Cake

Cup of Yum
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the shortening and sugar till very light, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Beat in eggs one at a time, and then add the vanilla extract.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients alternately with milk, mixing in about 1/2 the flour mixture on low speed just until mostly incorporated, then adding half the milk and mixing well to combine, then repeating with the remaining flour mixture and milk. Stop the mixer to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl once or twice during the process and do not overmix.
5. Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, making sure to check the cake with a toothpick for doneness. It should come out mostly clean with just a few crumbs sticking to it. Be careful not to overbake the cake.

Strawberries

1. Wash and hull the strawberries, then transfer to a pan for easier mashing. Use a potato masher to mash the strawberries a bit but be sure to leave some larger pieces of fruit.
2. Add sugar, to taste. If your berries are really sweet, then they may not need much sugar at all. Set aside to allow the sugar to draw out the juices of the strawberries for 15-20 minutes before serving so that the strawberry topping is somewhat syrupy.

Whipped Cream

1. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2-4 minutes. Be sure not to overwhip the cream - it should just be soft and holding it's shape without being firm or thick.
2. Top each slice of cake with a generous spoonful or two of mashed strawberries and a nice dollop of whipped cream just before serving.