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 is the first, of yours, recipe that I made. It immediately became a family favorite. I followed the recipe as printed and it hasnt failed me yet. Good as a coffee cake, snack or evening dessert.
MAKE THIS CAKE! This cake is perfect for summer, as it has the perfect balance of sweet and tart. I followed it step by step and it came out perfect every time. I’ve made it three times since summer and I get a little more adventurous each time. I added real vanilla bean to the batter and then baked it without the strawberries in the cake. When the cake was done, I added the strawberries on top with whipped cream for more of a strawberry shortcake feel. I’m not a baker, but I think sprinkling the sugar on top adds so much to the cake.
A fresh berry cake doesn’t get much easier or more delicious than this! I’ve made several cakes like this, and while they are similar, this works the best…straightforward and perfect! I’ve used Demerara sugar on the top and I prefer it…it adds a nice, small crunch factor, but doesn’t change the taste or balance of this wonderful recipe.
Super easy and delicious! I’ve made this several times for parties and the dish is always empty by the end of the night.
I have made many of your desserts and all have turned out wonderfully! Made this one last night but feels heavy and dense…. any idea what I did wrong? Thanks Jen!
Hi Stephanie, Sorry you had a problem with this! Two things come to mind. By heavy, do you mean overly moist? The strawberries add some moisture to the cake; if you felt like it was too moist, next time I’d try cutting them into smaller pieces. Also, do you use the spoon and level method to measure the flour? Even a few extra ounces can make a big difference. This article/video explains it nicely. Hope that helps!
I had the same issue :(. And it wasn’t very sweet.
I made this exact recipe tonight and it was fantastic….wouldn’t change a thing.
I have made this several times and everyone has loved it! It basically tastes like the Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins in a cake!! Love it!
I have made this at least 5 times, always perfection!
I have loads of perfect just-picked strawberries but our party is not for two weeks – is it better to freeze the strawberries and make the cake on the day of the party, or make the cake in advance and freeze the whole thing and defrost it the night before?
Hi Gail, The cake freezes nicely so it’s really a matter of personal preference — you can go either way. 🙂
My sister raved about this cake, which her family loves. I clearly understood her compliments for this cake after I made it. It is absolutely delicious! My family loves this. Thank you Jen!
This recipe was delicious easy to make and super tasty. I’m going to try it again with other fruit I think it would be fantastic with raspberry as well