“Every cake has a story to tell.”–unknown
Family traditions🧑🍳
When I married into my husband’s family some thirty years ago, it was the merging of two families who enjoyed cooking, tried-and-true recipes, handed down from one generation to the next, typically accompanied by a story or two. On my husband’s side, there were several excellent cooks, especially his mother, his sister, and her husband. Whereas, in my own extended family, I grew up around three women–my grandmother, my mamaw, and my mom–who were great cooks in their own right. Therefore, between the two families, there was a wealth of inspiration, ideas, and sources for recipes.
To this day, many of those family recipes remain favorites. However, since being diagnosed with celiac disease over ten years ago, I have been on a culinary quest to adapt many of those beloved recipes so that I can, forgive the pun, “have my cake and eat it too”!
But First . . .🍰
The original Strawberry Cake recipe came from my mother-in-law, Colleen. She and my grandmother were very similar when it came to their approach to cooking. They both believed in the right to serve large portions, and both embraced the notion of going their own way instead of following recipes, step-by-step. Therefore, when my grandmother, or Colleen, would share a written recipe, there was sure to be additional verbal directions and advice for best preparing the recipe.
Never shy away from making a recipe your own🥣
It is that familial cooking spirit of never shying away from the right to make a recipe uniquely your own that continues to inspire me. Gluten-free baking wasn’t a “thing” when Grandmother and Colleen were living, so if I want to still enjoy those cooking stories from my past, I have to forge my own cooking path. Nonetheless, I think they would have enjoyed many of my modified recipes, including this one.
The eyes have it first👀
I recall the first time I ate this cake at Colleen’s house. It was a Sunday family dinner, and I immediately noticed this beautiful, thickly frosted pink cake. Now, my grandmother taught, “Your eyes eat things before your mouth,” and from the first look at that cake until the last bite, my eyes and mouth were in agreement: the cake was every bit the tasty confection it looked to be.
Make it Gluten-free if you want🥮
I am not sure if my recipe adaptation is on-par with Colleen’s, but I do know that my own family loved it. In fact, my adult daughter, one who typically, and quickly, discerns if I have made something gluten-free, asked if the cake was really gluten-free because she could not taste the difference. Even more telling was the fact that she told me she thought that it was my best gluten-free recipe to date, and I could “bake it for her anytime.”
Strawberry Reduction🍓
In addition to making the recipe gluten-free, I eliminated strawberry gelatin as a main ingredient, and instead, I made a strawberry reduction with double the amount of strawberries the original recipe called for. My variation is also dairy-free, as I used non-dairy milk and butter; however, I did use real eggs. That said, if you need this recipe to be egg-free, there are plenty of egg-replacement products available.
Cupcake Crazy?🧁
I’ve included directions for baking cupcakes and several cake variations, so the recipe can be baked and assembled in a variety ways. Additionally, any leftover strawberry reduction tastes terrific spread over toast, stirred into oatmeal, or added to a smoothie.
From my Family to Yours🏠
From my home to yours, I hope this recipe allows you to create your own cake story and recipe lineage. Who knows, maybe one day, your grandkids will make their own version of Strawberry Cake!
Strawberry Cake (or Cupcakes) 🍰
Ingredients
½ cup milk (plant-based, if desired)
2 teaspoons white or apple cider vinegar
1 package white or yellow cake mix (gluten free, if needed)
3 tablespoons all purpose flour (gluten free, if needed)
3 eggs or equivalent egg-replacement
⅓ cup oil, melted butter, or applesauce
½ water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cup strawberry reduction, completely cooled (see below)
*Strawberry Reduction
Ingredients
2 pounds fresh or frozen strawberries (If frozen, be sure to thaw for at least 20 minutes)
4 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
1 stick butter, softened (plant-based, if desired)
¼-½ cup strawberry reduction, depending upon how much flavor you want
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon salt
4-6 cups confectioners sugar
Up to 4 tablespoons milk, if needed for creaminess
Directions
*Make Strawberry Reduction 12-24 hours+ in advance
Thaw and/or remove stems from strawberries, then cut in half
Puree strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in food processor or blender
Pour into medium saucepan and bring to low boil over medium heat
Reduce heat, but continue to simmer over low heat for 30 or so minutes, stirring occasionally
Allow strawberries to reduce to texture similar to that of tomato sauce
Allow to cool, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until completely cooled and/or ready to use.
Make Cake or cupcakes
Add vinegar to milk, set in fridge for five minutes (making “buttermilk”)
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees
Coat cake pan(s) with nonstick cooking spray or line muffin tins with parchment paper
In a large mixing bowl, stir together cake mix and flour
Beat in eggs, one at a time.
Then, stir in “buttermilk,” water, oil (or butter or applesauce), and vanilla extract.
Next, fold in strawberry reduction, scraping down the sides as needed
For cupcakes: divide batter among cupcakes, using a greased ice cream scoop, if desired, filling cup ½ – ⅔ full
For cake: pour batter into one 9 x 13 cake pan, a 10-cup bundt pan, or divide between two 8” or 9” inch round pans
Baking time: Cupcakes = 20-25 minutes; 9 x 13 pan = 30-35 minutes; Bundt pan = 45-48 minutes; Two round pans = 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
Allow cake or cupcakes to cool completely before frosting (I even put mine in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before frosting.)
Make the Frosting
In a large bowl, cream butter, strawberry reduction, vanilla extract and salt
Add in confectioner sugar, one cup at a time, until icing is firm
Then, add in milk, one tablespoon at a time, whipping in between each addition until desired consistency is reached.
Pipe or spread over cake or cupcakes.
Decorate tops of cake or cupcakes with red, white, or pink sugar sprinkles or freshly sliced strawberries
Store in airtight container and refrigerate
Makes 24 cupcakes or 1 cake of your choosing
Steph Simply 