In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, combine the milk and sour cream.

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture. Mix just until combined—don’t overmix!

Gently fold in the strawberry puree and chopped fresh strawberries. The batter will be slightly pink, but you can add a drop of food coloring if you want a stronger color.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Pour in the strawberry puree and vanilla extract, and continue beating until smooth.

If the frosting is too thick, add heavy cream (one tablespoon at a time) until you reach the right consistency. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar.

Add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness, then beat the frosting on high for 2 minutes to make it fluffy.

Place the second cake layer on top and frost the entire cake with the remaining icing.

Garnish with extra fresh strawberries if desired.

Slice and enjoy!