Strwaberry cake with buttercream frosting

This is a great moist cake with fresh strawberries, slather with the homemade butter-cream frosting that's truly out of this world. . I made this cake for my daughter's fun party and done icing decoration with clowns theme. It was a major hit! 

Made three clowns and one tiger....decorated with ballons and star sprinkles...

Ingredients:

•     2 cups (approx 1 lb) roughly diced strawberries,
•     2 tablespoon sugar
•     juice from 1 orange
•     2 cup all-purpose flour
•     1 cup sugar
•     1 teaspoon baking powder
•     1 teaspoon baking soda
•     ½ teaspoon salt
•     ½ cup oil (canola/vegetable)
•     1 teaspoon strawberry essence

For Butter cream frosting:   

•     1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
•     3 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar, SIFTED
•     ¼ teaspoon table salt
•     1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract
•     2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Method :

1) In a stainless steel sauce pan, add the diced strawberries, sugar and orange juice. On medium-high heat, allow the fruit to simmer and slightly soften for about 5-7 minutes.
2) Remove from the heat and set aside to slightly cool. Once the mixture has cooled sufficiently, empty into a blender and puree to a fine pulp. Refrigerate till needed.
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 9" cake pan by buttering/greasing and lightly flouring.
4) Add all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a bowl. Stir through flour mixture until combined well.
5 )In a large bowl, beat oil and sugar on medium speed by using hand mixture until combined well. 
6)Then add strawberry essence,1 cup strawberry pulp and flour mixture, mix together and beat on medium speed until well combined.If needed add more strawberry pulp (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup).
7) Beat on high speed for about 1 minute to add air to the batter.
8) Pour the cake batter evenly in the prepared cake pan.
9) Bake the cake for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick / cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
10) Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then turn over the cooling rack and cool completely. When cool, top with butter-cream frosting.

Instruction for frosting: 
   
Beat butter for a minute with a stand mixer on medium speed. Add powdered sugar and turn your mixer on the lowest speed until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat for 3 minutes. Add clear vanilla extract, salt, and 2 tablespoons of milk/cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more.

If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add more powdered sugar sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add more milk 1 tablespoons at a time.