Fun to make and to try but this doesn't rate in the "Recipe Hall of Fame." The cake itself is moist and flavorful, but I couldn't quite get past the artificial taste and color. Also, given the reviews about the frosting being a "sloppy mess," I took other reviewers' suggestions and used "Cool Whipped Frosting," substituting strawberry extract for the vanilla and adding 1/3 cup of strawberry puree. I made this in two layers, and put a layer of fresh, sliced strawberries over the filling in between the layers. I decorated it with just a few fresh strawberries with the stems. I could see this "pretty in pink" cake as a real crowd pleaser for a little girl's birthday party, and wish I had come across this when my daughter was younger. All around, not much payoff or reward for the effort. To me, it just screams "fake."