One Layer Strawberry Shortcake Cake

Dive into summer with our one layer strawberry shortcake cake! This single layer, 9×13″ white cake uses a simple boxed cake mix that’s been doctored up for the most moist white cake recipe. Top it all off with a dreamy cream cheese whipped cream frosting and plenty of juicy strawberries. The classic flavors of strawberry shortcake in a 1 layer cake!

Watch How This Strawberry Shortcake Cake Recipe is Made…

I’ve found that when we get invited to a summer potluck, BBQ or picnic I struggle to figure out the perfect summer dessert to bring. I want something light and comforting, but it must scream summer too. That to me is always strawberry shortcake, but let’s be honest, individual desserts are kind of a hassle to drag out to a park or friend’s backyard. That’s where my favorite strawberry shortcake cake comes in!!!

It’s a simple, extra moist white cake that uses a doctored up cake mix, a dreamy, creamy whipped cream and cream cheese frosting and a fresh strawberry sauce on top. 

Bonus! This cake is best made a whole day ahead! 

Ingredients for Strawberry Shortcake Cake

• For the Cake: White Cake Mix, Jello Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix, Sour Cream, Canola Oil, Eggs, Milk and Vanilla Extract
  • PRO TIP: Use just the pudding powder for the recipe! Don’t make the actual pudding. Also…don’t use French vanilla pudding mix or your cake will turn out yellow.
• For the Strawberry Topping: Water, Strawberry Junket and Strawberries
  • PRO TIP: You can find strawberry junket by the Jello. It is a packet for making a strawberry glaze. You can also just buy strawberry glaze or skip the glaze altogether and just macerate the strawberries in some sugar. They will be a little less saucy but still heavenly!
• For the Frosting: Heavy Cream, Powdered Sugar and Cream Cheese

Keep scrolling to the end of the post for all the details and measurements you need.

Strawberry Pink Ombre Cake Recipe

This stunning irresistible ombre strawberry cake recipe is perfect for celebrating Mother’s Day, a baby shower, or honoring cancer survivors—and it’s a delightful treat that anyone can create!

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to celebrate the special women in your life. What better way to show your love and appreciation than with a stunning Ombre Mother’s Day Strawberry Cake?

This show-stopping cake is a gorgeous centerpiece for any celebration, and the best part? It’s easier to make than you might think! No fancy decorating skills are needed! Whether you’re celebrating Mother’s Day, a baby shower, breast cancer awareness, or Valentine’s Day, this lovely dessert will surely impress. Let’s get started!

What Ingredients Will I Need For This Ombre Strawberry Cake Recipe?

Here is what you need to make this beautiful Ombre Mother’s Day Strawberry Cake Recipe!

For the Cake:

• All-Purpose Flour
• Butter, melted
• Milk, room temperature
• Egg Whites
• Strawberry Extract
• Vanilla Extract
• Cake Flour
• Granulated Sugar
• Baking Powder
• Salt

For the Frosting and Filling:

• Unsalted Butter, softened but still cool
• Red Liquid Food Coloring or Wilton paste
• Strawberry Jam or Preserves

Magic Cake Release: The Secret to Perfectly Baked Cakes

Say goodbye to stuck cakes forever! With this simple Magic Cake Release method, your cakes will slide out effortlessly every time. Here’s how:

1. Mix equal parts melted butter and flour (or cocoa powder for chocolate cakes) in a small bowl Usually 2-3 tablespoons for each will do.
2. Brush the paste onto every corner of your baking pan.
3. Pour in your batter, bake, and enjoy a flawless release—this is perfect for bundt cakes too!

Now, let’s put it to use. With your round cake pans prepped and the oven preheating, it’s time to mix up a silky white cake batter. Combine the liquid ingredients and dry ingredients in separate bowls, then beat softened butter into the dry mix until it resembles sand (see second image below). This unorthodox step gives the cake its light, velvety texture (thank science!).

Add the rest of the liquid ingredients, including strawberry flavor, to complete the batter!

Strawberry Jello Cake

This delicious strawberry Jello cake is the perfect summer dessert! Made with a white cake mix and strawberry Jello, this dessert is sure to be a hit at your next gathering. It is quick and easy and a moist cake with a hint of strawberries and cream!

Years ago our friend Sarah gave us her family recipe for Lemon Jello Cake (I know you’re supposed to write, Jell-O, but no one actually follows that rule, right??) and it’s been one of the most popular recipes on our site year after year. We’ve experimented with Pineapple Crush Jello cake, orange Jello cake, strawberry lemonade jello cake, even a festive 4th of July Jello cake and now a strawberries and cream jello cake!

It’s important to use a white cake mix and strawberry jello for this recipe as it will tone down the strawberry flavor and allow you to taste that “strawberries n creme” thing.

What Does Adding Jello to Cake Do?

There are several reasons to add Jello to a cake. Jello enhances the flavor and color of a cake. It also helps the cake be more moist and dense in texture. I highly recommend it!

Ingredients for Strawberry Jello Cake

I hope you’re sitting down because you aren’t going to believe that you only need 7 ingredients to make this jello cake recipe! Keep in mind that when you make the glaze, you have a few different options. I’ll explain that more below. Here is what you will need:

CAKE

• White Cake Mix: A vanilla cake mix is our preferred flavor, but yellow works fine too. The color will just be a little more orange with a yellow cake mix. We use Duncan Hines brand.
  • NOTE: You will use just the box cake mix powder when making the batter for this cake. You will not follow the directions for making the cake on the box.
• Eggs: Gives the cake structure and richness.
• Water: Adds needed moisture to create a perfectly moist cake.
• Oil: Canola oil or vegetable oil both work great and don’t alter the flavor of the cake while still keeping it moist and fabulous.
• Strawberry Jello: You just need the small box (3 oz) and you will only be using the jello powder. Don’t use the sugar free jello. It doesn’t set up the same.

ICING

• Heavy Cream: Helps bind the icing together and adds richness to the flavor and texture. Save some extra cream to whip up and spread on top of the cake after cooling.
• Powdered Sugar: Acts as the base for the icing and provides all the sweetness.

The measurements needed for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

This strawberry rhubarb crisp is pure comfort with the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness and a buttery oat topping. I always eat it a la mode!

I grew up with a rhubarb obsessed father. Is it a generational thing? I’m going to bet most people these days have never even tried rhubarb yet everyone’s Mom and Dad seem to love it. I hated it. I mean, wouldn’t even touch the stuff! I’m still a bit weird about it depending on how it is used, but cook it down with sweet berries and sugar and I don’t even know how to explain it, it becomes a whole new creature! It’s so good!!

Recommended Equipment

• Sure Gel Ultra Gel
• Pastry Blender

Before You Begin…

Get about 3 cups of water boiling over high heat. You’ll use the boiling water to soften and prep the rhubarb for the crisp. Rhubarb can be quite bitter but letting in sit in boiling water for a couple of minutes will dull the bitterness.

Ingredients for Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

For the Filling

• Rhubarb: A vegetable that has edible stalks that are usually pink in color. It is quite sour like a lemon but it becomes sweeter as it cooks. It is a great source of antioxidants, fiber and vitamin K.
• Strawberries: You will want to wash and hull the strawberries before cutting them up.
• Sugar: Helps sweeten the filling.
• Brown Sugar: Adds richness and sweetness to the filling.
• Sure Gel Ultra Gel: Thickens the filling so that the filling isn’t water. You can also use flour or cornstarch.
• Lemon Zest: Adds an extra pop of flavor and brightness
• Cardamom: A spice commonly used in Indian food that has a complex flavor that is floral but also citrusy.

For the Topping

• Old Fashioned Rolled Oats: You can use quick oats too but I love the texture and chewiness the old fashioned oats add.
• Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness to the topping
• Flour: Adds structure to the topping
• Cinnamon: Adds warmth and flavor
• Salt: Enhances all the flavors of the topping
• Unsalted Butter: Adds flavor and binds all the ingredients together

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card down below. This is just meant to be an overview of the ingredients so keep on scrolling down for all the details.

What are Substitutes for Ultra Gel?

I prefer ultra gel over flour or cornstarch for thickening. I feel like there’s a flavor that accompanies both whereas the ultra gel is flavorless. But if you don’t have ultra gel or you don’t want to buy it, you can use flour or cornstarch.

Read more

Nutella Stuffed Strawberry Chocolate Cupcakes

If an 8 year old can make Nutella Stuffed Strawberry Chocolate Cupcakes, you certainly can do it! Moist chocolate cupcakes are a must for Valentine’s Day!

Are you familiar with how cooking happens in our house? It’s not just a mom thing, and it’s certainly not just an adult thing, the whole family is involved. I’ll tell you all about how our family created the tradition of kids cooking, plus a few tips for making it work in your home, but first, let’s chat about these Nutella Stuffed Strawberry Chocolate Cupcakes, very similar to our Milk Chocolate Cupcakes.

Nutella Stuffed Strawberry Chocolate Cupcakes

I love the look of chocolate and fluffy, pink anything, yes, even pink pancakes. I’m not really a pink girl, I think I have one or two pink shirts in my closet and that’s probably it. Now don’t panic, I have nothing against pink, I’m just not drawn to it like I am blue or white for example. I should move to Santorini, Greece. That seems like a good choice.

Ahhh but chocolate and pink, there’s something about that just makes me want to take a big ol’ bite. And these Nutella Stuffed Strawberry Chocolate Cupcakes are the perfect example.

A moist chocolate cupcake, stuffed with totally lickable Nutella and topped off with strawberry buttercream that is silky like those old school 90’s silk pajamas. Nothing short of a dream.

Why Coffee in Chocolate Cake

You all know us well enough by now to know that we don’t drink alcohol, coffee or tea and while yes, alcohol usually cooks out of things, we don’t keep it in the house so it just doesn’t happen.

When it comes to chocolate cake I’ve had to embrace that it does in fact make a difference. I bought this, Espresso Powder  used for baking and I merely add a little to any liquid in chocolate baking and it enhances the chocolate flavor without adding any coffee flavor. I honestly still skip it all the time, but really, it does make a difference and you’re probably eating it most of the time you buy a chocolate anything out and about.

Boiling Water in Chocolate Cake

Have you noticed how many chocolate recipes include boiling water? Especially a chocolate cake or cupcake. So what’s the deal with boiling water in chocolate cake?

It seems like it would be something with the hot water making the cake more moist or tender, but it’s actually about the cocoa. When making anything chocolate you should mix cocoa with hot water then let it sit for a few minutes. What you’re actually doing is blooming the chocolate, or in other words, the cocoa dissolves and the flavor particles are released leading to a more powerful chocolate flavor.

Chocolate brownies are a little different, you’ll want to bloom the chocolate in hot oil. Not like, fry you up some fried chicken oil, just warmed up so