Queen of Hearts Strawberry Smash Cake

Soft strawberry or strawberry-vanilla cake for Charlotte’s separate first-birthday smash cake. One batch makes extra batter for cupcakes.

INGREDIENTS • 1 box strawberry cake mix, about 13–15 ounces • 1 cup all-purpose flour • 3/4 cup granulated sugar • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1 cup full-fat sour cream • 1 cup whole milk • 1/3 cup vegetable oil • 4 large eggs • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract • 1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract, optional • A tiny amount of pink gel coloring, optional DIRECTIONS 1. Grease the small smash-cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment, and preheat the oven to 350°F. 2. Stir together cake mix, flour, sugar, and salt. 3. Add sour cream, milk, oil, eggs, vanilla, and optional strawberry extract and pink gel. 4. Mix on low for 30 seconds, scrape the bowl, then mix on medium for 1 1/2–2 minutes only until smooth. 5. Fill pans only 1/2 to 2/3 full. Use the extra batter for strawberry cupcakes. 6. Tap pans gently to release large bubbles. 7. Bake until the center springs back lightly and a toothpick has moist crumbs but no wet batter. Small pans may finish sooner than the box time, so check early. 8. Cool 10–15 minutes in the pans, turn onto racks, and cool completely. 9. Wrap and chill before leveling. Fill and cover with vanilla buttercream. 10. Decorate simply with soft pink buttercream swirls or hearts and a removable ONE topper. BEST-RESULT TRICKS AND BABY SAFETY • Do not add fresh strawberry purée to this batter; its extra liquid can make the cake gummy, soft, or unpredictable. • Use gel color, not liquid color. • Keep wedding mints, hard decorations, picks, small candies, dowels, and cardboard off the smash cake. • Remove the topper before giving the cake to Charlotte. Her serving should contain only soft cake and buttercream.

Charlotte’s smash cake flavor. Extra batter becomes cupcakes so none of the enlarged doctored batch is wasted.