Mother's Day & Strawberries

My Mother's Day adventures in baking steered me towards strawberries. Both cakes that you see pictured here were a first time trial for me of angel food cake. It's so light and fluffy! 

The first cake (the one with the vines) is the one I had originally pictured in my mind to bring to my Grandma's house for Mother's Day. I did not use a typical angel food cake; instead I used a bundt cake pan. When the cake had cooled, I used a large knife to cut it in half (width-wise). I removed the top layer. I iced the bottom layer with a thin layer of fluffy (FLUFFY is important here) white frosting. On that iced bottom layer, I placed ten thin slices of fresh strawberries and then re-positioned the top layer over that bottom one. As you can see, I iced the top layer with fluffy white icing and strategically positioned fresh strawberry halves all around. To finish it up, I used green icing to pipe on vines that connect all the strawberries, leaves and a few vine curls.

This second cake came about because I had extra angel food cake mix left over from the one above. So, I used a small round spring-form pan to create this second cake. I took another bowl of fluffy white icing, only this time I decided to melt it in the microwave for 17 seconds. I stirred up the melted icing and then poured it on the top, allowing it to drizzle down the sides of the cake. I placed eight strawberries around the top of the cake. Lastly, I piped on the "Happy Mother's Day" message using the leftover green icing from the vines of the first cake. Unfortunately, I wasn't paying attention to the spacing. That's why the message is too far down. I wish I had centered it more properly. Oh well. Next time. At least this one wasn't for show. I kept this one for my home, and my Mom appreciated it all the same.  
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!