Cake Serves Strawberries on the Bottom

This recipe is adapted slightly from 250 Best Cakes and Pies by Esther Brody. It is one of those magic cakes: You put strawberries and gelatin on the top and they wind up in a tasty layer on the bottom: where the marshmallows were.

Ingredients:

3-oz. package strawberry gelatin
16-oz. tub frozen sweetened sliced strawberries
1 cup miniature marshmallows
2-1/4 cups flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup milk
whipped cream for garnish, if desired
whole strawberries for garnish, if desired

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease (don't flour) a 9-by-13-inch pan. In a small bowl, combine the gelatin and the strawberries with their liquid. Set aside. Sprinkle the marshmallows evenly across the bottom of the prepared pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

2. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the sugar and butter, beating until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in the vanilla.

3. Beat in the flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the milk, beating well after each and scraping the bowl well between additions. Pour the mixture over the marshmallows, gently spreading it edge to edge.

4. Spread the gelatin-strawberry mixture over the cake batter.

5. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool.

6. Serve either cake-side up or berry-side up, topped with whipped cream and a strawberry if desired.

Serves 16 to 24.