Strawberry Shortcake Cake

I thought that something summery was in order for Labor Day.  I really like strawberries and I really like Bundt cakes, so I thought I would try to combine them into one.  Sweet, rich, and flavorful, this cake really fits the bill.  It has the added bonus of being made in one bowl and not requiring frosting, so isn't as hard as cakes sometimes can be.

Makes 10-inch fluted cake

1 pound fresh strawberries
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup shortening
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 scant teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups cake flour
1 cup skim milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 egg whites
Whipped cream or Cool Whip, for serving

1. Clean the strawberries.  Hull the berries and dice them into a measuring cup.  When all of the berries are diced small, you should have 2 cups of cut berries.  Set aside.
2. Coat fluted cake pan with baking spray or grease with butter and sprinkle with flour.  Set aside.
3. Combine butter and shortening in mixing bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat until they are combined.  Add sugar and beat well.  Scrap sides of the bowl and add salt, baking powder, and cake flour.  Beat until mixture forms crumbles.
4. In measuring cup, combine milk and vanilla.  Pour into crumbly batter all at once and beat well until crumbles dissolve.  Scrap sides and bottom of bowl.  Add egg whites and beat well.  Mixture might appear curdled at this point.  Use a spatula to fold strawberry pieces into cake batter.  Spoon cake batter into pan and smooth with spatula.
5. Bake cake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until cake tests done.  It will likely rise to the top of the pan, then fall shortly before or after you take it from the oven.  This makes the cake dense.
6.  Remove cake from oven to a cooling rack.  Allow to rest in pan for 30 minutes.  Lift the cake in the pan and shake it to loosen cake.  Invert cake onto cooling rack, removing it from the pan.  Allow cake to cool completely before slicing and serving.  Serve with whipped cream or Cool Whip.