Strawberries Celebration Cake Worthy of any Special Occasion

We’re going to go with back to back cake recipes!  Unlike the in last week's column, this cake has been around in my family for three generations. 

I vividly remember this cake from my childhood. I’d open the fridge and find it perched on a shelf ready to help celebrate a special occasion (birthdays, anniversaries and holidays). This is another easy cake recipe that starts off with a boxed white cake mix. If you want to keep that part a secret, no problem!

This cake will look pretty as a picture at your Easter table, at your next birthday celebration or an upcoming dinner party. The white cake is light and airy as is the homemade whipped cream. Add in some peaches, strawberries and homemade whipped cream between cake layers and then frost the cake with the remaining homemade whipped cream. Top with maraschino cherries. Get the candles ready!

Celebration Cake:

Serves 10

1 white cake mix, prepared and baked according to package directions,
using two well greased 8” or 9” round pans

16 oz. heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 16 oz. container of strawberries (rinsed, cut half of the
strawberries in half, the other half into quarters)

15.25 oz can sliced peaches in heavy syrup, drained (slice
the peaches in half)

1 small jar maraschino cherries (with stems), well drained. 

Tip:
Pat the cherries dry with a paper towel before decorating the top of the cake. If you don’t the liquid will run down the cake and turn it red in spots.

Directions:

Preheat oven according to cake mix directions. Bake cake according to package directions. Let cake layers cool completely and then flip cake out onto racks for cooling. Doing this before allowing the cakes to cool could result in a cracked cake (this happened to me on the first attempt, so I hope to save you the trouble).

Whip heavy cream,powdered sugar vanilla extra using electric mixer beating until whipped cream consistency (depending on your machine, the time will vary, so stay close and keep a watchful eye). Top one cake layer with whipped cream. Add enough of the quartered strawberries and peaches to cover the whipped cream covered  white cake layer. Add the second cake layer on top of the frosted layer. Frost cake with remaining whipped cream. Decorate the top of the cake with peach slices and strawberry halves and maraschino cherries. Refrigerate cake.