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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We love it, a very good recipe, a small cake which is good for two people who love leftovers for the next day.
I made this cake to take to the office after the 4th. It got rave reviews. I would probably cook for only an hour next time, or less, but it was still very good. I sprinkled a little cinnamon on top with the sugar prior to baking and it worked great. Will make again!
Hi! How have I only just seen this recipe?! This is the nicest and most delicious cake EVER!
I’m wondering would it work with raspberries????
Glad you discovered and enjoyed it! I haven’t tried it, but think it will work with raspberries. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
Made this recipe and I brushed the top with strawberry lavender jelly and a sprinkle of turbindao sugar before baking. It turned out and is delicious!!
P.S. I make your blueberry muffins recipe all the time and they are awesome!
I loved how easy this was to make. Never had a problem with the berries sinking.
Only thing for me is I found an hour a bit long. I did 57 minutes at 350 and I think I would go closer to 50 min next time. It’s a great recipe that you could put with any fruit on top I would think!
This cake is delicious and so easy! It has become my husband’s favorite and most requested cake! I do sometimes add a ring of blueberries between each ring of strawberries, especially on July 4th to make the cake patriotic!
I also used this batter to make a cinnamon coffee cake which turned out delish as well!
I would love to know how you make your cinnamon coffee cake.. Recipe for topping ? Many thanks… and yes, Jen’s strawberry cake and other recipes are fantastic !!!
I have prepared many of the recipes on Jenn’s website and never once was I disappointed. I followed the recipe and the cake was delicious. I was wondering if i could use a spring pan instead of a 9 inch round cake pan.I think the presentation would be prettier. Thank you for wonderful recipes and professional guidance.
So glad you like the recipes (including this one)! Yes, it’s fine to prepare this in a springform pan.
Made recently and my guests ate it for dessert….and for breakfast! A hit! Wondering if this would work with peaches and blueberries? Anyone try this with other fruit?
Hi Amy, Glad it was a hit! Yes, both blueberries and peaches will work here. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Can buttermilk be used in place of whole or low fat milk? This is a delicious cake, I once made it with fresh peaches, also tasty!
Hi Deborah, I’d stick with regular milk here (And so glad you like the cake!)
I’ll do that then! Thanks for your quick reply!
So delicious and buttery…. I appreciate how lovely the strawberries look arranged around the cake.
Very happy how this turned out! Some said they had issues with the strawberries sinking. I cut mine in thin slices and didn’t have any issues. The batter is quite thick so think next time I’ll slice them a bit thicker.
Definitely will make again!