Fresh Strawberry Cake and Frosting

This one-layer strawberry cake is topped with a delicious strawberry cream cheese frosting for a fabulous spring or summertime dessert. The strawberries will give a natural pink color to the frosting and the cake. The cake is super easy to make from scratch and it's the perfect size for most families and gatherings. Plus, a one-layer sheet cake requires less assembly and calls for less frosting and decorating than a two-layer cake.

Fresh strawberries are in season in late spring and early summer. If you are used to the imported year-round strawberries at the supermarket—which are picked green—you'll be blown away by the flavor of vine-ripened strawberries. Seek them out at a farmers market or a farm stands. Another convenient choice is buying frozen strawberries, especially in this recipe where they are mashed rather than used whole or sliced. Frozen berries often are far more flavorful than fresh non-local or out-of-season strawberries.

Ingredients