We’re living in interesting times. Everything seems backwards, topsy-turvy, inside-out, but life goes on and it’s my sister Stella’s birthday today ! Despite the worrying situation and anxiety, everything has slowed down and almost stopped for almost everybody. For me so far, it’s been 1 workless month of partial confinement and I, as well as all my family and friends and acquaintances are still hanging on and healthy. Thank goodness for that. My sister is far away, confined and still working hard from home and we facetime every day so here’s a birthday wish in the shape of a cake that I send to Stella Wella Cinderella ! 

My sister adored STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE. This is at least what I remember. Not the cake itself of course (because we never made that in our Greek home) but the animated cute kiddie cartoon series in the beginning of the 80’s. She also had a little ceramic pink and white lamp on her bedside table in her princess-style bedroom, shaped like the mushroom house that the Strawberry Shortcake character lived in. I wonder where that is now ?

Here' a simple cake to make. Not as simple as the original recipe which is just 3 layers of sweet biscuit dough with 3 layers of whipped cream and strawberries. This cake has got almonds in it too and it’s quite moist and dense but it’s more of a surprise cake because almost all of the cream and strawberries are hidden on the inside. Inside-out ! Get it ?

You’ll have to make three small cakes, then hollow out the middle layer to insert or hide the marinated strawberries and the thicker sweetened mascarpone cream on the inside and finally finish it off with a thin scraped frosting finish on the outside with the remaining cream and a few decorations as a hint to what’s inside !

Have a peaceful Easter weekend (my Orthodox Easter is next weekend) and have a nice little family meal, which will be more intimate and restricted in the number of guests this year of course.

*Stay home, stay safe, be careful & be good ... :)