Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) round cake pans. Set aside.

Step 2

To make the strawberry reduction, place strawberries in a blender, and blend until pureed. Pour the puree into a saucepan and simmer for about 20 minutes until most of the juice evaporates, and you have about 1/2 cup of strawberries. Set aside to cool.

Step 3

In a bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside

Step 4

In a large bowl, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar. Mix in eggs one at a time until combined. Mix in strawberry extract and vanilla extract. Stir in sour cream. (batter may look spotty and that is fine)

Step 5

Add the food coloring. (Cake will be a VERY pale pink if not using food coloring. Start with 5-6 drops and increase after you add the puree in the next step if you want it darker)

Step 6

Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients, alternating with the milk until the mixture is well combined. (Be careful not to over mix or the cake will be crumbly).

Step 7

Fold in strawberry reduction. Be sure to mix it in thoroughly so there are no streaks in the batter. (Add more food coloring if you want it darker. In this video,  I used 8 drops of McCormick liquid food coloring. Some brands are not as concentrated so you may need more or less)

Step 8

Pour batter evenly into the prepared pans.

Step 9

Bake for 20-22 minutes (may need longer) or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs clinging to it.

Step 10

Place cakes on a cooling rack and when the pans are cool enough to touch, remove the cakes and allow them to finish cooling on the wire rack.

Step 11

To make the frosting, first follow the steps above to create the strawberry reduction, reducing it down to 1/4 cup this time. Set aside.

Step 12

In a large bowl, cream together butter, cream cheese, vanilla extract, and strawberry extract until combined. (Use a stand mixer if desired)

Step 13

Mix in salt and powdered sugar a little at a time, until creamy.

Step 14

Add in the strawberry puree by the tablespoon until desired firmness is reached. ( I use all 1/4 cup)

Step 15

Chill the frosting and then mix until fluffy before frosting the cakes. (Frosting should be extra airy and fluffy. See note.)

Step 16

Frost cake layers using an offset spatula. (This frosting is rich with bold strawberry flavor. A little goes a long way so so use thin layers of frosting between the cakes)

Step 17

Slice using a cake knife and serve. (Chill the cake if you wish to firm up the frosting before slicing)

Step 18

Store finished cake in the refrigerator and let come to room temperature before serving, for best results. (The strawberry flavor increases the next day so I usually make this cake the day before I want to serve it. Although it is still great the day of making it.)