Strawberry Filled Cake Recipe

 Today I made a pretty simple vanilla cake with a natural strawberry filling. It super easy and I use this recipe all the time whenever I'm making a cake that I want to decorate easily. Since I won't be posting a picture of the cake I made I will say that I frosted it with a light whipped cream frosting but you can decorate however you'd like. Took me about 2 hours to complete but so worth it in the end. 

                             Ingredients:

•   2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
•            1 1/2 cup granulated sugar 
• 3/4 cup unsalted, softened butter 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (Or any vegetable oil)
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 
• 1 cup milk (dairy free options work as well) 
• 3-4 eggs            

                                                            Frosting and filling ingredients:

•   2 1/2 cups Heavy whipping cream 
•  3 tablespoons Whipped cream cheese 
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar 
• 2-3 cups Fresh or frozen strawberries
•  4 tablespoons granulated sugar 

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease 2 cake pans (Putting max paper at the bottom of the pans will help for easy removal)
2. Whisk together flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl 
3. In a separate bowl cream together butter, oil, sugar and vanilla extract. Mix this well with an electric mixer until thoroughly combined
4. Add eggs 2 at a time mixing in between until fully combined into the mixture
5. Add 3/4 of the flour mixture and half of the milk and combine 
6. Add remaining flour and milk until a batter constancy is reached *DO NOT OVER-MIX*
7. Equally divide batter into 2 cake pans and bake for 25-32 minutes or until fully baked through
8. Once baked let them cool or chill for at least 30 minutes 
9. For the filling I made a thick strawberry spread and used the strawberry preserves in the filling as well by letting the strawberries and granulated sugar simmer on the stove on medium heat stirring regularly for 20 minutes or until a thick syrup forms and you're left with strawberry preserves
10. Let the filling cool and in the meantime make the whipped cream frosting by using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment and whisk together heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract
11. Finally assemble cake layer with filling and decorate with frosting and any other decorations of choice.  

That's it. That's the recipe. Thanks for reading and I hope you try this recipe yourself. :)