Fresh Strawberry Cake
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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.
More Recipes You Might Like
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Hi Jenn!
I’m so glad that I found your site! I just baked this strawberry cake and it came out great, and is so delicious! Only a few strawberries sank, but it still came out so pretty. I’ve done a lot of pandemic baking, tiring out my family in the process, but my son just told me that this recipe ranked in the Top 3 of what I’ve made-wow! Thank you, and I look forward to trying more of your recipes!
Made this cake tonight and it smells heavenly and tastes delicious too! Thank you!
This is a fantastic recipe! I am so glad I found it. We have about 10 pounds of strawberries from our garden, and my husband has asked me to make SEVERAL of these cakes. Thank you!
Needed an activity for the kids so I took them strawberry picking and then we made this cake. Truly a simple and delicious cake! It was just as fun to make as it was to eat as it is SO EASY!
Hey Jenn, I love this recipe but need to double it. Would it be ok to use 9×13 pan? I also have some frozen strawberries and wanted to know if need to thaw first. Any advice regarding cooking time and berries would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for being my ” go to ” for all my recipes!
Hi Staci, Yes, you can double this and prepare it in a 9 x 13 dish. Cooking time should be about the same if not a tiny bit longer. And you can use frozen berries (no need to thaw them). Enjoy!
Thank you for mentioning that frozen strawberries will work just fine! I always load up on fresh, local berries and freeze most of them. Was searching for a recipe to use frozen strawberries with – thank you!
I thought that was the problem.When I converted to metric it said 190 grams (see below), which seemed far too little for 1 1/2 cups flour compared to other recipes I have made. I will definitely try this again.
Thank you.
Ann
INGREDIENTS
190 grams all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
85 grams unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pan
225 grams sugar, divided
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
120 ml milk (low fat is fine)
About 340 grams strawberries, hulled and halved
Hi Ann, Did you happen to print the recipe a while back? If so, between the time you printed it and made it, perhaps I realized that I got the conversion wrong and updated it online. If that’s the case, I’m really sorry! Hope you have better luck with it next time around. 🙂
Hi Ann,
The recipe in metric still says 190gr.
So I should use 250gr?
Thank you.
Regards, Sandra
Hi Sandra, I’m sorry for the confusion! The accurate conversion is 195 grams of all-purpose flour. I’ve updated the recipe to indicate that.
My 16 year old daughter made this for me for Mother’s Day. It was just lovely! Looks like a new family tradition has been born. 🙂
It’s strawberry season! This was a hit! So easy and delicious. Thank you for another great recipe.
I cannot tell you how many times I have made this cake since I bought Jenn’s cookbook. It always turns out beautifully and is absolutely scrumptious. What a welcome alternative to traditional (more labor intensive) strawberry shortcake. Great for breakfast as well as dessert.
Anxiously awaiting her second book.
I have made three of these cakes in the last week and have accommodated for different diets. I made one with 2% milk, one with fat-free lactose free milk, and one with Splenda & lactose free milk. All came out perfectly! 10/10 delicious!