Friday Fun - Cake Making

I am currently a cake making fool.  I've been working on this cake for five hours.  A cup of coffee and a glass of wine later I'm still working on it and loving every second.  I promise I would be a chef if it was a lucrative career and provided a work-life balance I find critical in jobs (specifically not having to work every weekend, holiday, and evening).  Either way this evening has been pretty much my ideal way to unwind after a hard week -- my loves are home keeping me company in the kitchen while I bake and listen to music.  Here's my progress on the as-from-scratch-as-possible (aka no box cake mix or jello) strawberry cake so far.  (BTW, I couldn't find a recipe for such a cake so I had to make it up.  I hope it comes out ok!  *fingers triple crossed*)

The star of this cake - 2 packages full to make sure only the best go in.

The start of the strawberry puree'

My mise en plas

Strawberry Puree'

The cake batter with the strawberry puree'

My current status