Strawberry Shortcake Birthday cake

Well I took out all of my vintage cookbooks and went through them to see what recipe I can make for my grandmother's birthday cake. I knew I wanted to do pink icing and make something with strawberries. So I was looking at "Pillsbury's BEST 1000 Recipes, BEST of the BAKE-OFF Collection" from 1959.

This is a pretty awesome book, so if you come across it buy it!

-Taken from the book below:

It is about a bake off that took place in the grand ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria hotel in NYC or at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in LA. There was 100 women and a few men from all over the USA who were chosen through a nationwide competition to bake their best recipes before a committee of judges. The grand prize winner would win $25,000.
For one day, the ballroom becomes a giant, busy kitchen-filled with 100 electric ranges, refrigerators, mixers, groceries.
The big moment comes the following day. At a special awards luncheon, televised nationwide, the names of the top winners are announced.

These are two pictures of the bake off preparing their favorite recipes to be tested!

These are pictures below of the luncheon taken place at a hotel waiting to be tested by judges.

So getting back to the recipe....I found this recipe that fit what I wanted to make, it is called "Strawberry Alaska"

it was the Senior winner by Mrs. R. H. Borth, Sr. from Dearborn, Michigan

Dessert deluxe...layers of rich yellow cake are filled with fresh strawberries...meringue frosting is baked on just before serving.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes 

Makes two 8 inch layers

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups sifted all purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup shortening

4 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp lemon extract or lemon peel

1 cup milk

For strawberry filling:

Fresh strawberries sliced, and sugar. Put in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Drain well.

Directions: 

Sift together 2 1/4 cups flour, 3 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt. set aside.

In another bowl add 1 1/4 cups sugar and 1/2 cup shortening, creaming well with hand mixer.

Blend in 4 well beaten egg yolks, 1 tsp vailla and 1/4 tsp lemon extract or lemon peel (I used the lemon peel and it was fine), beat well. 

Add the dry ingredients with 1 cup milk blend all together

Grease the 8 inch round baking pans with baking spray.

Pour batter in two round pans and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Cool. 

(I cut a slice on the top of the bottom layer so the top layer would sit flat on top of it.)

I also added cool whip on the bottom layer first and then added the sugared strawberry filling on top of the cool whip and put the top layer on. I did not use meringue frosting I used my own home made frosting and used red food coloring to make it pink. Garnished it with fresh sliced strawberries and sprinkles!