Quips & Anecdotes - Childhood Cakes

You know that scene in the movie Ratatouille when Igor takes a bite of the ratatouille and is transported back to a childhood memory? To a lesser degree, that was how it was yesterday when I went to a friend's house for a graduation/family gathering, and they had a celebratory Vietnamese fruit tart-cake. If you don't know what I'm talking about, it's like the picture below but much larger and more elaborate.


When I had a bite, I remembered how I used to get these kind of cakes all the time for my birthdays. They were my favorite. They still are quite delicious. A flaky pastry bottom with custard and layers of fruit on top (usually strawberries, peaches, and kiwis) is light but filling as well. I miss these cakes. I loved them every time. However, once I started going to friends' birthday parties, I realized that they always had ice cream cakes so eventually, I begged for those instead. Mayhaps we can get one of these tarts when I'm in Vietnam so I can take a step back into the past for a delicious birthday celebration.

What kind of cakes did you have when you were celebrating special occasions as a child?