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’m assuming I would thaw frozen fruit for this recipe, correct? Thanks, Julie
Hi Julie, You can defrost the fruit but it’s not necessary — either way will work fine.
Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. I made it with frozen sweet cherries and just cut back the sugar in the recipe. Delish! I can’t wait to try it with other fruits.
Hi Jenn,
Can I use frozen berries for this cake.
Hi Angie, Yes, frozen berries should be fine.
Hi Jenn,
Could I replace the strawberries with cranberries and how much should i use if so, thank you. 🙂 L. Andrews
Hi Linda, I think you can replace the strawberries with about 1/2 pound fresh cranberries. Please let me know how it turns out.
I have made this cake now several times, and it has become a family and friend favorite. I’ve used strawberries the most, but have also used blueberries and a blueberry peach combination with great success as well. I frequently serve it with a butter cream sauce or a lightly sweetened whipped cream. Since I live in a higher elevation, sometimes cakes give me trouble and require some fiddling, but this recipe did not, and has been successful every time just as written. Thank you for a perfect recipe!
just made this cake and it was delicious! thank you for the recipe i shared it to my fb friends loooooooveeeee it!
I made this strawberry pie the other day. I made a mistake by taking it out of the oven too early when I saw it was getting a little too brown. I should have just reduced the oven temperature and let it bake for full 70 minutes as stated in the recipe. The pie was not fully baked in the center 🙁 However, the edges were fluffy and fully baked and tasted yummy :). I will try to make this pie one more time sometime this month.
Everyone loved the strawberry cake!! It was simple to make and quick to disappear… can’t wait to make it again.
I made this for my fiancé and his relatives – it was a hit! My fiancé can’t get enough of it!
Only change I did was – using almond milk and blueberries. Best recipe! Thank you so much ((: can’t wait to try this with other fruits!
Hi Jen,
I just found your website and I am inspired to try so many of your dishes. I need a brunch dessert tomorrow so I’m going to bake this cake (and can’t wait). I ususally don’t have milk on hand, do you think I can substitute it with almond milk?
Thank you, Diane
Hi Diane, Welcome to the site! I think almond milk will work just fine. Please come back and let me know how it turns out 🙂
If I’m using a glass pie dish, would I use the same temperature setting for the oven?
Hi Ana,
Great question. I would reduce the oven temp by 25 degrees to be safe.