• Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease 3, 8-inch round cake pans. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl/stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla, strawberry extract and vegetable oil. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the pureed strawberries. Add optional red food coloring, if desired, until batter is a nice dark pink.
• Divide batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove pans from oven and immediately place in freezer for 45 minutes. (This keeps the cake moist by immediately stopping the baking so the cake does not continue to bake when you remove it from the oven.)

Frosting

• Cream the butter in the bowl of an electric or stand mixer. Add the strawberry extract and strawberry puree, combine well.
• Begin adding in the powdered sugar and mixing thoroughly after each addition. After all of the sugar has been added and mixed thoroughly, give it a taste and decide if you want to add in more strawberry extract. For thicker frosting you can gradually add in a little more sugar.

Assemble

• Assemble the 3 layers with a thick layer of frosting in between each layer. Apply one final thick and even layer around the outside of the cake. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.