Transform Boxed Mix into a Delicious Retro Strawberry Cake

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This hack is a quick and easy way to transform your boxed mix into a delicious vintage strawberry cake. It's a recipe that made the rounds in church cookbooks back in 1970s and is still popular today.

All you need to make this dessert is white cake mix, a box of strawberry Jell-O, oil, eggs and a package of frozen strawberries. The Jell-O and frozen strawberries in their own juice give the cake a burst of flavor. The result is a deep pink cake that's moist and smells wonderful.

Strawberry Cake

Ingredients

1 box white cake mix (15.25 ounces)

1 3-ounce box strawberry Jell-O

2/3 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup frozen strawberries (thawed, with the juice)

Instructions

1. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans (or three 8-inch pans) and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, mix the cake mix with the Jell-O mix.

3. Stir in the oil, eggs, strawberries, and strawberry juice.

4. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans.

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

6. Remove the layers from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Decorate with strawberry, cream cheese or buttercream frosting.

Notes

I use Duncan Hines Classic White Cake Mix but any standard white mix should work. Remember not to follow the directions on the box.

I mash whole strawberries with a potato masher and add them, along with the juice, to a stand mixer with a whisk attachment.

Cake is done when it pulls away from the sides of the pan and springs back when lightly pressed.

This cake keeps best if it's refrigerated.

The listed bake time is on the short side, in my opinion. In my oven it takes 20-22 minutes for 3 8-inch cakes.

The recipe comes with a frosting recipe too (1 16-ounce box powdered sugar, 1 stick of unsalted butter, 1/2 cup strawberries with juice) but it is very sweet and not as thick as I'd like. I prefer this cake with cream-cheese frosting because the pink and white slices make for a nice contrast and the mix of flavors appeals to me more.