Strawberry Shortcake Cake

For my mom's birthday this past weekend, I wanted to make a special dessert to share with the family.  Ever since I bought the most recent Pioneer Woman cookbook, I've had my eye on her Strawberry Shortcake Cake - a decadent take on the classic dessert.  I figured this would be as good a time as any to try it out - and also a fabulous excuse to play with Mom's KitchenAid Mixer :)  For the most part, the recipe was easy to follow and the cake simple to put together, and though my cakes fell a bit in the middle (making them difficult to stack), it actually made it easier to contain the strawberry mixture.  The cream cheese frosting, though amazing, was a bit rich in my opinion, so when I make it again (which I guarantee I will) I'll opt for a lighter whip cream topping instead.  In any case, the family seemed to like it, and it was a great way to end a fun birthday for mom :)

 getting the new kitchen dirty

 can't wait until i have one of my own

 since my cake pans were thin, i split the batter between two 

 they look burnt, but were close to perfect

 the strawberry juice soaked into the cake, making it so delicious

my frosting skills could use some improvement, but i kind of like the homemade look :)

xoxo,

stephanie marie