The broken wrist cake. Some things don’t turn out as you planned.

Example, this Strawberry Smash Mason Jar Cake. Let’s go back to Valentine’s week awhile back. Remember my fellow Texans? Snowmageddon, Ice-Capades, Winter Apocalypse? As a well intentioned friend, I offered to make and deliver Valentine’s dinner for a few of my favorite couples who, like me, are a bit weary of not being able to eat out.

Sweet thought, right? I was making Beef Tenderloin with a Texas Port Wine and Shallot sauce, Scalloped Potatoes, Bacon and Almond Green Beans, a lovely salad and, of course, a spectacular Valentine’s dessert. Strawberry Roulade Cake with fresh berries and cream–not just a roulade but a vertical striped roulade with glorious pink and white stripes. The cake was baked and rolled, chilling and ready to be frosted and sliced. Tenderloin was marinating…you get the idea. Friday morning of Glazed Ice Over Texas I fell and broke my wrist, in several places. (friends, I was trying to feed and shelter a little kitty!)

: Strawberry Roulade

: strawberry cake in a jar

Rolled cake goes into the freezer and I go the the emergency room. Fast forward past the surgery, the cast and now the brace and physical therapy (I’m a mess), and I gotta do something with those pretty pink cakes in the freezer. As many of you know we are not doing cooking classes right now but I am cooking for friends and cooking dinners for our lodging guests, lucky dogs. They get this cake this week. Come stay with us, lord knows what I’ll be cooking up during your stay.

Strawberry Smash Mason Jar Cake

You can screw on a lid and store these overnight in your fridge - they are great the next day or travel well to picnics!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Brunch, Dessert, Snack

Equipment

9 inch round pans (2)
oven
mixing bowl

Ingredients

For Strawberry Layer Cake

1 cup butter softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 ounces strawberry flavored Jell-o
4 eggs room temp, separated
2 3/4 cups cake flour sift, then measure
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup whole milk room temp
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 cup strawberry puree made with sweetened strawberries or jam
2 tbsp sugar

For Layering in Jars

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
24-30 fresh strawberries stemmed, sliced in half
1 cup pureed strawberry jam

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350º.
Grease and flour 2 9″ round cake pans.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and dry gelatin until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well after each. Combine flour and baking powder; stir into batter alternately with milk. Stir in vanilla and strawberry puree.
Whip egg whites with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar until soft peaks form. Gently fold into cake batter and then spread batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool in pans for about 5-10 minutes before turning out to cool completely.
Place cold cream, sugar and vanilla in a stand mixer bowl and whip until soft peaks form.
When cake is cool, gently break into chunks with your hands. Layer into mason jars using whipped cream, jam, fresh berries and cake pieces. You can screw on a lid and store these overnight in your fridge–they are great the next day or travel well to picnics!

Keyword cake, easy recipe, mason jar, strawberries