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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This cake is so easy! But most importantly, it is DELICIOUS! The cake itself is very moist, the strawberries are very sweet and soft. It baked as long as the recipe indicated. I put a simple lemon glaze on it and the two flavors work very nicely! I will put this recipe in my favorite recipe binder……..
I have made this recipe three times, baking it in a glass pie plate. The taste and texture is delicious. However, each time I’ve made it, the edges have burned.
Is the glass pie plate contributing to this. I will make it again, but I need some guidance. Thanks.
Yes, I do think the edges are probably burning because of the glass (which holds more heat than metal). I’d reduce the oven temp by 25°F next time. Hope that helps!
I have made this cake about 5 times now – always super easy and such a hit!!
This is probably the first time I’ve ever reviewed a recipe, but I am going out of my way to do this because this is hands down the best cake I have ever made, and the best cake I have ever eaten. Seriously. I gave this to my husband who doesn’t even like fruit in desserts and he raved about it for days. Then I gave the recipe to a friend of mine, who said her husband told her it was the best cake she had ever made! It is gorgeous, the cake is fluffy and moist, the sugar crust on top is divine, and the strawberries just take it to a whole other level.
One of my husbands favourite cakes. So easy to make, moist and flavoursome.
Hi Jenn!
I want to thank you for this wonderful recipe!
I modified it by adding diced strawberries, use palm sugar instead of white sugar and sprinkled fine sugar for the top, it made the top really hard you could knock on it and heard it replied with a “hello?”
Even my mother who doesn’t like cake love this! She said it tastes like the Dutch cakes she ate when she was young.
Thank you so much!
where can I get the pan that is pictured in the recipe? Thank you
Hi Susan, It’s an Emile Henry pie dish. You can find it at a number of places including Sur la Table.
I made this in my (buttered & lined) springform pan, exactly as directed, and it turned out perfectly. Served with whipped cream. Yum!
Perfect! Easy to make and lovely presentation. THANK YOU!
Wondering, though, if this will freeze well.
Glad you liked it! Yes, it freezes nicely. See freezer-friendly instructions at the bottom of the recipe.
I bake this all the time with my daughter who is 4. It’s easy, simple and delicious. We have one in the oven right now!