The strawberry plant

A symbol of sunny days, the emblematic strawberry cake is making a comeback in shop windows and is even taking pride of place on the menus of luxury hotels. For the record, a similar cake was first created by Escoffier at the end of the 19th century, then by Pierre Lacam in the 1900s, who designed a "fraisier des bois" with sponge cake and a hint of kirsch. But it wasn't until 1966 that Gaston Lenôtre created a strawberry cake with sponge cake punched with kirsch, buttercream and fresh strawberries, then christened "Bagatelle", in reference to the gardens. Here's a family portrait of a cake with well-defined codes, but no shortage of interpretations!