CAKE WITH STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM CHEESE RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour bundt pan. See Notes below.
• In a medium sized bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder. Whisk for 30 seconds to blend and set aside.
• In the bowl of your mixer, add the softened butter and softened cream cheese. Mix until smooth. Gradually add the sugar. Mix on medium speed for three minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each until the yellow of the yolk disappears.
• With the mixer on low speed, add about half of the flour mixture. Gradually increase to medium speed and mix just until combined.
• Add the milk and vanilla. Blend on low speed, then add the remaining flour mixture. Increase the mixing speed slightly and mix just until well blended. Do not mix over medium speed or over mix.
• Pour batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. *Baking times can vary- check on the cake at around the one hour mark and adjust time as needed.
• Allow to cool in pan on cooling rack for 10 minutes. Place cake board or cake plate on top of the bundt pan and flip over to turn out.
• Microwave for 20 seconds, stir, 20 seconds, stir, 5 seconds and stir until smooth. **Heating times can vary and so adjust as needed. When the chocolate is nearly completely melted, remove and stir until smooth.
• Allow to cool to desired thickness for applying to the cake.
• I spooned the chocolate glaze onto the cooled pound cake. However, if you would like a bit more control, you could spoon the glaze into a disposable piping bag with the tip snipped away and pipe onto the cake.

Steps:

• Chill the whisk attachment or beaters of a handheld mixer in the freezer for about 10 minutes. In a medium sized bowl, add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, strawberry puree and strawberry extract. Mix until blended. Slowly add the heavy cream and beat until fluffy- this will take about 2 minutes. This is a soft filling and so you'll want to pipe a dam of frosting about 1/2 inch from the edge of the cake layers, then spread filling within the dam. Makes about 3 cups.