Strawberry Deluxe Cake

Today is husband's birthday!!! And it wouldn't be complete without the cake his parents would make him every year on this day. It's a recipe that I learned the second week into dating Pete, and one that I've whipped up only four times to date. The strawberry deluxe cake only gets made once a year in the Hill house and only for a very special someone. Husband LOVES strawberries, making this cake the only appropriate dessert to serve the birthday boy. And with a mutual dislike for icing, the whipped topping for this cake is perfection; both of us could eat it by the spoonfuls!

• What You'll Need
• 1 box Duncan Hines Signature Strawberry Cake Mix
• 10 oz of sweetened, frozen sliced strawberries
• 3.4 oz package of vanilla instant pudding
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 8 oz cool whip
• Fresh strawberries

• What You'll Do
• Hours before you start this recipe, pull the frozen strawberries out of the freezer and put in the refrigerator or on the counter to thaw completely.
• Prepare and bake the cake according to the box, using a 9x13 greased pan. (It only took 28 minutes to cook in my oven). Then set it aside to thoroughly cool.
• Put the thawed strawberries and their juice in a puree and blend until smooth. 
• With the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes in the top of the cake about one inch apart. 
• Spoon the pureed strawberries over the cake and smooth out, allowing it to sink into the holes.
• In a separate bowl, combine the pudding mix and the cup of heavy whipping cream. Stir until well combined, then fold in the tub of cool whip. Whisk it well, using a hand mixer to really fluff it up. 
• In heaps, drop it on top of the cake and spread it out carefully. The strawberry puree will mingle with the 'frosting' a bit.
• Slice up the fresh strawberries and garnish the cake with them. 
• Put the finished in the cake for at least 4 hours, if not more time. 

Happy Birthday, my love!!