In my opinion, in general, fruit should not be the main ingredient in a dessert. I always shudder when, at fancy restaurants, I see tables full of pastel-wearing underfed women all request $15 dishes of whole poached pears lightly drizzled in caramel sauce (or some similar crap) and then practically scream, THIS DESSERT IS SOOO RICH AND DELICIOUS. Right. I almost want to force-feed them a slice of flourless chocolate cake to see if they explode.
So when I ordered the Strawberry & Cream Cake from Dessert Gallery Bakery & Café, I was hoping for more cream and less strawberry. What I got, however, was all cream and almost no fruit: the three thick layers of moist white cake were barely laced with syrupy strawberry swirls and inundated with rich cream cheese frosting. I might as well have ordered regular vanilla, so scant was the strawberry presence in this cake.
Obviously, if you're craving anything along the lines of strawberry shortcake -- that is to say, a baked good that features actual pieces of fruit -- the Strawberry & Cream Cake would not be your cup of tea. And if you, like me, are looking for at least a few slices of berry, well, then, it won't do you much good either.
What does one do when your Strawberry & Cream Cake is lacking one of its advertised ingredients? Top off your slice with a scoop of strawberry ice cream and leave the real fruit for breakfast.
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