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 today and it was fantastic. My only complaint is that it didn’t serve 8-10 as you suggested – more like 5-6 because we all had seconds right away! 🙂
Thanks for all of your great recipes, Jenn!
Fantastic! Made this for company recently and it was a huge it. I served it with vanilla ice cream and made a warm blueberry sauce. I actually made it in a 9 inch round with parchment lining the bottom. I really loaded it up with fresh strawberries. It smelled so incredible as it was baking. I waited 10 minutes after taking it out of the oven, flipped it to a plate and then flipped it right back over so it was right side up. Cooled it and froze it for 2 weeks. Came out smelling as good as it did going in. So moist. Incredible.
The cake reminded me of a European Plum Cake, or really just a great European pastry–like something you’d get in Vienna or Budapest, etc. So simple to make but so complex in flavor and so incredibly moist. Lots of caramel and vanilla notes. The bites of just the vanilla cake are as good as the bites with the strawberries. This cake was so good, I really think the ice cream and blueberry sauce were not necessary and likely will not serve it that way again. My husband raved about it for days and is still raving. I think it’s one of his new favorite desserts, which since it’s not chocolate, is saying something. Our guests wanted to take a piece home. Also great b/c it’s not too sweet. Another perfect recipe, Jenn!
My family, friends and I have looooved this cake!! I’ve made it at home twice and brought it to a BBQ and a bridal shower. My dad is gluten-free and it’s been a little tough to find a cake that is gluten-free without being grainy, but I’ve baked this with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour and it’s Perfect! It’s now my dad’s favorite cake, which says a lot given that he usually only likes chocolate cake & isn’t the biggest fan of strawberries. I’ve just come back to grab the recipe to make for Father’s Day dessert!
Perfect size cake. I baked the cake plain in a loaf pan to use for strawberry shortcake. I had fresh strawberries and rhubarb to use up and made a simple compote to serve over slices of the cake. It was perfect.
Hi! Your recipes are always a hit! I just baked this according to your directions and I’m wondering why my strawberries sank, or caved into the cake about 30 min AFTER I took it out of the oven? Tastes great just not as pretty as when i first took it out of the oven. Thoughts? (I want to make it again on Sunday for Fathers Day)
Hi Evelyn, glad you like the recipes! Strange that the strawberry sank after you removed the cake from the oven. Were they pretty large strawberries? Next time, I’d cut them just a bit smaller. (And keep in mind that it’s normal for them to sink a bit.)
Can you add some strawberries to the cake mix and then top with the halved berries? If so do I need to increase the baking time? Looking forward to baking this cake.
Hi Diana, I don’t really think it’s necessary to add strawberries to the batter because some of them already sink down into the cake as is. That said, you can add some of the strawberries to the batter and put the remaining ones on top, but I wouldn’t add more strawberries than with the recipe calls for. Also, to help avoid them from sinking I would dice the ones (that you’d like to put in the batter) a bit smaller. Baking time would remain the same. Hope you enjoy!
Made this for dinner yesterday. AMAZING! Took your advice and added a few berries chopped about 1/2 inch. My family of boys devoured the whole cake. Will definitely make again! Thanks Jenn for an amazing recipe.
Glad it worked out! 🙂
I plan on using almond milk which I read can work. Do you think any of the flour substitutes would work? Like almond flour? Thanks, Louann
Hi Louann, Unfortunately, I don’t think almond flour would work here — sorry!
It was so delicous that I ate a quarter of it just after baking 😋😋
LOL – glad you liked it!
What a great strawberry dessert…my family loved it! Made this with your spaghetti with meatballs, rosemary focaccia , Italian Salad. Delicious Sunday Dinner. Thanks Jenn for sharing your delicious, thoughtful recipes.
So excited to make this tomorrow! I’m really tempted to sub with almond extract since it was such a great way to make the NYT Plum Torte, but by the looks of the reviews- no adjustments need/should be made cause it’s that good haha
This cake was excellent! Moist, delicious, quick and easy!! Will become our go to cake. My husband who is not a fruit in your cake kinda guy LOVED IT! As did everyone else who was lucky enough to be on the receiving end of having a piece…Thank you for this, and for all your delicious recipes. I often find our dinners filled with recipes from your site!
😊
I have frozen strawberries—not commercially frozen just a surplus of some just picked berries. Can I use these and if so, do I have to make adjustments to the recipe? Thank you.
Hi Susan, you can use frozen recipes here with no adjustments. Hope you enjoy!