strawberry surprise :: baking :: cake

strawberries are everywhere this time of year and i've been dying to bake something with them. we've done fruit cobbler and strawberry shortcake a couple times, but those were too quick. sometimes i need a few hours of mixing and decorating in the kitchen to really clear my mind.

for mother's day, i did just that. i spent almost 4 hours on this lovely cake and it was a big hit at the family dinner (especially with "the monster"). i alternated a simple white cake layer with a red velvet cake, cream cheese frosting & strawberries. yum! i then smeared on a light crumb layer of frosting topped with a layer of cool whip. have you every used cool whip as frosting? it goes on soooo smooth and to my surprise doesn't melt at room temperature.

what will you make with strawberries this year?

p.s. the honest farmer is opening up his strawberry fields for picking this summer! more info coming soon.