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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Perfect for the wonderful fresh strawberries we have now. So many compliments for such a simple and simply delicious cake!
Well, mine didn’t look anything like the photo although I thought I followed the directions in a deep-dish pie pan. Mine was much darker and the strawberries sank to the bottom and became mushy. No fresh strawberry taste at all although the taste was pretty good. The cake was quite ugly. Maybe it was my convection oven….
Same!
This cake was simple to make and absolutely delicious!
My strawberries were not as sweet as in the local season so I baked it without the sugar on top and added some confectioners sugar after it baked. Gave it a little more flavor and sweetness (did not use the whipped cream) . I also used both almond and vanilla extract because I love almond, it was a hit. Thanks for the recipe.
Made this for a graduation party cookout and it was well received. It came together quickly, baked for the time specified, and is a great summer dessert! The presentation is nice in the way the top bakes around the berries. Will make and take to more summer outings!
Has anyone used salted butter in this recipe? I want to make this tomorrow, but do not have unsalted butter.
Hi Diane, I may be weighing in too late to help, but for future reference, while it varies by brand, most salted butter has approximately 1/4 tsp. salt per stick, so you can use the salted butter and reduce the salt in the recipe as needed. Hope that helps!
This is a quick and easy recipe with a beautiful presentation. It tastes just like pound cake topped with strawberries and whipped cream. Next time, I will try serving it w strawberry ice cream and strawberry puree. This is a perfect light summer dessert!
Made this today and it was as delicious! The cake is light and fluffy but not too sweet, the strawberries are the perfect addition to this cake. Recipe came together quickly. Everyone raved about this cake.
Recipe is fabulous ! I can’t believe what I did though …. I had company and was distracted while I was putting the ingredients together. I’d read the reviews and decided to double the recipe and bake it in a 9 x 13 pan. Since I’m kind of OCD, I always read through the recipe a second or third time to make sure I got the amounts correct and realize I had put 2 cups of milk in the mix instead of one cup.
Other than that, I followed the directions to a T and baked it an extra 20 minutes to get a light, scrumptious, and beautiful cake. WHEW!
I love your stuff! Thanks again for sharing!!
Hi, l love your recipes. I would like to try this with spring rhubarb. Would it work?
Hi Dawn, So glad you like the recipes! I think rhubarb would be good, but I’d probably mix it with strawberries, otherwise, the cake might be a little too tart. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Hi Jenn,
Can I use a Bundt pan for this recipe? If yes, do I have to adjust the temp? Also, when putting in the strawberries would I put them in first with the sugar or last (essentially being on the bottom)? Do I need to double the recipe?
Hi Christine, I wouldn’t recommend a bundt here; I’m concerned that it would stick. Sorry!