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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Hi, I need to watch my sugar intake, is there any advice you can give on swapping the sugar out for a replacement such as Stevia? And if so what quantity? Thanks
Hi Holly, I wish I could help but I’ve never worked with sugar substitutes so I can’t say how it would impact the recipe. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it with one!
I don’t know if this helps but I LOVE this recipe and have made it a few times and have gradually been reducing the sugar. I’m still using regular white sugar but so far I am down to 2/3 cup and it’s still great, fluffy and wonderful (just sprinkling 1 tbsp on top). I know sugar is not just about the sweetness but the structure of the cake so need to be careful, but so far so good.
Hi. I made the cake with half the sugar, and it was delicious (most folks who prefer less sweet might want to cut it down to 3/4c). I used 1/4 tsp almond extract instead of vanilla, & substituted 1/2 c ground almonds for 1/2 c flour. Baking time was about 15 min shorter (when the edge browns and pulls away from pan, it’s done! –even if top is only very lightly browned). The berries make the dish sweet enough, and I only wish I could stuff more in. Simple but beautiful presentation. Drizzle on some dark chocolate balsamic vinegar, and it’s a marvel!
I don’t know what I did wrong, but the cake part came out tasting a little like cornbread to me.
OMG this cake was sooooooo good! I only had oak milk so I used that. I used a 9 x 9 glass dish and it was perfect. This one is a keeper!
I’ve made this many times with strawberries — so fabulous. How do you think this recipe would do with peaches?
So glad you like this! Yes, it will work nicely with peaches too. 🙂
I made this Fresh strawberry cake and it tastes nice but the sponge came over the sides of the tin and ended up being about less than an inch deep. After reviewing the recipe it states 225 gms of sugar. Is this too much sugar? Any advice would help please.
Regards Teresa
Hi Teresa, Sorry You had a problem with this! You mentioned that the batter ran over the side of the pan, but that the cake was very shallow. What size pan did you use a 9-inch deep dish pie pan or 9-inch square cake pan? (The 225 grams of sugar is correct.)
Wonderful recipe Jenn and I agree with you….simplest and most DELICIOUS cake!!!
Can you make with frozen strawberries?
Sure, Kate. Enjoy!
Thank you for the great recipe. Baked it today for my daughter’s birthday and the whole family enjoyed it. It was delicious and the only thing I would change next time is reduce the sugar. Thanks again!
I’ve made this cake about 6 times this summer! It’s easy and fool proof. The consistency is very similar to a moist shortcake/biscuit. We (my family) are not fans of fruit baked in cake, so we use it as a shortcake and pile the strawberries or peaches on top. It’s perfect with a cup of coffee in the morning too!
This cake is absolutely amazing. I’ve made it five times and it’s always a hit with my guests. I’ve used both a deep dish pie pan and a 9 inch springform pan. This cake comes out awesome in a springform and the sides are a bit crunch like the top.