Strawberry-Soaked Chocolate Birthday Cake

I vividly remember the first time I baked this cake, not from scratch but from a packaged mix. Before icing it, I added a layer of frozen strawberries to the top of the cake; then the cake passed the night in the refrigerator. The next day, after my father opened his somewhat thoughtful gifts, we lit little twisty striped candles on the cake, sang happy birthday and dug in. And in that moment, those humble ingredients became a taste memory that locked in for life. The strawberries had given