Strawberry squares

Simple Strawberry Snack Cake

So (link above) this was the source of the strawberry snack cake recipe which I am referring to as strawberry squares. The reaction I got  on the first bite, from my significant other was, “mmm so good !” That settled it . This recipe had to be shared as soon as possible. 😉

With time being a bit scarce to get everything done , this cake was baked early one morning .The pictures therefore were shot in the natural light of an overcast sky. The cake itself is darker than what is shown on Joscelyn’s website because of the whole wheat flour which we use. Other than that this simple recipe is a keeper and winner all the way.

This cake caught my attention because it looked so pretty. The fact that I had 400 gms of strawberries at home waiting to get my attention further accelerated the process of making this recipe. Another thing about this recipe was that it used the kind of ingredients which I like to turn to when baking. After being so used to folks saying a multitude of things, I refrain from talking about using un-refined ingredients until asked specifically.

Friends and family actually say things like,”when we want to eat cake,it needs to taste good” , “if I am going to cheat once in awhile it needs to be worth it” ,”you’re going to be the only one living after the rest of us have gone”, “Oh does that (whole grain flour) taste good ? (nose wrinkling)”, “please give me a nice recipe but not a healthy one ” and so on and so forth…you get my drift.

So here is another baker and a wonderfully successful one at that, using my kind of ingredients which are available right here  in my home town. Coconut sugar , apple cider vinegar , himalayan salt …all the things that happily co-exist in my pantry. Just perfect for this special strawberry snack cake !

These strawberries are grown using the hydroponics method of cultivation in the hills close to my home town. The venture is called Clean and Green. During this period of lock-down ,initiatives like these have taken to home delivering produce which will otherwise go to waste. I am told that they use no chemicals and pesticides for cultivation. The saplings are sourced from Pune. While the mother plant maybe of American origin , the plants grow in a green house a 2 hour drive away from my city.

The thought of not being able to visit the meadows of the Blue Mountains anytime soon or to gaze at the babbling brooks which are a constant during morning walks there and to not be able to walk past sloped roofs ,their gardens being guarded with white picket fences , a distant barking dog ….hill folk complete with a cardigan and scarf…rosy cheeked, no matter the colour of complexion…..the mist shrouding everything in a cloak of mystery….warmth and laughter of friendships which go back generations…it will be awhile before we get to enjoy what we took for granted all these years. That certainly makes these berries all the more precious!

This cake can be eaten as a quick snack or dolloped with a little compote (if you have some strawberries left over) to add to the yum factor ! There’s also a gluten free version on the original recipe site so do check it out as well.