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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Hi Jenn, looking forward to making this for mothers day next weekend! I saw a comment earlier which prompted me to ask, for the recipes on your website (this one included), do you recommend conventional or fan forced oven? Do you usually specify if it’s fan forced, and otherwise I’m safe to assume conventional oven? Thanks for your help xx
Hi Mel, I always develop and publish my recipes using the regular setting on my oven (because many people don’t have convection settings on their ovens), so I’d go with the regular/non-fan setting. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Hi! Love your recipes,but the cake was a little dry-
Hi, can this dessert be made ahead of time (say a day or two)? If so, should it be refrigerated until ready to eat?
Yes, it keeps nicely for several days (and you can store it on the counter). Hope you enjoy!
Made this today to use up some strawberries & raspberries & it was so good! Followed the exact instructions with a couple of tweaks – swapped out about 30 g of the flour for almond meal (to use some leftover almond meal up), & added lemon rind into the batter & also mixed in with the berries. Cooking time was the same & was soooo tasty x
Made this yesterday and it was good but not delicious. Admittedly, my strawberries were not the sweetest so the cake lacked a bit of flavor. Planning on making it again and adding some rhubarb to give it a little more zip.
If cooking in a glass pie pan be sure to reduce the temperature by 25 degrees. Unfortunately, I did not do that the first time I made the cake.
I had the hardest time telling when it was done! I never had the tester come out clean, I think because the strawberry juice made it sticky (and delicious), and I wasn’t sure what internal temp to go for, so I cooked it way too long. Any suggestions for how to tell when it’s done? It was still really good, and I would make it again if you have any suggestions for that issue!
Hi Dee, sorry you had a hard time determining when the cake was done. Yes, the strawberries and the juice they give off do make it a little hard to tell when you use a cake tester. I would just pay attention to what the cake looks like (it should be lightly golden on top), and stick to the timing of 1 hour in the recipe. Hope that helps at least a bit!
Cooked for 50 min and it was dry
Hi Joan, I’m sorry you found the cake to be dry! 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.
Jenn, I have made this cake several times and it is a favorite. The last time it was dry and I was perplexed until I realized from your comment that I did measure my flour incorrectly by tapping the cup when I leveled and I’m sure I used too much. I should have realized when I creamed with the butter. Thanks for the reminder! Linda
👍
I haven’t tried this yet, but I’ve been looking for a sponge cake to turn into a strawberry/whipped cream layer cake for my hubby’s birthday. Would your recipe for the cake minus the strawberries work for that?
Hi Annette, Not sure I would recommend this without any strawberries. I have a strawberry layer cake on page 252 of my new cookbook. If you don’t have the cookbook, email me at jennifer@onceuponachef and I’d be happy to send you the recipe.
Loved this! A big hit! Like strawberry shortcake but easier to prepare! Thanks for another great recipe!
Made the recipe last weekend – exactly as directed – to celebrate friend’s birthday. HUGE winner!! 5 stars NOT enough to rate this dessert. Incredibly positive comments from party attendees – all well deserved. Served at room temp with chilled homemade whipped cream!! YUMMY!