Barbara's Bakin' N bits

STRAWBERRY BUNDT CAKE

Things you will need:

Bundt baking pan Usual kitchen utensils Small hand, or table-top mixer Wood skewer Boxed strawberry Cake, or Your favorite yellow cake recipe Quart of fresh, or whole frozen strawberries Butter Vanilla Check your cake recipes for other ingredients

1. Butter and flour the inside of a non-stick bundt cake pan. First spread the butter fairly thickly over the entire inside. Next, sprinkle flour onto the butter. Turn the pan upside down and tap to remove excess flour. Yes, you can use spray oil - be sure to use enough. 2. Center your oven's racks so that your pan will be centered top-to-bottom. Preheat the oven to your recipe's temperature. 3. Prepare either your favorite cake recipe

I usually add an egg, double the vanilla, or if it doesn't call for vanilla, I add a scant tablespoon of vanilla. I also substitute microwave softened butter for the oil. (Note that if you cut down the oil, the cake may be dry.) Prepare a cup of fresh strawberry pieces (1/2 inch chunks). Prepare batter and gently add fruit last. Evenly pour batter with fruit into bunt pan. Check to see if your oven's heat is up to temperature, place the pan in the center of the oven and set your timer. See the tip below on checking to see if the cake is done.

4. Cut the remainder of the strawberries into 1/8 to 1/4 slices. If you are using frozen strawberries, slice them before they are completely thawed. Cover and refrigerate the sliced strawberries. 5. Remove the done cake from the oven. Let cool on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes. Center a cake plate on top of the cake, and with hot mittens, flip the cake over. Tap and shake the upside down cake until the cake drops. If it doesn't drop, run a knife around the sides, pray, and try again. Set aside until the cake is completely cool. White Icing: Place in a mixing bowl, 1 stick of soft butter, one box of confectioners sugar, and one tablespoon of vanilla. Mix slowly with an electric hand, or table-top mixer, adding a slight teaspoon of milk one at a time until you produce a thick, but spreadable, icing. Be careful not to add too much milk at a time, mix well so that the milk takes effect before adding more. Mix on medium until there are no lumps. (If there was any strawberry juice left over, you could substitute it for the milk. Do not use the melted water from frozen berries. With a small spatula, spread the icing on the cake starting with the center. Distribute the sliced strawberries evenly on top of the cake. Or you can make a drizzle icing and add the juice from strawberries to color too. WALA!

Sit back and enjoy your work.