Food for Dissertating

  I made this cake a bit early, but it was my  birthday, so it didn't matter!  This is the strawberry cake from Nora Cooks . I cut the recipe in half and made one mini two-layer cake and baked the rest in a small rectangular dish to freeze for later, and I shared my little cake because even though this is  a tiny cake, it still makes 6-8 slices, depending on your appetite. (Frosting is very filling, which is one reason I rarely make it.) It was beautiful and delicious! I think I succeeded well in my endeavors here. The strawberry flavor came through well, though that's likely also because I added some strawberry extract. And I added food coloring to the batter, too, because I wanted this cake to be pink , and I do not regret that, even if it made me feel silly. Sometimes, it's worth being silly. If you're considering this recipe, just know that it is a tiny bit tedious, given that you have to boil down fresh strawberry puree and let it cool, and the frosting involves...