Jon's Strawberry Birthday Cake

                                   

   Jon's birthday was 1-21-21 he would have been 38 yo.
I know it seems like yesterday he left us but when you see the years it also seems so long ago. My baby at 38 ! I know what he would look like and everything. Well anyway, I asked Nikki what kind of cake Jon liked. I know I made cakes but more than likely something more his dad liked so everyone would eat it. Anyway she said he always liked her strawberry cake. Well it just so happens I have been wanting to try to find a good strawberry cake recipe!
   I planned to do this on his birthday but the carpenter guy wanted me to go get some stuff to install my cabinet pull outs so I had to make a all day trip to town pretty much and that canceled out that baking time. ( I'll send pictures of my cabinet redo soon. )
   So it took a few days to get things done and put back together again. What is it with my dang kitchen all last year and starting this year it is tore up for one thing or another!
    I finally got to making the cake! This is the recipe I thought would be a good one and boy I tell you it sure was! Tasty and soft and just plain good. I am super picky and I will for sure save this one. I bet it would also be good in any kind of berry. Blackberry, raspberry, maybe some peach or apricot. It is a good basic tasty recipe. Take a look for yourself.
Homemade Strawberry Cake
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/strawberry-cake/

See these bright pretty pink pictures? Those are the originals from the website. This is what they are SUPPOSED to look like!

  

And here is my sad photo version! I really need to take some lessons on food photography!

I did use frozen strawberries that may have been not as bright. I also may have used more than was called for in the icing. I was going to try and take a pretty picture but actually it was gone so fast I almost forgot to take any. LOL Almost half of it was delivered to friends for them to try. The 1/4 you see wrapped and ready to go is going to Nikki's house. She said they liked it also.

   The sliced piece went to hubby. 

 

      

    I did get a couple of bites and regretted it later. I had to taste it to see what it was like and see what needed improving. I couldn't breathe good the rest of the day and had to take all kinds of medicines to just laze around and not do anything to strain the lungs.
    I would like to find a way to veganize it the best I can so I can eat it. Here is a list of the ingredients so you can see all the bad for me things I need to change and still retain the good flavor and texture.
    For the butter I used Butter flavored crisco and that worked good. Whole milk was coconut milk. Sour cream I have to think about that one a bit. I love strawberries but they don't like me. I can use a different fruit easy enough.

Love
Ranchmama (baking and sometimes gasping for breath!)

Ingredients
    21/2 cups sifted cake flour (spoon & leveled)* (285g)
    2 tsps. baking powder
    1/2 tsp. baking soda
    1 tsp. salt
    3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature  (1.5 sticks; 170g)
    1 and 3/4 cups granulated sugar  (350g)
    5 large egg whites, at room temperature
    1/3 cup sour cream or plain yogurt, at room temperature  (75g)
    2 tsps. pure vanilla extract
    1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature*  (120ml)
    1/2 cup reduced strawberry puree (see note)*
    optional: 1-2 drops red or pink food coloring