Strawberry Limeade Cake

I have so many fun recipes to share with you this week!

I had a hard time deciding which one to share with you on this Monday morning.  So I decided to start with cake.

When in doubt, eat cake.

We celebrated Big Sis's FIFTH birthday this weekend.  Five.  Years.  Old.

When did my baby become so big?  {sniff}

Her favorite colors are pink and green, so you better believe I made her a green cake.  With pink icing.

This is a take on my Raspberry Lemonade Cake.

Strawberries and limes just go together!  This reminds me of Sonic's strawberry limeade (which my husband loves)...it's a fun treat we get in the summer.

Start with the lime cake.  Like the lemonade cake, it uses a frozen limeade concentrate for the lime flavor.

There's something about the sour cream and cream cheese with the cake mix that makes for the most amazing texture.  It's dense and oh-so-moist.  I rarely (read: never) make a cake without oil or butter, but it just works here.  I'm a texture freak, and I love the texture of this cake.

Strawberry cream cheese frosting...does it get any better?

So go make this cake!

Strawberry Limeade Cake

Cake:
6 oz. (3/4 cup) frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
18.25 oz. white cake mix
8 oz. sour cream
3 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
3 large eggs
1 tsp lime extract (or vanilla extract)
5 drops green food coloring (optional; just makes a more lime-colored cake)

Icing:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 stick (4 T butter), softened to room temperature
1 lb. powdered sugar
1/4 cup strawberry puree (from fresh strawberries or frozen unsweetened strawberries)
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cake ingredients together on medium speed for 30 seconds.  Increase the speed to high and beat for another 2 minutes.  Make sure you scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to combine well.

Pour batter into a greased 9x13 baking dish.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

While the cake cools, beat together the frosting ingredients until smooth.  Spread the frosting evenly on top of the cooled cake.