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 have made this several times – fabulous!
I would like to use pitted sour cherries instead of strawberries – from a jar, drained.
Can I add them to the batter ?
Or best to add on top as I have done with strawberries ?
Thank you !
I’d probably add them to the top like the strawberries. Hope you enjoy!
Just doubled the recipe and baked in 9×12″ glass dish and its all bubbling over the sides right now even as Im watching it – hope its edible?
Eileen
Hi Eileen, I believe that people have successfully doubled it in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, but you mentioned yours was 9 x 12? How did it come out?
Wowwww!!!! This cake is amazing!! Will definitely do it again! One question.. I would like to keep the texture of the cake as it is really good, so to make it of a different flavour, can I use another kind of fruit? Thanks 🥰
Glad you like it! Blueberries or peaches would work here too. You may also want to take a peek at my French Apple Cake. Hope that helps and that you enjoy whatever you make!
This is my first ever review for any recipe and let me tell you…..YUM. I was looking for a recipe with strawberries and this was the first one that popped up. After reading a few reviews on it and the short ingredient list, I decided to give it a whirl. It was a huge hit with my husband and kids. I made it exactly as is, but I think I will experiment with other types of fruit as well. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi – has anyone tried baking this cake in a iron cast skillet ? I think the presentation would be so pretty but not sure if it will ruin the cake ?
Hi Meena, I’m not sure if anyone else has made this in a cast iron skillet but do you think it would work. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
This is my favorite cake recipe Ive come accross, so simple and delicious. I love baking it with my 6 year old son and serving with home made whip cream. I have been asked to share this recipe many times.
Going to make this today! Looks delicious and easy! Is it ok to use whole strawberries that I froze? Thank you
Hi Margie, Frozen strawberries are fine, but I would cut them into smaller pieces. Hope you enjoy!
Absolutely delicious and the easiest cake I have ever made. The frozen strawberries, cut up, worked great! My Grandson and I both loved it!!! Can’t wait to make it again!!
Just pulled this delicious smelling cake out of the oven. Question, all my strawberries sank to the bottom of the pie dish. I’m sure it will be amazing, but it’s lacking the presentation I was hoping for. How do I prevent that from happening next time? Thank!
Hi Stephany, I would cut the berries a bit smaller and also use King Arthur flour (if you aren’t already).
AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS!
I love strawberries and have been searching for years for a strawberry cake recipe that worked …this is IT! It turned our perfectly the first time. It tastes even better the next day, having stayed loosely covered on the counter overnight. Pure strawberry perfection! I will make this again and again. Keep doing what you’re doing Ms. Segal! This recipe inspired me to buy the cookbook. Thank you!
This was so easy and so good! I need to read the directions better next time. I added the strawberries whole but it still tasted delish!! Have you tried other fruit with this recipe?
So glad you enjoyed it! Blueberries would work here too. I’ve also made this with peaches. Hope that helps! You may want to take a peek at my French Apple Cake as well. Hope that helps!
So easy, tasty and beautiful! Thanks for all of your amazing recipes – they always turn out perfect!
💗
Yum! I made this tonight to use up some strawberries.. I cut the strawberries into little pieces and served with whipped cream and some lemon zest! It was a huge hit!
Absolutely amazing!