars

This recipe comes from the June 2013 issue of Coastal Living. It should be perfect with that fresh-canned Strawberry Jam!

Strawberry-Cream Cheese Bars

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
2 cups regular or quick oats
1 ½ cups strawberry preserves or jam
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Pulse flour, brown sugar, baking powder and 1/3 cup sugar in a food processor 3 or 4 times until combined. Add butter; pulse until crumbly. Add oats; pulse to blend. Set aside 1 ½ cups of mixture.

Press remaining oat mixture into bottom of a greased and aluminum foil-lined 13-x-9-inch baking dish. Bake 10 minutes.

Spread preserves onto crust. Stir together cream cheese, remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, and almond extract, if desired, in a small bowl. Spoon small dollops of cream cheese mixture onto preserves; sprinkle with reserved oat mixture.

Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool; cut into bars.

Makes 2 dozen.

Pom-Berry Shake

A few years ago my Dad decided he wanted a few strawberry plants. We love strawberries and they’re fairly easy to grow. You just have to take care of them and keep the weeds at bay.

He soon lost interest and the weeds and grass covered the strawberries. They appeared to be lost. A couple of years passed and he wanted to purchase more strawberry plants. He did and cleared and space in the garden and planted them there.

I wasn’t quite ready to give up on the older plants. I began pulling grass and weeds and, sure enough, the plants had survived. They produce large, juicy strawberries. I’m so glad I took the time to uncover them.

This recipe is from the May 2013 issue of Coastal Living. They’ve got some fabulous milkshake recipes, along with some tips on making awesome shakes. Be sure to check it out.

Pom-Berry Shake

½ cup pomegranate-blueberry juice
12 oz. frozen mixed berries such as strawberries, raspberries and blueberries
1 quart vanilla ice cream
1 cup milk
Garnishes: whipped cream, fresh berries

Combine juice, berries, ice cream and milk in a blender. Process until smooth. Garnish, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Creamy Strawberry Pie

The first strawberries are beginning to ripen in the strawberry patch. My mouth is already longing for the taste of a strawberry pie. This recipe is from the April 2013 issue of Family Circle magazine. I can’t wait to try it.

The only thing I’ll do differently is how I make the crust. I grew up watching my mother use a rolling pin to make a Nilla wafer cookie crust for her Lemon Icebox Pie. It’s super easy and doesn’t require much cleanup. The result is the same. A yummy crust.

Be sure to check out the entire issue of Family Circle. The magazine also included several recipes for cupcakes!

Creamy Strawberry Pie

Crust
6 oz. Nilla wafer cookies (½ of a 12 oz. box)
2 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine Nilla wafer cookies and sugar in a food processor. Pulse until fine crumbs are formed. Transfer to a bowl and add melted butter; stir together until all crumbs are moistened.

Press crumbs into bottom and up side of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake crust at 350 for 14 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Place on wire rack and cool completely.

Filling
2/3 cup sugar
½ cup cran-raspberry juice
8 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced; divided
¼ cup cornstarch

In a medium-size saucepan, combine sugar, cran-raspberry juice, cornstarch and 2 cups strawberries. Gently mash berries with a potato masher. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook 2 minutes or until liquid is clear and thickened. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Stir in 6 cups strawberries, reserving several slices for garnish. Pour into cooled crust and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Topping
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar

In large bowl, beat together heavy cream and sugar until soft peaks form. Spread whipped cream over pie, leaving a 1-inch border around edges. Garnish with reserved berries and serve.

Makes 10 servings, at 296 calories per serving.