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 cake about once a week this past spring/summer during prime strawberry season and it is the absolute best. One of our family favorites.
Do you think this cake would work with peaches? Want to make it for the Jewish holidays and hoping the farmer’s market might still have some late summer peaches. Thanks Jen!
Hi Allyson, So glad you like this cake! I actually have a peach version of it — you can find it here. (The only change is the addition of the streusel.) Hope you enjoy if you make it and happy new year! 🙂
Thanks Jenn! Will give it a try. Happy New Year to you too. 😉
I used the food processor. I whipped some cream for topping and put it in a serving bowl. Then I beat the egg and sugar in the processor bowl, then added butter. I measured flour, baking powder, salt, stirred together in measuring cup, then added flour and milk alternately with vanilla. Added 1/4 cup more milk. Caked in 9″ spring form pan. Soo good!
I saw this recipe weeks ago and was looking for time to make it. Now I have plenty of time, though this recipe comes together quickly. This cake is easy and delicious, but make sure the butter is soft. We loved this recipe, as we do for every one of Jenn’s recipes.
Delicious! I stumbled across this recipe looking for solutions to a large quantity of strawberries. It was easy to make, relatively quick, and super tasty. Bonus in that I had all of the ingredients in my cupboard. We ate it still a bit warm with vanilla bean ice cream and whipped cream. I will definitely be making it again. Thank you!
I love your recipes, and I am excited to make this cake. Can I use an 8″‘ cake pan or a 9″ pie dish that is not deep dish? Thanks
Hi Jenny, Yes, I’d go with the 9-in pan. Enjoy!
What a lovely cake! I made this very last minute and used what I had for strawberries and it was great, not too sweet and the perfect texture. Jenn, your recipes are becoming all of my family’s favorites- thank you so much!!
😊
Just made this . Wow – it smelled delicious and was really easy but most importantly tasted fabulous
I made this cake – simple to make and delicious! I wonder how this would work with plums??
Glad you liked it! And I actually have a very similar cake that is made with plums — check it out here.
This was delicious. I had one small piece and my 145 lb husband ate the rest in one sitting. Will make again.
Jenn,
Thank you for including weights. It really makes baking faster and neater! I used 130 grams white flour and 60 grams whole wheat. I used only 1 TBSP sugar on top of the strawberries and 5 TBSP butter because that is what I had left after using 3 for the Italian popcorn (it is crazy good). I baked the cake in a 9” cake pan and it was ready after 45 minutes. I tasted a corner while still warm and it is fantastic!
Awesome recipe – everyone loves this cake and it’s easy to make!