Strawberry Basil Cake

Last weekend we went to the first annual "Love & Homegrown Tomatoes" at the Community Gardens of Henry. My parents are avid gardeners and insisted we come along. They have been involved with their community garden for quite a while. The fundraiser included tours of Wesley Way Gardens, music, booths, a silent auction, door prizes, and a good ole' tomato sandwich buffet! Nothing truly defines summer in the south than a tomato sandwich and big glass of sweet tea! 

The Helping Harvests are specifically for growing fresh produce for donation to local non-profits and food pantries. More than 16,000 pounds of fresh produce has already been donated since they began! Proceeds from the fundraiser will help them sustain and expand the Helping Harvests and their five community gardens.

Now, what does this have to do with strawberry cake??

At the fundraiser there was a booth called Dani Jamz and she was selling this delicious homemade strawberry basil jam. As soon as I tasted it I knew I wanted to make a cake with it!

And so here we are...

I used my new "go-to" cake recipe with Greek yogurt and it turned out just perfect. I was a bit unsure as to how it would taste with a yellow cake mix, but it was just as good as the chocolate!

The cake was moist and perfect and the frosting was so light and yummy! It’s like strawberry shortcake, but better. I just can’t say enough about this recipe, and the strawberry basil jam adds the perfect touch!

This is seriously the BEST. STRAWBERRY. CAKE. EVER.
It is sooo insanely delicious!

Strawberry Basil Cake
Ingredients:

Cake:
1 box yellow cake mix

1 cup Greek yogurt, non-fat

1 cup water 

1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tub Cool Whip
6 tbsp strawberry basil jam (you can use regular strawberry jam instead)

1 1/2 lbs strawberries, hulled, sliced (about 3 cups), divided

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine cake mix, Greek yogurt, vanilla, and water. Pour batter evenly into to two greased 9 inch round cake pans. Bake for 22-25 minutes. Cool completely. (I put mine in the freezer for about 20 minutes to speed up the process!)

In a separate mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add in vanilla. Fold whipped cream into frosting. Cover; chill for about 30 minutes.

Place the first cake layer onto a plate.
Spread 2 tbsp of strawberry jam over the cake, then spread 1/2 of the frosting over the jam. Arrange 1/2 of the sliced strawberries on top of the frosting in a single layer. Repeat with the second cake layer, jam, frosting, and strawberries.