20 Comments

Happy birthday Caro!! I also go for strawberry cake for my late June birthday ☺️ although it is a casual and unfussy cake the NYT strawberry spoon cake is ~~magic~~ and everyone should make it. I’ll save this one for my daughter’s birthday in a couple weeks!!!

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Happy birthday Caro! Anne, I have 2 of your baking books!! They are how I learned to bake and evolved into creating my own from-scratch cakes, going to culinary school and working in a bakery for 5 years. Thank you for making boxed mixes so easy, welcoming and also, so creative!!!

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Wow, thank you, Mallory! It makes me so happy that something as simple as a collection of recipes could help you chart your path!

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Happy birthday!!!! This looks delish 😋Going to save this for my daughter’s 3rd bday in Aug.

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It’s my birthday too! ❤️ Happy Summer Solstice!

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Hi Anne! I want to make bigger version of this cake for a larger party (20-25 people) would you suggest doubling the recipe and using more standard size pans?

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Great idea! Yes, double the recipe and bake in two 9 by 13 pans? That’s a big cake!

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Thanks Anne! I ended up doing three stacked 9" layers, everyone loved it!

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Very nice!! ❤️

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Would love to try this for my husband’s birthday in July but he is an only-chocolate kind of guy. How would you adapt this recipe for a simple chocolate cake? Chocolate cake batter, I’m assuming, but what about the homemade frosting?

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So many different ways! Go basic chocolate cake and ease up on the cocoa in the frosting so it’s pale chocolate to get that lighter on dark contrast with the layers. Or brush layers with Kahlua after you split them, then frost. Or frost with cream cheese frosting and cover the top with shaved chocolate. Or make a ganache and spread it on nice and sleek and cover the top with golden raspberries?

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Ah yes, LOVE these ideas!! I’ll have to try out all of the above. 😋 Thank you!

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Make this today w blueberries and strawberries in the top for the 🇺🇸🇺🇸. Delicious! I just had traditional sized pans and still so fun! Thanks for sharing!!! Rookie mistake I took them out of the oven and forgot about them 🫣 so got a little crispy on the bottom but still great!

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I also made this for the 4th with blueberries and strawberries! Huge hit!

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Wonderful! ❤️

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Nice! Everything can be repaired with frosting! 🇺🇸

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How convenient seeing as my (tomorrow) 6 year old requested strawberry cake for his birthday party. This must be a June birthday, thing. Anyone I know with a June birthday wants strawberry cake/shortcake. PS happy belated!

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Thank you for this, Anne! I've long found inspiration in your use of the boxed cake mix! So happy to read this post.

Question, do you have a recommendation for 6 inch cake pans?

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Wilton. I bought mine at Michael’s. Don’t get the more shallow ones. You need the 3-inch deep ones that are the toppers for wedding cake. Buy two of them. It’s a lot of fun to make the baby cakes from any cake recipe.

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Any boxed cake mixes you would recommend without food dye?

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