Best Ever Strawberry Cake

I got this recipe several years ago from a "Family Fun" magazine and made it for my family for Valentine's Day. I have tweaked it slightly, but it is still a family favorite for girl birthday parties and Valentine's!! The frosting and cake have real strawberries in them and are to die for! Everyone who has ever tasted this LOVES it! In fact, I made this for my 11 year old's birthday last spring and she and all her dainty "tweener" friends ate the whole cake and asked for more! Guess I should have made 2. This cake is also great made as a 9x13 when you're in a hurry. The heart is just much cuter :). So here we go with the recipe:

Strawberry Heart Cake:
1 box white cake mix
1/3 cup oil
3 eggs
1 cup water/strawberry juice combined, mix water and juice from strawberries to make 1 Cup Total**
1 3-ounce box strawberry-flavored Jell-O
1 16-ounce package frozen sliced strawberries, divided, thawed and drained***RESERVE LIQUID**
square and round baking pans, about 8x8 inches each

Ok first of all you REALLY need to thaw and drain those strawberries! And when you do, strain them over a bowl so you can catch that yummy strawberry juice! (If you don't do this,they will make your cake stick to the pans.) Also, you will use some of your reserved strawberry juice in place of the water in the recipe, to make 1 cup total, this makes it extra strawberry-ish and yummy.

Blend cake mix, water/strawberry juice, eggs, and oil in a large bowl til moistened. Beat with a mixer on low speed for 2 minutes. Then add the jello and half of the strawberries. Mix well, you will see some strawberry pieces, yum!!

Pour into heavily greased and floured round and square pans, pictured here:
It's also great to just use parchment paper on the bottom of your pans, but I had run out! If you do, grease sides of your pans. If you don't grease and flour well, you will be in trouble due to the moistness of the strawberries! Bake according to directions on box for 8 inch pans, test with toothpick. Let these cool in pans for 10 minutes, then on racks for several hours.

When cakes have cooled, place the square cake in a diamond shape on your cake platter. You will need room for the top of your heart, so place it toward the bottom of your plate/platter, like this:


Then cut your round cake in half.

Place each half on 1 top/side of the diamond to make a heart! No heart pan required! I would have NEVER thought of that on my own!





Next, make frosting:

Strawberry Frosting:
1 cup Butter, softened
1 tsp. Vanilla
3 1/2-4 cups powdered sugar
8 oz frozen strawberries (the other half of package)
Red/Pink M&Ms or Red Hots for decorating

Beat Butter and vanilla, add strawberries and beat. Then add powdered sugar, start with 3 1/2 cups and add more if needed, if frosting too runny due to strawberries. Yum! You can also use this frosting to frost sugar cookies, I've done that before and they turn out great.

Frost tops and sides of your heart, decorate with candies around edge and in center of heart, if desired.