Fresh Strawberry Pound Cake

Step 1

Wash the strawberries, remove stems, and puree in a food processor.

Step 2

In a saucepan on low heat, reduce strawberry puree until thick.  You will have about 1/2 cup.

Step 3

Cool strawberry puree.

Step 4

Prepare a 10-inch tube pan with solid vegetable shortening and either flour or sugar. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Step 5

Cream shortening until fluffy.

Step 6

Add sugar to shortening and mix until fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Step 7

Add eggs to the mixture, one at a time. Wait until one is combined in the mixture before adding the next egg.

Step 8

Add soda to buttermilk. Stir.

Step 9

Add salt to flour and sift.

Step 10

Add flour and buttermilk to shortening mixture, beginning and ending with flour. (Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, 1/2 milk, 1/3 flour, 1/2 milk, 1/3 flour)

Step 11

Add strawberry puree, vanilla extract, strawberry extract, and red food coloring. Mix on low just until incorporated

Step 12

Spoon into prepared tube pan

Step 13

Bake at 325 degrees F for 80 to 90 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in thickest part of cake comes out clean or with dry crumbs.

Step 14

Cool cake in cake pan on wire rack for 20 minutes.

Step 15

With a thin knife, loosen cake from pan. Invert on serving platter and cool.  Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or ice cream