Luscious Lemon Layer Cake with Creamy Strawberry Frosting

Spring has sprung, and it's time for strawberry desserts...you know my daughter loves them!  The last one I made for her was a couple of years ago for her birthday (my Strawberries In Rose Cake with Lemon Glaze).  Although everyone loved it, I thought I'd try something a little different for her birthday this year.

With no time for experimenting, I needed a reliable recipe.  I simply added fresh lemon juice and zest to one of my favorite pound cakes...my versatile evaporated milk pound cake.  This produced a wonderful moist, dense and lemony cake, which easily sliced into three layers.  Using my trusted butter cream frosting as a basis, I developed a creamy strawberry frosting.

This cake actually improves with flavor after a couple of days.  You can make it ahead and refrigerate or freeze, then decorate and garnish with strawberry slices the day you serve it.

                                   Hey, Watch Those Fingers There...

                                     I Haven't Even Served It Yet!
                                   

Hawaiian Mini Banana Split Bundt Cakes with Butter Pecan Glaze

The birth of baby cakes...My daughter and I were discussing what I should make for her husband's pending birthday, and my five-year old grandson excitedly chimed in "banana split cupcakes!"  That sounded like a great idea to us, and my daughter started listing all the goodies they should have...then, they became Hawaiian banana split cupcakes.  I said I wanted to top them with a butter pecan glaze...you may recognize this glaze from my recipe for Fall Harvest Apple Cake.

Cupcakes were what I planned, until I spotted one of my vintage mini Bundt cake pans hanging on my kitchen wall...hmmm, even better.  Was I ever right...the little cakes slid right out of their pans (easier than cupcakes)!  The tunnels in the center of of each cake perfectly accommodated nice dollops of whipped cream...studded with a cherry on the top of each, and ta dah..adorable Hawaiian mini banana split Bundt cakes were born!

                                              All Dressed Up And...

                                                 Ready to Party!