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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Comments
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Hi Jenn,
I’ve had great success with all your recipes from the blog and your cookbook! Looking forward to trying this strawberry cake this weekend!
Have a question, I see you baked in a stoneware pie dish, will the temperature and baking time be different if baked in a metal cake pan?
Can’t wait for your new cookbook!
Thanks a bunch!
So glad you like the recipes and thanks for your support with the cookbooks! 🙂
No need to modify the baking temperature or time for a metal cake pan. Hope you enjoy!
Jenn,
This cake has quickly become a family favorite! I wondered if you had ever tried making it with any other fresh fruits. I was thinking of trying it with a combo of fresh strawberries and blueberries for a festive holiday cake. It seemed to bake a bit faster than the recipe stated…I just go by the appearance and the toothpick test.
Have you ever tried it with gluten-free flour? I would love to make it for my daughter-in-law who can’t have wheat flour. I use Namaste flour when I convert recipes.
Our family loves your recipes. I have gifted your first cookbook to my daughter-in-law and have already pre-ordered your new one just as I did with your first endeavor. I am very selective about adding cookbooks to my collection but purchasing yours was a no brainer!
Thanks to your cousin, Shani Spiegle, I learned of your blog and have enjoyed every recipe I have tried.
l look forward to enjoying your next book in September.
Best wishes,
Marilyn Bilsky
Hi Marilyn, Small world – I’m glad that Shani turned you onto the blog! Yes, I do think you could make this with a combo of strawberries and blueberries. It would also be delicious with cherries. I haven’t made this with gluten-free flour, but a number of readers have commented that they have successfully. Thanks also for your support with the cookbooks! 🙂
Made it this afternoon. It took a long time to cook. Ten minutes at 350, then an hour and half t 325. The outside overdone, center underdone.
Question. The oven had a baking stone in it. Should I have taken that out? Should I have used the convection feature?
It tastes very good and if I can figure out the baking issues, I will make it again.
Hi James, I would remove the baking stone, but I would not use the convection setting. Your strawberries may have been extra juicy; next time you might try using a bit less.
Hi Jen, will it be OK if I substitute the strawberries with raspberries?
Hi Yeny, I haven’t made this with raspberries, but several readers have commented that they have with good results. Hope you enjoy!
Raspberries are delicious in this recipe! Blackberries too! This is my “go to” cake. I make it all the time.
I have made this cake recipe as written several times and everyone has loved it. This last time I added a pinch of nutmeg and about 1/2 tsp. Of cinnamon. I also spied a small bottle of Grand Marnier in my cupboard and added a tsp. of that to the recipe. Wow.
Hi Jenn…what hand mixer do you recommend?
Hi Jill, I like this one. Hope that helps!
Hi Jen,
I made the cake and it tasted yum.
But the strawberries did sink to the bottom. How can I prevent that?
I used a 9 inch pan and i have a fan oven. I baked on 180 for 5 min and then at 165 for 35 mins.
Hi Shagun, Sorry to hear the strawberries sunk. They were likely a little too big. Next time, cut them into slightly smaller pieces.
I made this and it was really delicious but slightly dry, even though I baked it for less time than recommended. I felt like it would have benefitted from more strawberries embedded in the batter. I imagine you tried this and there’s some reason it doesn’t work. Regardless it is really good as is.
Hi Mary, Dryness is usually caused by measuring the flour incorrectly. Did 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.
Hi Jenn, I love how fluffy and crusty this cake turns out.. it’s just that after I finish my slice, behind my teeth has a funny feeling. Is it because of the baking powder that I have? Can I omit it?
Shannon
Hi Shannon, I’ve never heard of baking powder having that effect! That said, maybe it’s just something specific to your body. Unfortunately, it can’t be omitted or the cake won’t rise properly — sorry!
Made this in a 9x 13 pan , recipe doubled and used 2 pounds of strawberries 🍓. Delicious ! Love the crunchy bottom .
I used only 3/4 of a cup of sugar and sparkling sugar over the berries and served with whipped cream . Really excellent!
Just making this now. It looks delicious. I’m hoping it turns out ok as I have a fan oven and was unsure if temp was for fan or conventional oven…I have reduced the temperature to be on the safe side. Fingers crossed
Hi Carol, When using the convection setting, the rule of thumb is to reduce the temp by 25°F. Hope the cake turned out nicely!
Thank you Jenn. I cooked it on 160°c for 10 minutes and reduced to 140°c remainder of the time. It was absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe…I will be making it frequently
So glad — thanks for reporting back!
Thank you for an easy, wonderful recipe! My personal preference is for less sweet treats. Per another review, I used 3/4 cup sugar, and 1 tablespoon sugar on top – it was perfect! The cake itself is so moist and tasty. I will definitely make again and again! Thank you.