Strawberries/strawberry sauce on cheesecake is a wonderful combo, so why not go sort of the other way around? There’s no reason! In a tremendously uncharacteristic move, I have cut the amount of frosting in half here, and I think it’s actually, just this once, enough. Easy enough to double what’s listed if you want more, though!

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups strawberry puree (made from approximately 3 1/2 cups washed and hulled fresh strawberries)
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, room temperature

Frosting:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan, then set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and sea salt, then set aside. Using a food processor or immersion blender, puree the strawberries, then combine 1 3/4 cups of the pureed strawberries with the milk in a bowl or large measuring cup, and set aside.

This just feels like so many fewer dishes than the full-on food processor!

Using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, beat the butter on high for 1 minute.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the sugar and beat another 2 minutes on high before scraping down the sides again.

Reduce the mixer’s speed to medium and add the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl again.

Add half of the flour mixture, and beat in on low speed. Add half the strawberry/milk mixture, and beat until about combined, then repeat with the remainder of the flour mixture and strawberry mixture, beating until just combined.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.

Bake 55-60 minutes, or until the cake passes the toothpick test, and/or springs back when pressed with a finger.

Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

When ready to frost, first beat together the butter and cream cheese with your mixer’s whisk attachment on high for 2 minutes.

Add the vanilla and lemon juice and beat until just incorporated. Add the powdered sugar and salt and beat on low until completely incorporated, scraping down the sides/bottom of the bowl at least once.

Spread on the completely cooled cake, and enjoy.

Strawberry Bundt with Cheesecake Frosting

Fractionally adapted from Cakes by Melissa.

Cake:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups strawberry puree (made from approximately 3 1/2 cups washed and hulled fresh strawberries)
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, room temperature

Frosting:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan, then set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and sea salt, then set aside. Using a food processor or immersion blender, puree the strawberries, then combine 1 3/4 cups of the pureed strawberries with the milk in a bowl or large measuring cup, and set aside.

Using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, beat the butter on high for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the sugar and beat another 2 minutes on high before scraping down the sides again.

Reduce the mixer’s speed to medium and add the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl again.

Add half of the flour mixture, and beat in on low speed. Add half the strawberry/milk mixture, and beat until about combined, then repeat with the remainder of the flour mixture and strawberry mixture, beating until just combined.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and bake 55-60 minutes, or until the cake passes the toothpick test, and/or springs back when pressed with a finger. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

When ready to frost, first beat together the butter and cream cheese with your mixer’s whisk attachment on high for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and lemon juice and beat until just incorporated. Add the powdered sugar and salt and beat on low until completely incorporated, scraping down the sides/bottom of the bowl at least once. Spread on the completely cooled cake, and enjoy.