Strawberry Pound Shortcake

For the pound cake:
Preheat oven to 325ºF. Add room temperature cream cheese, shortening and butter to large mixing bowl and begin creaming until smooth. Slowly add sugar to bowl and cream until light and fluffy, which takes up to 10 minutes. Add 1 egg at a time and mix until incorporated. Slow mixer to lower speed and add flour 1 cup at a time into bowl until just incorporated. Do not overbeat at this point. Add vanilla extract to bowl and mix.

Once everything is incorporated, pour cake batter into greased and floured or baking sprayed bundt or tube pan. Bake for 1 hour and 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove cake and place on cooling rack. Cake should be cool to the touch (I like to wait at least 1 hour) before assembling or it will melt the whipped cream.

For the whipped cream:
Add cold water and gelatin to pan and allow to sit until it thickens. Heat on stove over low temperature stirring until the gelatin dissolves. Remove and allow to slightly cool without setting. In a large bowl, beat heavy cream, confectioners sugar and vanilla until slightly thick. Pour in gelatin mixture and beat on slow until combined. Continue to whip until the cream stiffens up.

To assemble:
Taking a serrated knife, gently place knife at the center of the completely cooled pound cake and slice the cake in half (Tip: I also placed my cake on my decorating turntable to make this easier.) Remove the top layer and set aside.

Add 2/3 of the whipped cream to the top of the pound cake bottom layer. Spread out around the layer. Next add 2/3 of the strawberry slices to the top of the whipped cream. Carefully place the top pound cake layer on top of the strawberries and whipped cream without it spreading everywhere. Next take the remaining whipped cream and spread on the top of the cake and decorate with the remaining strawberries. Lastly, enjoy!