Day 10: A Berry Merry Christmas Cake

As we move into the Desserts category of our 12 Recipes of Christmas, we’ve finally arrived at the grand finale—the part of the meal so many of us look forward to the most. Desserts have always held a special kind of magic during the holidays. Growing up, we had to patiently wait until every dish was finished before we could dive into the sweets, but the anticipation only made them taste even better. I remember the dessert table from my childhood, overflowing with cakes, candies, and cookies—it was its own little wonderland. Now, I’m excited to share a few of those sweet traditions with you as we celebrate the final stretch of our Christmas recipe collection.

To begin our Desserts category, I wanted to share a Strawberry Cake that holds a special place in my family’s memories. My dad told me this was one of his favorite desserts that my maw maw used to make, and what set it apart from all the others was her use of strawberries in every layer—fresh and frozen. From the cake itself to the icing and even the topping, strawberry flavor was infused throughout, and she added a strawberry Jell-O mix for an extra burst of sweetness and color. I’ve included a shortcut version using a white cake mix, which is what I used this time, but if you’d like to make it completely from scratch, I’ve also listed the ingredients for a homemade cake base—just remember to add the strawberry purée and Jell-O packet before baking. I hope this recipe brings your family as much joy and deliciousness as it has brought ours through the years.

Strawberry Cake

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix OR

Homemade Cake:

• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar

• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ cup powdered milk (optional but great for shelf stability and richness)

• ½ cup (1 stick) softened butter

• 1 cup water

• 2 large egg whites

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

 1 cup frozen strawberries, thawed and blended into puree

1 packet (3 oz) strawberry Jell-O

3 eggs (or whatever your cake mix calls for)

⅓ cup oil (or per box directions)

 ½ cup water (adjust depending on strawberry puree — batter should be pourable)

Icing:

1 lb powdered sugar

1 stick butter, softened

  ¼–½ cup fresh strawberries, mashed VERY well or lightly pureed

 Optional: a few sliced fresh strawberries for topping

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease pans.

2. In a large bowl, mix the cake mix and dry Jell-O powder.

3.  Add eggs, oil, and strawberry puree. Add water as needed until the batter looks like normal cake batter.

4. Pour into pans and bake. 9×13 pan: 30–35 minutes OR Round layers: 25–30 minutes.

5. Let cool completely.

6. Beat the butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar.

7. Add strawberries slowly until icing is spreadable (don’t make it too thin—fresh berries add moisture).

8.  Spread over cooled cake.  Top with fresh strawberry slices.