The Most Amazing Strawberry Cake

If you love strawberries you will love this cake! I used a cake mix (just because I had one), doctored up equate to the original recipe. I will list both versions below. 

This frosting is absolutely a show stopper! My grandson said it was the best cake he has ever eaten. You for sure want to make this one for that next special occasion. Perfect for Valentine"s Day. THIS CAKE MUST BE KEPT REFRIGERATED.

ORIGIONAL RECIPE:

1 pound fresh strawberries, washed and hulled

1 cup melted butter

1½ cups sugar

¼ cup sour cream

1½ tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp strawberry extract, optional

3½ cups cake flour

4 tsp baking powder

½ tsp table salt

4 large eggs, room temp

1 cup buttermilk, room temp

pink food coloring, optional

Add strawberries to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.  Pour into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, util the mixture is thick and reduces by half, about 20 minutes. You should end up with just over 1 cup of reduced puree. Set aside for later use in both the cake and the frosting.

Lightly grease two 9" cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream the butter, vegetable oil, and sugar together until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in one cup strawberry puree, sour cream, vanilla, and strawberry extract, if using. Reserve the remaining strawberry puree, up to ¼ cup, for the frosting.

Use a fork to combine the eggs and buttermilk together. Set aside.

In another bowl stir together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add half the milk mixture and combine. Add in another ⅓  of the dry ingredients until combined followed by the remaining milk mixture. Add remaining dry ,mixture and mix with hand mixer until just combined. Stir in food coloring, if using, adding a little at a time until desired color is achieved.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Let sit in pans for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

NOTE: I live in a high altitude area so I increase the flour by ¼ cup, reduce the baking temperature to 325 degrees, and bake it a little longer.

CAKE MIX VERSION:

1 pound fresh strawberries, prepared and reserved as in original recipe above

I box of strawberry cake mix

1 cup melted butter, cooled

¼ cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

4 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

Combine cake mx, cooled melted butter, sour cream. eggs, and vanilla. Add buttermilk. Fold in 1 cup of strawberry puree. Mix and bake as directed on box. 

NOTE: I live in a high altitude area so I have to add ¼ cup flour, and reduce the baking temperature to 325 degrees, and bake a little longer.

STRAWBERRY CHANTILLY CREAM FROSTING

2 cups heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla

1.5 oz instant strawberry jello

2 cups powdered sugar, divided

8 oz cream cheese, softened

8 oz mascarpone cheese, softened

reserved strawberry puree

In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to whip cream and vanilla extract. Slowly add in strawberry jello while mixing. Once the cream reaches soft peaks, slowly add in ½ cup of the powdered sugar. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.

In a separate bowl, beat together cream cheese, mascarpone, and remaining ¼ cup strawberry puree. Whip until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add in the remaining 1½ cups powdered sugar. Mix until well combined.

Use a rubber spatula to fold the whipped cream mixture into the cheese mixture. Combine until no streaks remain. Frost the cake as usual. Refrigerate cake.

Rhodes Butt Cheek Rolls

This is a Reno Leuey favorite! So easy, and so good.

1 - 2 bags of Rhodes frozen unbaked rolls

Non-stick cooking spray

You need a muffin tin or two that is a little wider than normal. Spray each cup with cooking spray and place 2 frozen rolls (do not thaw) in each cup, along side each other, hence making a "butt".

Spray the tops with a little more cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the rolls to rise for 4-6 hours. Bake at 350 degrees for around 15-20 minutes, until tops are lightly golden.

High altitude reduce temp to 325 and bake a little longer.

  

Fireside Inn Sweet Potato Souffle

The Fireside Inn is a marvelous dinner theater in Fort Atkinson, WI. On their buffet they serve this wonderful sweet potato soufflé. That alone is reason enough to want to go there.

I served this for Thanksgiving 2024 and for sure it will be on the menu for every Thanksgiving from now on. Everyone loved it, even the ones who normally don't care for sweet potatoes.

4 large sweet potatoes (4 pounds)

⅔ cup melted butter

7 eggs

1¼ cups evaporated milk

2 cups sugar

½ tsp salt

Steam and puree the potatoes. Add remaining ingredients and put in a buttered 9x12" Pyrex baking pan.

Pecan Topping

¼ cup flour

2 Tbs melted butter

½ cup light brown sugar

¼ cup chopped pecans 

Mix all together and sprinkle evenly over the top of the sweet potato mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 300 degrees for 1½ hours.

The Updated Green Bean Casserole

So I'm personally not a fan of the typical green bean casserole, commonly served at Thanksgiving. But my family likes it, so I found this updated version. With a couple tweaks, and no mushroom soup, it was well received. French style green beans are so much better than fresh cut beans . . . more authentic and just tastes better. Also, I have one of those gadgets that cuts vegetables in various uniform sizes, so very small chop is easy . . . No chunks of anything.

10 slices bacon, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped very small

4 minced garlic cloves

8 oz shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped

⅓ cup flour

½ cup chicken broth

2 cups heavy cream

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Salt and Pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

2 oz (½ to ¾ cup) FRESH grated Parmesan cheese (not the canned sawdust)

3 cans French style green beans, drained well

1 can (or more) French's Crispy Fried Onions

In a large skillet, brown the chopped bacon. Remove bacon from pan and set aside. In the same pan, sauté the onion, garlic, and mushrooms in the bacon grease. Cook down for 7-8 minutes. Sprinkle flour over them and stir well for 3 minutes. 

Slowly stir in the chicken broth and heavy cream. Season to taste with the garlic and onion powders, salt and pepper. Add just a small pinch of nutmeg. Turn the heat to low and stir in the grated Parmesan cheese until melted.

Add the bacon and drained green beans. Stir well and pour into a buttered 9x12" Pyrex baking dish. Bake @350 degrees, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Top with the crispy onions and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Serve hot out of the oven.

Perfect Potato Pancakes

4 large potatoes (about 3 lbs)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

½ cup flour

½ cup finely diced onion

1 tsp salt

⅛ tsp pepper

Oil for frying

Maple syrup or applesauce

Peel and shed potatoes. Place in bowl of cold water. Line a colander with cheesecloth or paper towels (can use a thin flour sack dish towel). Drain potatoes and put into colander. Squeeze out as much moisture as possible. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, eggs, flour, onion, salt and pepper. 

In an electric skillet, heat ¼" of oil over medium heat. Drop batter by ¼ cupfuls into oil, about 3" apart. Press lightly to flatten. Fry until golden brown, about 4 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining batter. Keep prepared pancakes warm in a low heat oven until serving.

Top with maple syrup or applesauce. 

Makes about 16 pancakes.

 

Savory French Bread Slices

This is a Taste of Home recipe, and it's a keeper.

½ cup butter, softened

¼ tsp celery seed

¼ tsp paprika

1 loaf (20 inches) French bread, sliced

Combine butter, celery seed, and paprika. Spread between bread slices and over top. Wrap bread tightly in foil. Bake 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Open foil and bake another 5 minutes.

Crispy Roasted Potatoes

Nancy fixed these for one of their famous Sunday Night Suppers, and I could have downed the whole pan myself.  So yummy!

1½ lbs petite red potatoes, washed and quartered

2 Tbs olive oil 

1½ tsp salt

½ tsp ancho chili powder

½ tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp coriander  

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 pinch cayenne pepper

½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

4 Tbs finely chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine olive oil, salt, chili powder, oregano, coriander, garlic  powder, black pepper, and cayenne. Add the potatoes and toss to completely coat with spices. Transfer to baking sheet, being careful not to overcrowd. Use two baking sheets if necessary, because they need plenty of room to breathe for browning.

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, flip the potatoes over and bake another 20 minutes, until crispy.

Sprinkle with cilantro, more salt if desired, and serve.