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 cake 5 times! It has become a HUGE family favorite. It never lasts longer then 2 days. I make it EXACTLY how it it written. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I am excited to make this for a friend’s birthday!! Perhaps I missed info for number of servings if I use ingredients as listed and bake in a pie baking dish. Please advise! THANK YOU!
Hi Kathy, It will serve 8 to 10. Hope everyone enjoys!
I’ve made this three times before and it’s amazing.
I’m lactose intolerant now – think it would be ok with almond milk? Thank you!
Yep 🙂
Will the cake stick greasing only with butter, rather than butter & flour?
No, you shouldn’t have a problem with it sticking. Hope you enjoy!
Hey Jen, is there any way I can substitute frozen blackberries in this recipe? I also need to know if would need to double all ingredients if using a 9×13 dish. Wasn’t sure if cooking time would vary or not but your help would be appreciated!
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 blackberries (no need to thaw them). Enjoy!
I made this today all sugar free. Not calorie free not Keto.I have been tinkering around with baking sugar free deserts with different types of baking alternatives. I made this today with a sugar baking alternative and used Splenda to sprinkle on the top . Came out AWESOME! I will make this again I have so many strawberries I will make two more and freeze !
It is peak strawberry season here in central Florida (which means our local grocers are basically giving them away) and needed ways to use up the last of our bulk strawberry purchase. This recipe was simple to prepare, DELICIOUS and only used ingredients I already had on hand. Served with whipped cream and some julienned fresh mint from the garden – A+!
I have made this so many times with strawberries and raspberries!! It is so delicious and never lasts long. Could I do this in a 10×9 glass dish? If not that size what rectangular size would you suggest? And does baking time need to be adjusted? Thank you so much Jenn!!!
Hi Vikki, so glad you like this! Yes, you can get away with baking this in a 10 x 9“ baking dish. The bake time may be just a tad shorter so keep an eye on it. Please LMK how it turns out!
Hi Jenn
I’ve done this cake before. I’m making again as I’m typing. Great recipe, thank you.
Sounds delicious. I love almond flavoring. Could I use it in this recipe to good effect? Would you substitute it for the vanilla or use both. How much would you use if it is okay to use? I love your recipes and your baking tips!
Hi Viki, So glad you like the recipes! Yes, you can definitely add some almond extract. I would keep the same amount of vanilla extract and use only 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract (as almond extract is much stronger in flavor so you don’t need much). Please LMK how they turn out!
Love this recipe! So delicious and easy to make with simple ingredients. Always a winner with my family and friends.
Jenn,
First off thank you for your help about subbing sugar with stevia. I added a half cup of stevia and it was perfect.
Anyway, your recipe is amazing! The most perfectly moist strawberry cake I’ve ever made. Recipe printed and filed among my favorite dessert recipes!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. Adrienne ❤️