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 seldom bake, but I had so many strawberries! I made this delicious cake in a 9″ square baking dish. I followed the recipe except I used more strawberries to cover the entire cake. I might even add more next time! Easy, quick, delicious taste of summer!
I had a bunch of fresh-picked strawberries to use up. I made the Fresh Strawberry Cake last night. I appreciate your step by step directions and the photos. I baked mine in an 8.5×8.5 square pyrex dish. I checked for doneness with a wooden skewer and did remove it from the oven after 1 hour and five minutes. I did have some crumbs on the skewer but I could see that the sides were a nice golden brown color. I thought that there would be some carryover baking as the dish cooled. I enjoyed the recipe very much and will make it again. I used salted butter but cut back on the additional salt that the recipe required. It is delicious. I’ll be making this recipe again. Thanks so much for your very detailed directions…!!!
WOW!!! I’ve been cooking and baking for many many years and I’ve never felt the need to leave a review until now! The cake turned out delicious and bakery-quality in terms of taste and presentation. Will be making again!
I have made this cake several times and it is always delicious. I follow the directions exactly. Topped with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream – so yummy!!!
I made this cake last week and it was DELICIOUS! Easy and such a lovely summer dessert.
Question. I need a bigger cake and was thinking about doubling the recipe and cooking in a springform pan. Will this work? Temperature? Baking time?
Thank you for this goodness!
So glad you enjoyed it! You could double this and use a 9 or 10-inch springform pan. I’d keep the oven temp the same; bake time may be a little longer, so keep a close eye on it.
Thank you! Making it for July 4th!
I made this yesterday. It was excellent and easy to make. I will be definitely be making again. Question: Could almond milk be used?
Glad you liked it! Yes, you can use almond milk here.
I made this yesterday. It was excellent and easy to make. I will be definitely be making again. Question: Could almond milk be used instead of regular milk?
Glad you liked it! Yes, it’s fine to use almond milk here.
I’m in the UK so switched over to metric. I followed the recipe exactly but my batter was “sloppier” than your pictures.
I feel that there’s too much milk in the recipe so will cut it down. Once baked most of the strawberries sank because the batter wasn’t stiff enough.
I can see now that other people have had a problem with the strawberries sinking. I shall add the milk a little at a time till I get a consistency like yours.
It tasted nice enough anyway, just didn’t look as pretty as yours.
Why is my whole cake still liquid after baking an hour and 15mins?
That sounds very strange! The cake is pretty predictable – is there a chance you made a measuring error? Also, You may want to check your oven temperature to see if it’s accurate. Here’s some guidance on how to do that.
It was so easy to make And Very delicious. Great with or without Kool Whip
Hi, would you change the cooking time if doubling the recipe in a 9×13 pan?
Hi Natalie, the cook time should be about the same if not just a touch longer. Enjoy!
OMG THIS STRAWBERRY CAKE WAS THE ABSOLUTE BEST EVER !!!! Thank you ❤️❤️ ❤️