For The Homemade Strawberry Cake:

Wash the strawberries and remove the stems and leaves. If needed, cut the strawberries into smaller pieces and place them in a blender or food processor. Pulse the strawberries until they are broken down into a smooth puree.

Transfer the puree to a saucepan and place it over medium heat. Cook with the lid ajar, stirring frequently, until the strawberry puree thickens and is reduced to ½ cup, which may take about 30 to 35 minutes, depending on how juicy the strawberries are. Once the puree has reduced, remove it from the heat and let it cool to room temperature before using it in the cake.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and prepare three 9-inch cake pans by greasing them with shortening or butter and flouring it or using non-stick baking spray.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Place the freeze-dried strawberries in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they become a fine powder. Add the ground freeze-dried strawberries to the flour mixture and whisk to combine; set aside.

👀👉Note: To prevent the ground freeze-dried strawberries from clumping, make sure to quickly add them to the flour mixture immediately after grinding them in the food processor.

In a measuring cup, whisk together the strawberry reduction, milk, and food coloring until evenly distributed. Place the avocado oil, unsalted butter, salt, pure vanilla, clear vanilla, and sugar in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until creamy for about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed.

Beat in the egg whites until well combined, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Scrape bowl and beater and add ½ of the dry ingredients, half the strawberry milk mixture, and beat until just combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and strawberry milk mixture and beat quickly until just combined.

Using a rubber spatula, fold it all by hand to ensure no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. Do not overmix the batter! Pour batter into prepared pan(s) and smooth the top with a metal spatula. Bake the strawberry cake(s) for about 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean. Cool in pan on a rack for 5 minutes, turn out onto a rack, remove the paper, and let cool completely.

For the Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and unsalted butter together until they become light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. In a food processor, grind the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder. Add the ground freeze-dried strawberries to the cream cheese and butter mixture, and beat until everything is combined.

Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and clear vanilla to the mixture, continuing to beat until the frosting becomes smooth and well combined.

Assemble & Decorate:

Once the strawberry cakes have cooled, apply a layer of strawberry cream cheese frosting to the top of the first layer, then place the second layer on top. Repeat this process with the second and third layers until all the layers are stacked. Frost the sides and top of the cake with your desired frosting, ensuring an even and smooth finish.

Choose a decorating comb with the desired design pattern. Hold the comb firmly and at the desired angle. Run the comb along the sides of the cake to create the pattern. For the top of the cake, hold the comb horizontally and lightly press it into the frosting, moving it across the surface.

Clean the comb between passes to maintain sharpness. Make any final adjustments or add additional decorations. Decorate the cake as desired, such as with crushed freeze-dried strawberries, fresh strawberries, sprinkles, or additional frosting.

Note: Using a decorating comb adds texture and professional-looking designs to your cakes.