Strawberry and Almond Gateaux

Cakes according to me,add a happy air to a home. It speaks of an environment where the family unites , hugs , laughs and on occassion tend to disagree too ! A slice of home made cake helps to uplift the spirits tremendously. even the process of baking a cake is so joyful. As my husband,on his way out the door, turns and  says…’ah,I like that smell…what are you baking ?!’…that just adds to the whole pleasurable experience of baking a cake and having it’s aroma,waft out of the oven !

The experience is made more pleasurable when the occassion is an extra special one. Not every day does one get to celebrate a landmark birthyear of a special family member. So,when I was asked by all to bake a cake,I certainly wanted to take the effort of baking something that tasted delicious and looked suitably pretty. As fresh strawberries are available aplenty, A strawberry and almond gateaux was what I had in mind. Having made it earlier with hazelnuts in cupcake form,I wanted to use the same recipe but make it more festive and celebratory. Believe you me,until I finished,I had no idea what it was going to look like. It is more the love involved than the actual talent that made the cake turn out so pretty,I firmly believe that ! The oohs and aahs were music to my ears and the delight on the face of the special lady for whom it was intended was certainly worth every minute spent on the presentation….who actually got to eat more of it,is another story altogether…remember my earlier post about cake fiends??…yep,they were here too ;)))

Unlike cooking ,for me ,baking is done best in solitude,with no interruptions, I have,in the past been known to go wrong with the quantities,so now,my rule is ..” No chit chatting while baking”,especially with my kids. Lol ! I do hope you try this easy cake,it tastes great even on it ‘s own with some strawberries for accompaniment,frosting is optional !