If any of you shop at Sam’s Club on a regular basis and think this cake looks familiar, it should because I dearly love that strawberry cake – so this is my homemade version. The results were even better than the store bought version and pretty fast and simple, too.
A few years back, when I first took notice of these beautiful fresh strawberry cakes at Sam’s, I bought one and fell in love. The cake is a simple one, nothing fancy, but the magic happens in the icing and topping.
Is That Buttercream Icing?
No siree, rather than a super sweet buttercream, they use a whipped icing, similar to a stabilized whipped cream, for just a touch of creamy sweetness, top it with fresh ripe strawberries and a delectable glaze and this cake embodies all that is right and good in the world. 😉
Recipe Ingredients:
- Cake mix*
- Beautiful fresh strawberries
- Heavy whipping cream
- Strawberry glaze
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Vanilla (isn’t pictured here) It’s from Mexico and felt a bit shy in the strange new place that is my kitchen, so I didn’t press. You don’t have to use vanilla but I add a tat of it.
*Cake Mix Note:
You only need enough for an 8 inch square cake. If you want to just make a 9×13 cake with a regular size cake mix, double the whipping cream and confectioner’s sugar amounts and you’ll be fine. You also need the ingredients called for to prepare the cake. Yes, you can make a cake from scratch but just don’t leave any snooty comments condemning the rest of us for choosing a mix.
*Strawberry Glaze Note :
I tried to cut calories by getting sugar free glaze once. I won’t make that mistake again. The flavor of that was best described as “freshly washed hair”.
*Heavy Whipping Cream:
Sometimes this is just called heavy cream. Sometimes it is called whipping cream.
Start by preparing cake according to package directions. Make sure you have a plate or platter big enough to turn your cake out onto or bake it in a pan you want to decorate it in and just serve from that.
Your cream needs to be very cold. I’m not saying you have to freeze it or anything but leave it in the fridge until you need it.
Place cream in a large mixing bowl and prepare to beat it. It’s a Tuesday and already this feels like a long week, this cream doesn’t stand a chance…..
You want to beat it until soft peaks form, a minute or two(ish).
What is a Soft Peak?
A soft peak is when you can see lines in it from your beaters but when you pull the beaters out, it forms a little peak and then the peak falls back down, kinda like the loop on the end of a dairy queen ice cream cone.
Anyone remember those? Butterscotch dipped were my favorite.
Once you are at this point, add in your confectioner’s sugar and vanilla (if using) and beat again until stiff peaks form, that means you pull your beater out and there is a point where the beaters were that stands up straight and doesn’t fall back…or it just looks like this.
This is almost too much, I stopped just in time. If you go much further than this you’ll end up with butter – not a bad thing, but it doesn’t make very good icing for this particular cake. 🙂
Ice your cake.
Frilly Border Optional
Now I made a little frilly border but you don’t have to do that. You can just ice the cake liberally and then kinda of smooth the icing down a bit in the middle to create a bumper around the sides. You could also put your border icing in a gallon ziplock bag and cut the tip off and pipe a line around the sides. I mean, it doesn’t have to be fancy here. It also doesn’t have to look store bought. Homemade cakes are always more beautiful than store bought cakes, no matter how they are decorated.
Wash your strawberries and cut the tops off. I also blot each one with a paper towel and press it lightly against the cut side just a bit. Line these up in the center of your cake like happy little strawberry gnomes.
Now I just spoon my glaze over the strawberries. You won’t need an entire container so if you decide to make this a 9×13 there should still be plenty. Once I have it spooned over I use a butter knife to spread it to cover each one.
And that’s it! Your strawberry cake is finished!
How Do I Store This Cake?
This cake must be stored in the refrigerator. You can have it out on the counter for a bit but I definitely wouldn’t leave it outside on a hot day. However, the 8×8 size makes it the perfect cake to disappear in the blink of an eye and you’ll love the lighter than usual flavors and textures, with a burst of strawberry at the end – or beginning depending on how you eat it!
Ingredients
- Jiffy Cake Mix or other of your choice prepared according to package directions*
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Fresh Strawberries
- 13.5 ounce container Strawberry Glaze
Instructions
- Allow baked cake to cool for ten minutes in the pan before turning it out onto a platter or large plate. You can also decorate it in the pan and serve from the pan if you like.
- Once cake has cooled completely, place cream in large mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer until soft peaks form, about two minutes or so.
- Add in vanilla and confectioner's sugar and beat again until stiff peaks form. Ice cake. Add a decorative border or spooned up border (by icing the top really thick and using a spoon to form a recess in the center) around the sides to hold glaze in for the next step.
- Wash cut the tops off of strawberries. Blot them dry with a paper towel. Arrange on top of cake.
- Spoon glaze over strawberries and use a butter knife to spread to coat each one.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
You may also enjoy these strawberry recipes:
How To Make Strawberry Jam & No Cooking, No Canning!
Strawberry Cobbler Recipe by Mama
“Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words may be an encouragement to those who hear them.” ~Eph 4:29
This recipe is featured on Meal Plan Monday
