Place strawberries in a blender and blend until smooth.

Cook the strawberry puree, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until reduced to 1 cup. This typically takes between 20-30 minutes. It is perfectly reduced when it is a deep red color and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon yet is still pourable.

Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool completely before using. You will only use ¾ of the cooled strawberry reduction for the cake.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and grease.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a second bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.

Beat in the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Mix in the vanilla paste and ¾ cup strawberry reduction.

Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix. Then add 1/3 of the buttermilk to the wet ingredients and mix. Continue alternating the dry ingredients and the buttermilk into the wet ingredients. Mix just until combined. Avoid overmixing. Add food coloring for a nice pink color, if desired.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Blend the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder. Allow to sit for 1 minute before removing the lid to allow the powder to settle a bit.

In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the powdered sugar and freeze-dried strawberry powder and beat on low, then increase speed and beat until fluffy for 2 minutes.

Add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat until incorporated. Add food coloring and blend to achieve the desired color.

Use an offset spatula to frost the cooled cake. Use a spoon to create pretty swirls in the cake. Top with fresh strawberries or crushed freeze-dried strawberries for a stunning look.

Note: another option for the strawberry frosting is to add up to ¼ cup of the remaining strawberry reduction and reduce the amount of heavy cream 1-2 tablespoons as needed for desired consistency.