These just positively fly together…like about 5 minutes.  It takes longer to dice up the strawberries than it does to actually make the recipe.  Oh, so delicious…and easy, too!  This is from “the view from great island”.  It’s a terrific blog.  Sue has an incredible food sense.  I sound like we’re best buds, don’t I?  We’re not…she has way better things to do with her time, but I don’t like to call her “Great Island”, either.  Anyway, check out her blog…you won’t be sorry.

Because we can’t jump up and run to the store these days, I had to make a little substitution.  I used some sour milk, vinegar and pure lemon extract, instead of lemon juice, because I didn’t have enough.  It worked beautifully.  Also, I baked this in an 8 X 8-inch pan, so it’s more of a cake, than a bar.  But, it taste really good, so I’m not certain I want a bar anymore…well not that kind of bar!

For the icing, I dissolved some strawberry-flavored jello in the little bit of hot lemon juice I still had and added that to the powdered sugar.  Sue’s icing with the lovely subtle pale pink.  That’s not this one.  We aren’t talking subtle here.  It’s very pink…I mean P-I-N-K!!!!  Like Pepto Bismol™ pink.  But, it tastes great.  And that’s all that really matters, isn’t it?  Actually, I think this could be served with no icing and just whipped cream, flavored with some strawberry extract and it would be perfect.

I don’t usually use fresh strawberries in cakes.  Not baked in them anyway.  But, this is absolutely delicious.  Very spring-like!  My picture-taking was sporadic for this…I was just inordinately distracted, I guess.  It happens, but you are clever people…anyway, heat over to Sue’s blog, because she’s a professional and she takes pictures!!

For the “cake”, cream the butter and sugar until light, then beat in the egg and lemon juice.  I substituted sour milk, lemon extract and a little bit of cider vinegar for the lemon juice…it worked very well.  In another bowl whisk together the dry ingredients and dump them into the wet.  Beat on low speed until it just comes together.  I didn’t take any pictures up to this point.  This goes together the way any standard cake does.  Add the strawberries and fold together, using a spatula. Pour into a prepared pan…this is a very thick batter, so you might find an off-set spreader the best way to spread it evenly into the pan.  Place in the preheated oven and bake.  There won’t be much color, except along the edges.  Cool completely before icing.  For the icing, I used strawberry-flavored gelatin that I dissolved in hot lemon juice.  Stir  that into the powdered sugar and pour it over the now cool cake.  Using an off-set spreader, spread it over the cake, just to the edges.  Let stand for at least 10 minutes before cutting, to give the icing time to set.  All that’s left is to cut and serve!  For quality control purposes, I did sample it…it was raining.  I needed a pick-me-up!