I'm Dating a Vegetarian: Strawberry Layer Cake with Grand Marnier Frosting

Serves: 6 Time out of the day: 2 hours -I was taking my sweet ass time, so probably closer to 1.5 hours

Gather Up:

For the Cake:

1 ¼ cups sliced strawberries

2 ¼ cups flour

2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups sugar

½ cup butter (soft)

2 large eggs

2 large egg whites

1 cup buttermilk

cooking spray

For the Frosting:

1/3 cup cream cheese

1/3 cup butter

2 tablespoons Grand Marnier

3 cups powdered sugar

For the Decorating:

12 strawberries

Preheat oven to 350°.

Start on the cake:

Place sliced strawberries in a food processor; process until smooth.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place granulated sugar and 1/2 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Beat in egg whites. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Add pureed strawberries beat just until blended. *If you’d like, at this point you can add red food coloring. Just a couple drops. I omitted this though.

Divide batter between 2 (8-inch) round cake pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until baked through. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Once the Cake is cooled, start on the frosting:

place cream cheese, 1/3 cup butter, and liqueur in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until blended. Gradually add powdered sugar, and beat just until blended.

Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting.