Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease and line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.

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

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter and granulated sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, and then stir in the vanilla extract.

In a small bowl, combine the milk and sour cream; this will add moisture to the cake.

Gradually add the dry mixture to the butter-sugar mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix just until combined—don’t overmix!

Gently fold in the strawberry puree and finely chopped fresh strawberries until evenly distributed in the batter.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and smooth the tops.

Insert into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

In a bowl, beat the softened butter on high speed for about 2 minutes until smooth and creamy.

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

Add in the strawberry puree and vanilla extract, beating until fully combined.

If the frosting is too thick, add heavy cream one tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

Add a pinch of salt and beat the frosting on high for 2 additional minutes to make it light and fluffy.

Place one cooled cake layer on a serving plate and spread a generous amount of frosting on top.

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

Garnish with fresh strawberries if desired.