Semi-Homemade White Chocolate Strawberry Cake

There is a deli near my house called Julie's Deli. They have great food that is all made in house plus a small market. Back when I worked locally any time we had a party we'd always make someone go get a cake or two from Julie's. Their best, in my opinion, is the White Chocolate Strawberry Cake. The smallest size they offer feeds 8-10 people and costs $28. Here is my semi-homemade version of a similar cake.

White Chocolate Strawberry Cake
1 - box strawberry cake mix (prepared as directed)
1 - 16 oz container of whipped topping (thawed overnight in the fridge)
2 - boxes of White Chocolate instant pudding mix
2 - cups milk
1 - container of ripe strawberries
1 - bar of white chocolate (frozen)

Preheat oven as directed. Prepare the cake as directed. Evenly distribute the cake mixture between three 9" cake pans. These layers will be thin. If you desire you can use two boxes of cake mix to make the layers thicker. You can also substitute a homemade strawberry cake recipe if desired.

In a mixer combine both packages of pudding mix and the two cups of milk. Any brand will work but I prefer the kind made by a certain gelatin manufacturer.....if you get my drift. Beat the pudding mixture as directed keeping in mind we're halving the normal amount of liquid so it will be thicker than normal. Pour this mixture into a dish and allow to chill until it is at least soft set. (If you mix the pudding into the whipped topping before it has a chance to set you will risk the chance on the frosting becoming gritty.)

After the pudding is set, fold it into the whipped topping to create your frosting. Transfer back into a bowl or dish and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until completely chilled. While you're waiting on the frosting to chill you can prep your strawberries. Wash them and inspect for any spots that need to be removed. Remove the green tops and slice into 1/4" slices. It doesn't matter which direction you slice just try to keep it uniform. Save a few of the prettier strawberries to use as garnish for the top of the cake.

Once the frosting is chilled and the cakes are completely cooled you can begin building the layers. On a platter place one of the layers of cake. Using a butter knife or offset spatula spread an equal layer of the frostings. Place a layer of the sliced strawberries.

Repeat the same layering sequence for the second layer. Do not put a layer of strawberries on the top layer. Spread the remaining frosting around the sides covering all gaps. It doesn't have to be perfect. We want this to look homemade not straight out of a cooler case at the local supermarket. After you've finished frosting your cake, take the frozen white chocolate bar and grate it to create shavings. I've had better luck doing so with frozen chocolate but if you're good at creating shavings from a room-temp bar go ahead. Sprinkle the entire cake, even the sides, with the grated chocolate. Top any way you desire with the reserved whole strawberries.

Keep this cake inside the refrigerator. Serve within 24-48 hours so the strawberries inside the cake don't turn to mush and/or go bad. Enjoy!!

Note: You can always substitute different flavor cakes and frosting with the same recipe. I've tried a milk chocolate cake with strawberries that turned out equally as good.

Urban Flats - The Gulch, Nashville, TN

This place has great flatbreads. For dinner I had the Southwest Flat, which comes with Angus beef, chipotle tomato sauce, onion, jalapeño, pepper jack and cheddar cheese, drizzled with sour cream sauce, and topped with crushed tortilla chips and served with a lime wedge. The server told me it was spicy but spicy is an understatement. It is extremely spicy or maybe the jalapeño was extra spicy that day. For dessert my mother opted for the Chocolate Fondue with dippers of pound cake, bananas, strawberries, pineapple, and marshmallows. I decided on the S'mores Flatbread. It was a wheat flatbread covered with melted chocolate, crushed graham crackers, toasted marshmallow and drizzled with extra chocolate. IT WAS AMAZING!! Next time we go I'm getting the dessert first.

Urban Flats - Nashville

BOKA Restaurant & Bar - Downtown Seattle, WA

In November of 2011 my mother and I spent the weekend in Seattle. I made reservations at Boka in downtown Seattle. I don't remember much about the entree portion of the meal but I do remember the dessert! I ordered the S'mores and hot chocolate. It was amazing and any time they put it back on the menu it comes highly recommended!

Boka Seattle

Tenuta's Italian Restaurant - Bay View, Wisconsin

Since I've never been to Wisconsin before and we're just getting the opportunity to get out and explore we've decided to go find a local restaurant for dinner. After driving from West Allis down past the shores of Lake Michigan we stumble into a quaint area locally referred to as Bay View. We've explored Urbanspoon all afternoon and decide we want pizza since we're so close to Chicago. Tenuta's Italian Restaurant is our destination. The restaurant is very cute and stands on the corner of a somewhat busy street down into a neighborhood. The restaurant has outdoor seating but since it's somewhat chilly we decided to forgo the outdoors and sit inside. After perusing the menu my friends and I decide we're definitely getting an appetizer and pizzas. I settle on the Mozzarella Fritta and my mother decides on the shrimp with zucchini and squash. The Fritta was pretty good but nothing I've not had before. The shrimp on the other hand may have been the best I've ever had, very tender. Now that it's time to order entrees I decide on the Virgin Pizza with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, chicken, and onions. My mom orders the Virgin Pizza Classic pizza with sun-dried tomatoes. The Virgin Pizza is a crust that is slightly thicker than thin crust but not as deep/thick as deep dish. Our friend Sheila orders the Stuffed Pizza with sausage, pepperoni, and sun-dried tomatoes. The pizzas come out and they are huge! We pig out but have to take over half the pizzas with us since there is no way one person could eat a small pizza. For dessert we try the canolli but we're so full already we can't enjoy them too much. Overall it was a very good dining experience in a quaint family owned restaurant.

Tenuta's Italian Restaurant