Strawberry Poke Cake

Cake:

2-1/4 cups all purpose flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

6 large egg whites

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

12 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

1-3/4 sugar

Syrup and Topping:

4 cups strawberries frozen

½ cup water

6 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons strawberry flavored gelatin

2 cups heavy cream

1. Heat oven to 350. Grease 13×9 inch baking dish, line with parchment paper, grease parchment and flour dish. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in bowl. Whisk milk, egg whites and vanilla together in separate bowl.
2. Using stand mixer with paddle, beat butter and sugar on medium high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with milk mixture in 2 additions, beating after each addition until combined, about 30 seconds each time.
3. Stir batter by hand with spatula, then transfer to prepared dish. Bake until tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let cake cool for about an hour.
4. For syrup and topping: Heat 3 cups strawberries, water, 2 tablespoons of sugar and orange juice in medium saucepan over medium low heat. Cover and cook until strawberries are softened, about 10 minutes. Strain mixture through fine mesh strainer set over bowl, reserving solids. Whisk gelatin into liquid until dissolved. Let strawberry solids and gelatin mixture cool completely.
5. Use a wooden skewer, evenly poke about 40 holes in cake. Do not poke through bottom of dish. Pour cooled gelatin mixture evenly over surface of cake. Wrap dish in plastic wrap and refrigerate until gelatin is set, at least 4 hours.
6. Pulse reserved strawberry solids, 2 tablespoons sugar and remaining 1 cup strawberries in food processor until mixture resembles strawberry jam, about 15 pulses. Spread mixture evenly over cake.
7. Using stand mixture fitted with whisk, whip cream and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar on medium low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, about 1 to 3 minutes. Spread whip cream evenly over cake.