Fresh Strawberry Cake
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Jam-packed with fresh strawberries, this strawberry cake is one of the simplest, most delicious cakes you’ll ever make.
This strawberry cake recipe was sent to me by Karen Tannenbaum, a longtime reader, avid baker, and all-around lovely lady. In her email to me, Karen described a dinner she made that ended with this dessert as “just like a night in heaven.” I was sold. A few days later, I had the cake in the oven, and sure enough – it turned out to be one of the simplest, prettiest, and most delicious cakes I’ve ever made.The beauty of this cake is that it’s made with very few ingredients, and you can whip up the batter in under 15 minutes. What’s more, it’s a great way to use up extra strawberries or salvage berries that are less than perfect, and it keeps well for days. This recipe originally appeared in Martha Stewart Living back in June 2005, but I’ve made a few tweaks to make it even better.
If you have an abundance of strawberries on hand, or find them on sale during the season, try my strawberry shortcake and strawberry muffins as well. You’ll be glad you did.
What You’ll Need To Make Strawberry Cake
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by combining the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Whisk to combine and set aside.
Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla.
Beat to combine.
Add some of the flour.
Mix to combine, then add some of the milk.
Alternately add the remaining flour and milk, beating until smooth. The batter will be quite thick.
Transfer the batter to a buttered 9-inch deep dish pie pan (or 9-inch round cake pan) and smooth with a spatula.
Arrange the strawberry halves on top of the batter.
The sprinkle with the remaining sugar. (Don’t be tempted to omit the sugar here; it balances the tartness of the berries and forms a deliciously crisp crust on top the cake.)
Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325° and bake for about an hour more.
Cool the strawberry cake on a rack. Serve warm or room temperature, either plain or topped with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
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Fresh Strawberry Cake
Jam-packed with fresh strawberries, this strawberry cake is one of the simplest, most delicious cakes you’ll ever make.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pan
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk (low-fat is fine)
- About ¾ pound strawberries, hulled and halved
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9-inch deep dish pie pan (or 9-inch round cake pan).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on low speed until well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, and beat on low speed until smooth. (Note: the batter will be thick.)
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula. Arrange the strawberries on top, cut side down, so that they completely cover the batter (the recipe calls for approximately ¾ pound of strawberries; use more or less if necessary). Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar over the strawberries.
- Bake for ten minutes, then reduce the heat to 325°F and bake until the cake is lightly golden and a tester comes out clean, about an hour. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack. Serve with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.
- Cake can be stored at room temperature for several days, loosely covered.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, cover it tightly with aluminum foil or freezer wrap. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Calories: 241
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Sugar: 25 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 185 mg
- Cholesterol: 38 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Hi
I’m looking to made a 2-layer strawberry cake. Do you think this recipe would work, or is it too heavy? Thanks for any input
I think it would probably work. Please let me know how it turns out if you make it!
Great, easy recipe. It turned out delicious. I had the giant strawberries so I cut them a bit too small so the cake rose over them. I also set the timer for 10 minutes to turn the oven from 350 to 325. I reset the timer and forgot to turn down the oven until 15 minutes later. It still turned out great.
I am going to try this next with the Morello cherries from Trader Joe’s as cherries are my favorite fruit. I think I will cut them in half.
My wife also loved this cake.
Hi Jenn,
I would like to avoid eggs if possible. Can you suggest a good substitute for egg or any alteration to the recipe to skip the egg?
Hi Archie, I don’t have much experience with egg substitutes but here’s a link with some options: http://www.thekitchn.com/5-vegan-substitutes-for-eggs-in-baking-tips-from-the-kitchn-136591. Hope that helps!
Just made a vegan version with Miyoko’s cultured butter, vanilla almond milk and a flax/chia “egg”–there was a flax powder/chia seed mix I had on hand so mixed 1tbs of that w 3 tbs water. It turned out great (maybe a little less dense than if it wasn’t vegan).
Excellent recipe. Simple yet delicious. Looks very attractive too. I made it for Easter egg hunt party and this desert was perfect for the occasion. I served it with a scoop of ice cream topped with fresh strawberries. This dish was GONE within a few minutes and people were asking for more! Thanks for the recipe.
Hi jenn! I’ve made so many of your recipes and they are all fantastic!! My goal is to make all of them. I made the strawberry cake and again was so excellent, however I made it in a 9×9 cake pan and the cooking time was only 30 mins for me. Are you sure on the cooking time? Seems way too long.
Hmm… did you reduce the oven temperature to 325 after the first 10 minutes of baking?
Hi Jenn, yes I did reduce the temp to 325. I baked it in a 9×9 cake pan but it only came up halfway in the pan so it only took 30 mins to cook.
Feel free to check it sooner, Denise, but I’ve never had an issue with it overcooking.
Jenn,
This cake looks so awesome! Is it possible to make it in tiny aluminum loaf pans? I’m participating in a bake sale fundraiser and this looks like a cake that will get people salivating.
Much aloha for all your beautiful recipes and the love that shines through them!
Cathy
Cathy, I think you could get away with that, but will need to adjust the cooking time. Let me know how they turn out!
Thanks for a great recipe! I made it vegan friendly by removing the egg and dairy milk. I replaced it with 3/4 of coconut milk, 4 tbsp of coconut oil and 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar. So delicous 🙂
I just made this again, I love this recipe so much. I forgot to say I left out the butter too, so no butter, eggs or dairy – just the coconut milk (3/4 cup) and coconut oil (4 tbsp) as mentioned 🙂
Hi Jenn,
Would freeze dried strawberries work instead of the fresh ones?
Thanks! Sarah
Dear Jenny,
Can I substitute frozen cherries for this cake?
Yes Kerena, that should work. However, because the cherries are a little heavier than strawberries, they may sink to the bottom a bit.
Dear Jenny,
I made this strawberry cake today. The cake is nice and moist. But the cake easily fall apart when I cut it. Is this right?
Thanks.
Connie
Hi Connie, That doesn’t sound right. Happy to help troubleshoot. Did you make any substitutions?