Half Naked Strawberry Cake
This is called a half-naked cake because the outside edges are not covered with icing. Of course, you can cover it, if you wish, but I chose not to because I love the fresh flavor of the strawberries in the cake and the buttercream on top is just enough that it does not overpower the cake and creamy filling. The filling is made from cream cheese, butter and whipped topping, so it provides a light and fluffy texture to the center of the cake. One bite and you will be hooked!
Macerated Strawberries
Slice ¾ quart of fresh strawberries into small pieces and cover with ¾ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon of water. Mash with your hands and allow them to sit for at least an hour to develop a syrup. You won’t use all of these strawberries, so you may reserve a few for garnishing the top of the cake.
For the Cake:
1 box strawberry cake mix
3 tablespoons flour
1 box strawberry jello – (regular, not sugar free)
¾ cup vegetable or canola oil
¾ cup buttermilk
½ cup macerated strawberries with juice
3 eggs
Combine all ingredients using a mixer. Bake in three 8 or 9 inch pans.
(NOTE: For the cake in the picture, I doubled this base recipe making very tall layers; however, this is not necessary and I don’t recommend it unless you have a really tall cake taker to store it in!)
Bake on 350 degrees for about 10-15 mins. Make sure it does not overcook. The thinner the layers, the less time it takes to cook. Use a toothpick to check the center.
For the Filling:
8 oz cream cheese softened
1 stick butter softened
8 oz cool whip
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons half & half
Using a mixer, combine the cream cheese and butter first until fluffy. Add the sugar and mix well. Add the vanilla and half and half. Fold in the whipped cream. Place the mixture inside a ziplock bag. You will use the bag to pipe it on top of the layers.
For the Buttercream:
1 stick butter softened
1/8 cup macerated strawberries
2+ cups of powdered sugar
Splash of half and half
Using a mixer, mix the butter until it is fluffy. Add two cups of powdered sugar and 1/8 cup strawberries with juice. Due to the juice from the strawberries, you may need to add more sugar as you go. To get the consistency you need, you may add half and half a small amount at a time.
Layer the cake and use the ziplock bag to pipe the filling on top of the middle layers. This is important because it will prevent the sides of the cake from getting messy. You may pipe the buttercream on top or simply spread it evenly with an icing spatula. Garnish the top with a few fresh strawberries.