Strawberry Summer Cake

You know what's funny?  I generally don't even like strawberries.  They're a little too too somehow: too sweet, too many seeds, too summer.  Finally, though, they're dawning on me like a revelation.  Oh, I think to myself, maybe they are the perfect summer fruit.  Beautiful in color, infinitely usable in tons of recipes, tasty on their own...
It's almost as though strawberries have hit me over the head.
I saw this recipe on Smitten Kitchen, and knew it would be perfect for a friend's graduation party.  He's not a big sweets person, but I wanted to bring something festive that could be downplayed.  The cake itself isn't sugary, but more like an even coffee cake that lets the fruit take center stage.    It got lots of compliments, and none of the sixteen small slices were left after 10 minutes.  Definitely make it for a brunch, a potluck, whatever.  It's absolutely wonderful!

P.S. These strawberries were MASSIVE!  Safeway did it right during that week.  Oh, so good.