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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Jenn,
I made this yesterday morning for the first time. It was finished around noon and that’s when we ate it. With the aromas wafting through the kitchen it was impossible to resist 🙂 My son gave me the “make again” rating and says this and another cake are now his top 2 favorites. Thanks again for another great recipe!
I have made this three times now, and it was perfect every time. I now consider it a guaranteed go to if I want to make a nice dessert for others. The cake has short cake type flavor but is light like the consistency of a Twinkie.
My pretty 9″ pie plate broke so I use a 9″ springform pan. It takes 4 cups of sliced strawberries to cover the top. I serve it w/Haagen Daz Vanilla Bean ice cream, I didn’t care for whipped cream w/it as much. The key is to let the ice soften a few minutes before dolloping it on the cake, then it kinda melds in w/the cake. It is delicious and makes for a nice summer dessert.
All my strawberries sunk to the bottom of the pan, any way to fix this?
Hi Jatasha, Sorry to hear they all sunk! Next time, I’d cut them a bit smaller.
can i use wheat or almond flour instead of all purpose flour?
Hi C, I wouldn’t suggest almond flour, but if you want to use whole wheat, I’d suggest starting by using half whole wheat and half all-purpose to make sure you like the texture. If you do like it, the next time you make this, you can up the ratio of whole wheat to white a bit more. I’d love to hear how it turns out! Also, you may want to consider white whole wheat as it’s lighter and milder tasting than regular whole wheat flour (yet just as nutritious). Hope that helps!
I’m in the UK – would you recommend self raising flour or plain flour? Thanks Cathy
Plain (which is like our all-purpose flour). Enjoy!
I absolutely love this cake!
I made it for the first time a couple of weeks ago, in a square 9″ tin. It didn’t resemble anything like the pic on here, but oh my! We ate it the first day with ice cream, and the second, warmed up with custard.
I made it again tonight, again in a square tin. The strawberries didn’t sink as much as previously, as I chopped them smaller, and I also cooked on a slightly lower heat too. Me and my partner have eaten half the cake tonight with ice cream. Tomorrow it will be with custard . . . . . if the cake doesn’t disappear overnight 😉
LOL – glad it’s been such a hit! 🙂
Hi , I’ve made this cake today for the first time , most delicious but my strawberries sank to bottom ! What caused this to happen and how can prevent it next time . Many thanks
Hi Bev, sorry to hear the strawberries sunk. We’re they particularly large? If so, next time try cutting them a bit smaller.
We make this cake every year (along with Jenn’s strawberry muffins) as soon as we go strawberry picking and it’s one of our favorites! It’s super easy to make – my daughter loves to do it herself – and absolutely delicious. It barely lasts a day. 🙂
Can you give me up measurements in ounces please. Really want make this tonight
Hi Deb, this recipe has both volume and metric/weight measurements. To view them, scroll down to the recipe and immediately under the recipe title on the right side, you’ll see a little toggle. If you move it from “cup measures” to metric, you’ll see measurements that will work for you. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Delectable! 😋
Hi Jen. I loved your Fresh Strawberry Cake. I have made it several times. For our July 4th gathering I swap out a few strawberries and pop in some blueberries here and there making it a true red, white and blue dessert. It’s always a hit on our dessert table with a bowl of yummy stabilized whipped cream sitting right beside it. This recipe is a true keeper. It’s quick and simply stated, a delicious summer dessert. Thanks!