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My Grandmother Verdie was such an inspiration to me. She was quick to give a hug, say a prayer for and with you, and to share her talents. She was an excellent seamstress, a wonderful homemaker, and you were truly blessed when you were able to eat a meal at her table. The meals were always fresh and delicious.
I’ve shared previously about the notebook of her handwritten recipes she gave me as one of my wedding presents. Like her Chicken Casserole, these recipes bring back a flood of memories of growing up with her.
This weekend, we celebrated my mother’s Mother’s Day. I prepared many of my mother’s favorite things, but the most special had to have been her own mother’s Strawberry Cake.
Grandmother Verdie’s Strawberry Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Box Duncan Hines White Cake Mix
- 3 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
- 1 (3-0z) box Strawberry Flavored Gelatin, Jello
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 1 Cup Oil coconut oil, or melted butter
- 4 large Eggs
- 1 (10-oz.) box Birdseye Frozen Halved Strawberries in Syrup thawed and divided
Instructions
- Preheat ovens to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 3 8-inch round cake pans.
- Add cake mix, flour, gelatin, water, oil and eggs to a large mixing bowl. Add half of the box of strawberries (other half will be used in frosting). Mix all ingredients together in mixer until well combined.
- Divide batter evenly into the cake pans.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center of cake layers comes out clean. You can follow my tips for how to tell when your cake is done.
- Remove from oven and cool completely.
Nutritional Information
I love pulling out the notebook of her recipes. I feel like she is right beside me, giving me tips the entire time I am cooking. I am so appreciative of the gift she gave me as a young bride.
And today, I just pour over her handwriting and remember.
Do you have a favorite recipe that is an heirloom in your family?
I made this cake for my niece’s birthday. A small box of birdseye strawberries in syrup is 10 oz. However, Paula Deen’s recipe for this cake is very similar – addition of an egg and uses 15 oz of frozen strawberries in syrup. So, I went with the extra egg and the larger amount of strawuberries in syrup. Cake came out fine with the additions and probably had more strawberry taste. I also put a layer of lemon curd and a layer of spreadable SMucker’s strawberry jam between the layers of cake which added a great citrus taste to the cake, cutting some of the sweetness.
As for the icing, I did go for a strawberry buttercream, instead of Paula Deen’s strawberry cream cheese frosting. I over did it on the strawberries in syrup – probably used about 7 ozs and my buttercream came out too soft. So, this recipe calls for the 5 ozs of strawberries in syrup and 2 lbs of confectioners sugar (the 16 oz box won’t be enough.)
Hi! I would love to make this cake for my daughters birthdaythis weekend! But I can’t figure out how much is 1/2 box of strawberries. Help please!
Hi! I too wasn’t exactly sure but I used one regular size container of fresh strawberries I had on hand from produce dept. After hulling and slicing I found it to be a good amount. Great recipe!!
Thanks for the tip for using fresh strawberries in this recipe, Lisa.
This was excellent!!!! I received numerous compliments and it kept well in the refrigerator for a few days. I used ~10 oz of frozen strawberries in syrup…
This was a great cake! Definitely more dense than your average cake, but I expected that with the addition of gelatin. If you are looking for a light and fluffy cake, this is not it, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t just as delicious! It definitely had that old school feel… or maybe my grandma always made denser cakes? Who knows.
Also, instead of a strawberry frosting, I paired it with the classic vanilla buttercream also on this website, and I think it was the perfect combo. You seriously can’t go wrong with that frosting! I then topped it with some fresh strawberries and blueberries which really made the cake look beautiful, and it tasted great with the cake too.
Sad that the icing portion of the recipe is no longer here. This recipe reminded me of my grandmother’s, and coming here to read your story of your grandma and her recipes always was a nice entry into remembering mine. But with only half the recipe, I have to go to another site to find everything. Half the recipe gets half the rating in my book.
Micki, I’m sorry but I have never had the frosting recipe with this cake recipe. It is with my made from scratch Strawberry Cake Recipe. I use my Strawberry Buttercream Frosting Recipe on both cakes.
This is very similar to my mother in laws. I substituted Strawberry soda for the water. Fabulous I used strawberry cream cheese icing between layers then frosted with Chocolate fudge frosting.
Would like to make this. How does it freeze? I most often make my layers ahead of time and freeze, but have never used gelatin in a recipe. Thanks
Mary, you can freeze this cake. Allow the layers to cool completely, wrap them well in plastic wrap and place each layer into a gallon zip-top freezer bag. Freeze the cake layers for up to one month. To frost the cake, simply remove from the freezer and allow to thaw in the refrigerator with wrapping intact. Then, frost the cake once it has completely thawed. I hope you enjoy the cake.
Are you able to make cupcakes from the same recipe or does it need to be adjusted? Thank you
You can make cupcakes from this recipe, Rheana. The cupcakes should bake 15 to 20 minutes.