Strawberry Shortcake Cake

Oooooo....got this recipe from The Pioneer Woman-- Ree Drummond.  I used fresh strawberries, picked from a local patch right here in MN.  The cake just got better when I ate it the next day.  No kidding. It was light, sweet and fruity.  Loved it so much, I bought her book-- which I'll review at a later date :)

Strawberry Shortcake Cake

Cake Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 3 T cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 9 T butter, softened unsalted
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 3 whole Large eggs
• 1/2 cups sour cream, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla

Icing Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 sticks butter, unsalted
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 pound strawberries

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

In a separate bowl, cream 9 T butter with the sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well. Add sour cream and vanilla. Add sifted dry ingredients. Mix on low until just barely combined.

Pour into greased and floured 8-inch x 2-inch deep cake pan (must be 2-inches or more deep!). Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

Place on cooling rack as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Stem strawberries and slice.  Place into a bowl and sprinkle with 3 T of sugar.  Stir, then let sit 30 minutes.  Mash in two separate batches.  Then sprinkle each half with 1 T of sugar and allow to sit another 30 minutes.

Make icing: combine cream cheese, 2 sticks butter, sifted powdered sugar, vanilla and dash of salt in mixing bowl.  Mix until light and fluffy.

Slice cake in half when cooled.  Spread strawberries evenly over each half (cut side up), pouring all the juice.  Place cake halves into freezer for 5 minutes.

Remove from freezer, use a little less than 1/3 of the icing to spread over the top of the strawberries on bottom layer.  Place 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. 

Garnish with strawberries on top.  Store in the fridge.