If you want to avoid the artificial flavors totally you can get the citrus oils from Boyajian. They're from the rinds of the fruit, so they're really concentrated and you just need to add a teaspoon or so to each batch to get a good flavor. They also make a natural strawberry flavor.
I use the strawberry flavor and real strawberries in the batter of my strawberry cake, and it's really good.
solascakes, I'm a scratch baker too,I was always so hesistant about going this route.
Here's the link to the original recipe:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Strawberry-Cake-from-Scratch/Detail.aspx
I've been using this for strawberry cake for years BUT for a European palate, it will be too sweet as written (trust me). I take out 1/4c of the sugar and add pureed FRESH strawberries (I buy them in the summer when they are cheap and plentiful, puree loads and freeze them in 1/2c quantities and use them all year round for strawberry cakes!). It is perfect with these small changes 
Serious_Cakes and bonjovibabe thanks a lot for the recipes,i will try it and definitely let you guys know.
I use the strawberry recipe all the time from allrecipes. Instead of butter I use magarine and it comes out just fine. I love the recipe.
Thanks for sharing your strawberry cake. I will definantly give it try!!
I just recently made a Lemon Cake (with the lemon pudding mix) with Rasberry moose filling (used the rasberry jello mix) Everyone raved about this cake. It was so light and refreshing.
Thanks for sharing your strawberry cake. I will definantly give it try!!
I just recently made a Lemon Cake (with the lemon pudding mix) with Rasberry moose filling (used the rasberry jello mix) Everyone raved about this cake. It was so light and refreshing.
Caralinc want to share the raspberry moose filing recipe.
Caralinc,
PLEASE share your Lemon Cake & Raspberry Mousse Filling recipe!! It sounds Great!!
Thank you!
I just made this and it's...
wait for it...
Amazing! I really loved the flavour. I made it with Strawberry Jello added to my white cake recipe and it was awesome! Thanks Serious-Cakes! I now have a "go to" strawberry cake recipe 
I'm glad you liked it! I went through the jello's I have on hand, one of them is tropical punch, gonna try that along with watermelon this weekend
you know what would be faboo? do the watermelon jello flavor in a rainbow cake
Think I'll do that for my nephew's b-day cake next month. He'll be 15 but will think it's awesome
I've been making strawberry cake based on Serious_Cake's yellow cake recipe. What I did was let frozen strawberries come to room temp with sugar sprinkled on top so that they release a ton of juice, then smoosh those up real well. I used about 1 1/4 cups of this mixture plus the remaining half cup milk in place of all the milk, plus about a teaspoon of strawberry flavor, and that has been really tasty. The jello idea sounds so quick though, my way is such a process, I guess I'll be trying the jello 
thanks for the cool idea!
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