Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

First, make the strawberry purée. Hull the strawberries, place them in a blender, and blend until smooth.

Pour the purée into a saucepan over medium-low heat. Let it simmer and reduce by half to concentrate the flavor. Set aside to cool completely.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together 1 cup of softened unsalted butter and the granulated sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the egg whites and 1 tbsp of vanilla. Mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

In a separate measuring cup, combine 1/2 cup of the cooled strawberry purée with the whole milk and stir.

Alternately add the dry ingredients and the strawberry milk mixture to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until just combined.

If desired, add a few drops of pink food coloring to enhance the color and mix briefly.

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two round cake pans, and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool in the pans for a few minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, beat the softened cream cheese and 8 oz of softened unsalted butter in a stand mixer until smooth.

Add the remaining strawberry purée and 1 tsp of vanilla, and mix until combined.

Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing on low speed until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.

Once the cakes are completely cool, assemble the cake by placing one layer on a cake stand, spreading a generous amount of frosting on top, adding the second layer, and frosting the top and sides.