Strawberry Daiquiri Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
3. Combine the strawberry daiquiri mix and rum in a small bowl and set aside.
4. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
5. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with your spatula as needed.
6. Beginning and ending with the flour mixture, alternate between adding the flour mixture and the daiquiri mixture to the batter. Stop the mixer halfway through to scrape down the sides of the bowl with your spatula.
7. Coat three 6 inch pans with cooking spray or butter and flour. Evenly divide the batter into the pans.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Cool for 10-15 minutes on a cooling rack before gently running a knife along the edge of each pan, topping the cake with another cooling rack and turning each cake out. Let cakes cool completely before frosting.

Strawberry Puree

1. Puree strawberries in a blender or food processor for about 10 seconds or until smooth.
2. Strain strawberry puree to remove seeds and set aside.

Strawberry Lime Buttercream

1. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the butter on medium speed until smooth.
2. With the mixer on low, slowly add in spoonfuls of powdered sugar.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in the strawberry puree and lime juice.
4. Mix just until combined and chill until ready to use.

Cake Assembly

1. Once your cake layers have cooled, carefully cut the tops off with a serrated knife so that each layer is level.
2. Place one layer, top side down, on a cake board and spread with buttercream. Repeat this step with the next layer.
3. Apply a crumb coat, or a thin layer of buttercream, around the cake and chill for 20-25 minutes.
4. Add another layer of buttercream on top of the crumb coat, saving some for adding swirls to the top.
5. Place a piping tip into a pastry bag and fill it with the remaining buttercream.
6. Pipe four swirls onto the top of the cake and place a lime slice in each swirl. Chill until ready to serve.
7. Enjoy!