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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Comments
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What an easy wonderful cake. I serve dessert each night at my B & B and was short on time, so this looked quick and easy and would cool in time for putting out. Well, everyone just loved it including my husband, so I have another in the oven right now. It was great even overcooked last time. I won’t get tied up on the phone this time.
Thanks Jenn!
I’ve made this several times and loved it, but never tried it with frozen berries. Have you?
Hi Deb, I’ve only used fresh strawberries here, but you can use frozen (and glad you like the cake)!
I want to make this for a bbq at a friends home. How do you serve it? Do you cut it like a pie or spoon it?
Thank you!
Hi Diane, You slice it with a knife. Hope everyone enjoys!
Just saw this recipe. You are amazing. I love your recipes. Can’t wait to try this one.
Mary Ann
Fabulous summer cake! I made for a 4th of July party, doubled it for a crowd…Was loved by all except hubby who doesn’t like “gooey” food… (he loved the cake part, just not the cooked strawberries) Oh well, more for the rest of us! It was a hit with all ages. Thank you for another wonderful recipe, EVERY recipe that I use from you Jenn is fantastic, and a true winner!
Hi Jenn,
Can you use others fruits?
Peaches, Cherries?
Thank you
Hi Brenda, I think both cherries and peaches should work. (However, because the cherries are a little heavier than strawberries, they may sink to the bottom a bit.) If you want a cake that is specifically designed for peaches, you could also give this one a try. Hope you enjoy whatever you make!
I wasn’t sure how many strawberries are equivalent to 3/4 lb. I used fresh berries I picked today and a 9 inch round pan, covered the top, but maybe used too many berries as I had to add another 15 minutes to get the top to brown. Tastes great and I’m a huge fan of all of your recipes.
Just made this (we went strawberry picking and definitely over picked!); so I was looking for recipes. It is delicious! Followed recipe exactly. Wonderful warm with a bit of whipped cream.
Have you ever doubled this recipe and baked it in a 13×9 pan?
Personally, I haven’t Leslie, but a number of readers have commented that they have and have been happy with the results. Baking time may be just a bit different so keep a close eye on it. Enjoy!
Would blueberries work with this recipe?
Sure, Selina. I also have this blueberry coffee cake if you want to take a peek at it. Hope you enjoy whatever you make!
This was a nice light cake. Very summery. I served with additional fresh strawberries and whipped cream. I will definitely make it again. It is not too sweet.
This cake is amazing! It was quick to make and tastes great with my fresh picked strawberries. I wasn’t sure how it came out because my berries looked a little dark, but it was easy to take out of the pan and not too wet. Thank you for the recipe!