Poppy Seed Layer Cake

Speckled cake layers, dotted with orange zest and separated by white cream and red strawberries, make this cake as visually appealing as it is delicious. The ingredient list calls for thinly sliced strawberries, and as I have found that students interpret this as anywhere from paper-thin to ¼ inch (6mm), let me emphasize the importance of slicing the strawberries as thinly as possible without having them fall apart. The slices can be placed on the cake in overlapping rows, if needed, or eve