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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I made this for my 10 year old son, his friend, and myself. It was so good that the whole thing was gone within the day I made it! I prepared the recipe as is with the exception of not sprinkling sugar on top. The strawberries I used were very sweet and came out tasting like strawberry jam. I will definitely be making this again and very soon. I’m thinking peaches and raspberries combined next time. 🙂
Omg this is the perfect summer receipt. I substituted stawberries for blueberries. It turned out perfect. So moist and delicious. I love making recepies that are simple and quick to make. Served it to friends asvpart of our sunday brunch. Everyone raved about it and wanted the receipt. Just one thing important to know you oven. It turned up the themp yo 375 degress as the other was just not hot enough for my oven.
Really enjoying your website and the stories. Making cornmeal muffins tonight for dinner. Receipt sounds delicious.
can I use raspberries for this recipe too
Glynis,
I made it with raspberries last week and it was a huge it at a neighbourhood gathering. Enjoy!
This an easy and delicious and a good way to use up any kind of extra fruit. I made it with blueberries and some nectarines, with a sprinkling of sugar in the raw on top. Excellent alone or served with a dollop of whipped cream. Good summer time dessert.
I wanted to make something a little different than strawberry shortcake for a Fourth of July dessert and this fit the bill perfectly! The only change I made was to sprinkle turbinado sugar on the berries instead of granulated sugar – to give it a bit of a crunchy topping. We served with vanilla ice cream and it was a hit. The leftovers made for a nice breakfast. I will definitely make this again, possibly substituting blackberries or raspberries, and I might add some citrus zest.
Love the idea of the turbinado sugar, Liesel.
Summer Strawberry Cake: Made this cake for the 4th. It was so simple to make and the flavor was very fresh. I will have this cake added to my permanent dessert rotation. Thanks!
A beautiful, simple dessert. Made it with some local raspberries a few days ago and everyone at the gathering loved it! Reminds me of something our grandmothers would have served. Just pure, simple goodness 🙂
I made this cake yesterday with fresh strawberries from our garden . Rather than to use the butter I used organic coconut oil it turned out so delicious , crazy good ! Thank you for sharing this recipe !
Hi V, how much of coconut oil did u use for the above measurement? And do u think canola oil would work too?
I made this for a Fourth of July party and it was a hit! This is one of the easiest and tastiest cakes I have ever made. The strawberries that I got were unfortunately on the tart side, so I macerated them before putting them on the cake to bake. It turned out really well. I will definitely be making this cake again!
I had to make this! Used fresh buttermilk since I had some on hand, and served the cake with lightly sweetened whipped cream. Delicious! Very appealing photo of the cake in that red pie dish, too. Once again, thank you, Jenn!!!