Milk Bar's Strawberry Corn Cake features two iconic tastes of high summer

Corn and tomatoes, tomatoes and corn, corn on the cob slathered in a tomato-y spice rub, sliced tomatoes topped with charred kernels, the kind that almost pop when they meet teeth.

We're talking here about a dynamic duo that truly dominates high summer supping, the sort of easy eating that frequently happens outdoors, in the vicinity of a grill or umbrella-shaded table, when July passes its middlepoint.

But could there be another palate-pleasing partner for corn that, like many tomatoes, boasts a terrific ruddy hue, a bright flavor, and a particularly juicy nature?

There could be, and it may surprise you (or perhaps will not, if you're a berry buff): It's the strawberry, and it is now starring in a new sweet from Milk Bar.

It's the Strawberry Corn Cake, a warm-weather whimsy, and it is available at the Melrose Avenue bakery through Sept. 18.

A corn cake with cornbread-y moxie meets strawberry jam in this frosting-filled fantasia. Oh yes: The frosting is buttermilk "speckled" with strawberry, while corn crumbs cameo throughout the dessert, all to add some textural crunch.

Two sizes are available for in-store or online ordering, with the six-incher feeding your more intimate friends picnic and the ten-inch cake serving as the family reunion choice (think 20 to 30 people).

There's a Strawberry Corn Cake Truffle Dozen, too, if you're seeking more palm-sized versions of the treat.

If you prefer your strawberries straight and your corn with tomatoes, be cheered: Milk Bar has other enticing offerings this summer, including a Toasted Marshmallow Sundae.

That's also available through Sept. 18, the final date to buy your Strawberry Corn Cake.