Strawberries:

1. Wash, hull and quarter 3 pounds of strawberries, and place in a large bowl.
2. Sprinkle cut berries with a 1 cup of sugar. Set aside to macerate.

Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F)
2. Prepare three 8-inch round pans with parchment and cooking spray. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine all of the cake ingredients. (Yes, all of them!)
4. Beat ingredients until completely combined and smooth – about 3 minutes.
5. Evenly divide batter among the cake pans. I use a kitchen scale to make it easy.
6. Bake for 25-35 minutes (depends on your oven) or until a cake tester comes out with wet crumbs. Don’t overbake.
7. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
8. Once cool, prepare whipped cream.

Whipped cream:

1. In a large glass bowl, beat whipping cream until it begins to firm and forms very soft peaks.
2. Add confectioners sugar and vanilla extract, and beat until very stiff – you want it to hold its shape under the weight of the cakes.
3. Assembly:
4. On your serving plate, place one layer of cake upright. If your cake is domed, cut the rounded part off with a serrated knife so it’s flat.
5. Spoon about a cup of strawberries and juice over the cake in an even layer. Top with a layer of whipped cream.
6. Repeat with the other two layers. Be generous with the sugared strawberry juice, it helps flavor the cake!
7. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
8. Enjoy!