Strawberry Cake W/creamy Strawberry Icing

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 1 (18 ounce) box cake mix
• 1 (3 ounce) package strawberry gelatin
• 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, mashed (with juice)
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup 2% low-fat milk
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• additional strawberry, sliced for garnishing individual servings (at least 2 c for us)
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup fresh strawberries, mashed (with juice)
• 1 -3 tablespoon milk
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 2 in a large bowl, combine cake mix, gelatin mix, mashed fresh strawberries and juice, oil, milk and eggs.
• 3 mix well; stir in pecans.
• 4 bake in greased and floured 9x13 pan for 35-40 minutes or until light brown.
• 5 cool cake on wire rack for 15 minutes and pour frosting over semi-cooled cake.
• 6 to prepare icing, combine cream cheese and butter on low speed for 30 seconds.
• 7 gradually mix in sugar.
• 8 mix in mashed berries.
• 9 raise speed to medium and continue to mix until light and well-combined adding milk to acheive desired consistency.
• 10 fold in pecans.
• 11 if using 3 8" layers, put a small amount of frosting between each of the layers, the pour remaining frosting over top and allow to run down sides of cake.
• 12 garnish individual slices of cake completely "smothered" with fresh, sliced strawberries.
• 13 serve freshly frosted or refrigerated; refrigerate leftovers.