Chances are you have access to lots of strawberries right about now. They are in season, prolific and very inexpensive at most groceries. I love strawberries.

My mom has made this tasty strawberry pound cake many times. It is somewhat of a tradition on Easter Sunday and this year was no different.

Look at how beautiful she makes it:

This recipe is an update on her recipe. Her original recipe uses strawberry jello, which makes it extra pink. I created this natural version of her classic, which is just as tasty, but just not quite as pink. Not necessarily a bad thing when you live in a house full of boys!

Strawberry Pound Cake

One quart of well-ripen strawberries, sliced thin
one stick of butter
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup skim milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream the butter, applesauce and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in one bowl, and in a separate bowl, mix the yogurt, milk and vanilla.

Add ½ the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and mix well.

Add ½ the yogurt mixture, mix well. Repeat until all ingredients are combined.

Pour into a greased bundt pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Serves 16.

SPC