once upon a chef
I– 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
Begin by combining the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Whisk to combine and set aside.
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.