Fresh Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese

Instructions:

1. Combine minced strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens into a syrupy consistency and reduces by half. Strain through a sieve to remove seeds and let cool completely.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease two 8-inch cake pans.
3. Cream the softened butter and sugar on high speed until the mixture looks pale and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract.
4. Whisk the sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the flour.
5. Fold in the cooled strawberry reduction gently with a spatula until just combined; do not overmix.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake for 30–35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, then beat in the strawberry reduction and vanilla.
9. Frost a cooled layer, top with the second layer, and cover the entire cake in the strawberry cream cheese frosting. Chill for 2 hours for stability before serving.