Strawberries! (Or - Together Tuesday)

Going to the orchard and we're gonna pick berries.
Going to the orchard and we're gonna pick berries.
We really love them and we're gonna pick berries.
Going to the orchard today.

That's what we were singing yesterday on the way to Lyman Orchards. Strawberry picking!! We picked 3 quarts of the biggest, reddest, ripest strawberries ever. Sooooo good!!

So your Together Tuesday activity is to go pick strawberries! You can even sing the song ;) Or make the strawberry cake we are planning on making the next time we are home (tomorrow night?) ...

Homemade Strawberry Cake (From A Dash of Sass)

Adapted from Paula Deen’s Hummingbird Cake

Nonstick vegetable spray
All-purpose flour, for pans
3 cups self-rising flour
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup pureed strawberries, strained
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
4 large eggs, beaten
red food coloring**

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray and flour three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans, tapping out excess flour; set aside.
- Prepare the cake batter; in a large bowl, stir to combine self-rising flour, sugar, oil, pureed strawberries, vanilla, lemon zest, and eggs.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans, smoothing with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until the tops spring back when gently pressed with your fingertips, 26 to 28 minutes.
- Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire rack. Re-invert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up.
- Prepare the cream cheese frosting (recipe below); frost as desired and refrigerate until ready to serve.