Ingredients

1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
3 tablespoons sugar-free strawberry jam
1 (18.25-ounce) box white cake mix
1 (0.30-ounce) package sugar-free strawberry gelatin
3 large egg whites
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
Fresh Strawberries for garnish (optional)

Strawberry cream cheese frosting:

1 (8-ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons softened butter
1/4 cup sugar-free strawberry jam
1 teaspoon strawberry extract
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
Freshly sliced strawberries, for garnish, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray. Line with wax-paper rounds; spray with nonstick spray.
Puree the strawberries and jam in a food processor. Set aside.
Combine the cake mix and gelatin in a large mixing bowl. Beat in the strawberry puree, egg whites, oil, and water with hand mixer at medium speed until thickened, about 2 minutes.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in pans 10 minutes. Invert the layers onto racks and remove the wax paper; let cool completely.

For the frosting: With clean beaters, beat the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with a hand mixer until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the jam and the strawberry extract. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth.

Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate. Spread 1/3 of the frosting over the cake layer. Top with the remaining layer. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Garnish with the strawberries, if using.

Original recipe courtesy Paula Deen:  Simply Delicious Strawberry Cake

Recipe Courtesy of Bobby Deen and the Paula Deen Test Kitchen