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. Within a few days, I had the cake in the oven and, sure enough, it was the one of the simplest, prettiest, most delicious cakes I’d ever made. The beauty of the 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. The recipe was originally published in Martha Stewart Living in June 2005, though it has been modified just a bit.
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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Always looking for new recipes for our strawberries, my other half keeps turning them into jam before I can get them, which is fine but we all like something new now and again. So I baked this from the first harvest, he loved it, the kids loved it. I have to admit I was worried it would be too sweet but it wasn’t. So have to do another one before the season ends. Easy to follow the recipe, an uncomplicated bake. I will certainly be trying other recipes from Jenn.
Absolutely easy and delicious !!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This recipe is a family favorite as are so many of your recipes, Jenn. Thank You! I was wondering if I could use raspberries in place of the strawberries?
So glad you like it, Cathy! I haven’t made the cake with raspberries, but a number of readers have commented that they have with good results. Enjoy!
Do you think I could use frozen strawberries? I went strawberry picking!!! I have made this recipe many times. DELICIOUS!!
Sure, Ann, frozen strawberries will work (and glad you like the cake)!
Do you think you can use half and half in place of milk?
Hi Rosemary, I haven’t used half and half here but it should work. Hope you enjoy!
Went berry picking on Sunday and got loads of fresh strawberries – made this on Monday and it turned out so well! By Tuesday, the cake was finished and made another one just now! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. The crumbly texture on the bottom and the tartiness of the strawberries all together is heavenly!
I’ve made this twice now and it was a hit both times. Smells heavenly coming out of the oven. It’s the perfect dessert in the summer when there’s an abundance of ripe strawberries.
Tastes like summer!
Do you think this would work well with blueberries instead? My blueberry bush has been out of control and I’d love to do a blueberry cake!
Sure, Meaghan, blueberries will work here too. You may also want to consider this blueberry cake. Hope you enjoy whatever you make!
I followed the recipe exactly and the cake is too brown on top with ribbons of unbaked throughout. What happened?
Hi Molly, when you say ribbons of unbaked sections, do you mean pockets? If so, it could be that the cake needed a few more minutes in the oven. If you find that you’re baking this again and the top is browning before the cake is baked throughout, loosely lay a piece of foil over the top of the cake to keep it from browning too much before the cake is fully baked. Sorry you had a problem with it!
To make it lactose-free what would you recommend as the best milk substitute for this recipe?
Hi Derek, a number of readers have commented that they’ve successfully made this cake with non-dairy milk like soy or almond milk. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
I’ve made this with oat milk and it works great.
Easy to make and very tasty. My family loved it:)
I made this cake and loved it. It came out more like a pound cake which was fine. I doubled the recipe and put it in a tube pan. It had to bake about 1-1/2 hours. In hindsight I only kept the 350 temp. for 10 mins. and probably should have gone a bit longer. I also added 1/2 almond extract and 1/2 vanilla extract. I served it with a ricotta creme on the side, flavored with lemon peel/extract. So delish. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
I made this about a month ago because we had extra strawberries. It was absolutely delicious! It was also very easy to put together, and I actually had all the ingredients on hand. Today, we have extra peaches. I’m going to make it soon with peaches instead to see how it works!
Love this recipe!! I’ve made it twice already.
Did a test run of this cake in preparation for Father’s Day for my dad, and it is amazing! I have the very same pie dish, so that is what I used. None of my strawberries sank! When placing my strawberries I made sure to put the biggest ones around the outside, and the smaller ones towards the middle. The biggest ones I cut into quarters; the rest I cut in half. The cake is so light, fluffy, and perfectly moist and the slightly crisp bottom is very yum. The strawberries become tender and taste jam-like, and a nice glaze forms around the edges. Mine was ready 5 min early in a standard oven (used toothpick to check). I paired it with homemade sweetened whipped cream. Will be serving this for Father’s Day!
didn’t work for me
I did find this easy to make but it was pretty dry. Not moist at all.
Do you have any suggestion for making this as an individual dessert? I want to make this with a group of kids and I was hoping that they could make each one themselves. Thanks!
Hi Karen, I really don’t know if that’s possible as the portions they’d be using would so small, and not sure that it would translate well. If you wanted to have them all help with the batter but give them individual baked goods to eat, you could use this muffin recipe instead. Hope that helps!
I made this for a friend last year and she liked it so much she is giving me 2 lbs of freshly picked ripe strawberries from her garden to make one for her (and one for me, yay!!!). Can I double this recipe without making any adjustments? Thank you for making me look like I know what i am doing 🙂
That’s funny — she supplies the berries and you bake the cakes! Yes, it’s fine to double this? I assume you’ll be using 2 separate baking dishes? Keep in mind that you may need to add a minute or two to the baking time because the oven will be slightly more crowded.
Fabulous, easy, beautiful, tasty! My daughters never take home dessert leftovers, but this one was the exception to the rule.
Everything was done per Jenn’s recipe. Right before putting it in the oven, I sprinkled the center with “Sparkle” sugar in white and red.
Excellent! Made this exactly as written. Did take a while to bake, but worth the wait. Going strawberry picking this week. This is on my list for company. Looks so pretty and so easy.
We had a bunch of strawberries that were rapidly going bad, and this cake was a perfect way to use them. My only mods were that I soaked the halved strawberries in a wash of apple cider vinegar (to clean and enhance flavor), used almond extract in place of vanilla (it is EXCELLENT), and added less sugar in the cake but the full amount on top. I have a similar stoneware pie pan and cooked exactly to your specifications and when the alarm went off it was perfectly baked. I ate it with whipped cream last night but then this morning I couldn’t be bothered and ate it by itself with my coffee. Really delightful!
Hi Jenn!
I’m so glad that I found your site! I just baked this strawberry cake and it came out great, and is so delicious! Only a few strawberries sank, but it still came out so pretty. I’ve done a lot of pandemic baking, tiring out my family in the process, but my son just told me that this recipe ranked in the Top 3 of what I’ve made-wow! Thank you, and I look forward to trying more of your recipes!
Made this cake tonight and it smells heavenly and tastes delicious too! Thank you!
This is a fantastic recipe! I am so glad I found it. We have about 10 pounds of strawberries from our garden, and my husband has asked me to make SEVERAL of these cakes. Thank you!
Needed an activity for the kids so I took them strawberry picking and then we made this cake. Truly a simple and delicious cake! It was just as fun to make as it was to eat as it is SO EASY!
Hey Jenn, I love this recipe but need to double it. Would it be ok to use 9×13 pan? I also have some frozen strawberries and wanted to know if need to thaw first. Any advice regarding cooking time and berries would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for being my ” go to ” for all my recipes!
Hi Staci, Yes, you can double this and prepare it in a 9 x 13 dish. Cooking time should be about the same if not a tiny bit longer. And you can use frozen berries (no need to thaw them). Enjoy!
Thank you for mentioning that frozen strawberries will work just fine! I always load up on fresh, local berries and freeze most of them. Was searching for a recipe to use frozen strawberries with – thank you!
I thought that was the problem.When I converted to metric it said 190 grams (see below), which seemed far too little for 1 1/2 cups flour compared to other recipes I have made. I will definitely try this again.
Thank you.
Ann
INGREDIENTS
190 grams all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
85 grams unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pan
225 grams sugar, divided
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
120 ml milk (low fat is fine)
About 340 grams strawberries, hulled and halved
Hi Ann, Did you happen to print the recipe a while back? If so, between the time you printed it and made it, perhaps I realized that I got the conversion wrong and updated it online. If that’s the case, I’m really sorry! Hope you have better luck with it next time around. 🙂
Hi Ann,
The recipe in metric still says 190gr.
So I should use 250gr?
Thank you.
Regards, Sandra
Hi Sandra, I’m sorry for the confusion! The accurate conversion is 195 grams of all-purpose flour. I’ve updated the recipe to indicate that.
My 16 year old daughter made this for me for Mother’s Day. It was just lovely! Looks like a new family tradition has been born. 🙂
It’s strawberry season! This was a hit! So easy and delicious. Thank you for another great recipe.
I cannot tell you how many times I have made this cake since I bought Jenn’s cookbook. It always turns out beautifully and is absolutely scrumptious. What a welcome alternative to traditional (more labor intensive) strawberry shortcake. Great for breakfast as well as dessert.
Anxiously awaiting her second book.
I have made three of these cakes in the last week and have accommodated for different diets. I made one with 2% milk, one with fat-free lactose free milk, and one with Splenda & lactose free milk. All came out perfectly! 10/10 delicious!
Hi Jenn,
I’ve had great success with all your recipes from the blog and your cookbook! Looking forward to trying this strawberry cake this weekend!
Have a question, I see you baked in a stoneware pie dish, will the temperature and baking time be different if baked in a metal cake pan?
Can’t wait for your new cookbook!
Thanks a bunch!
So glad you like the recipes and thanks for your support with the cookbooks! 🙂
No need to modify the baking temperature or time for a metal cake pan. Hope you enjoy!
Jenn,
This cake has quickly become a family favorite! I wondered if you had ever tried making it with any other fresh fruits. I was thinking of trying it with a combo of fresh strawberries and blueberries for a festive holiday cake. It seemed to bake a bit faster than the recipe stated…I just go by the appearance and the toothpick test.
Have you ever tried it with gluten-free flour? I would love to make it for my daughter-in-law who can’t have wheat flour. I use Namaste flour when I convert recipes.
Our family loves your recipes. I have gifted your first cookbook to my daughter-in-law and have already pre-ordered your new one just as I did with your first endeavor. I am very selective about adding cookbooks to my collection but purchasing yours was a no brainer!
Thanks to your cousin, Shani Spiegle, I learned of your blog and have enjoyed every recipe I have tried.
l look forward to enjoying your next book in September.
Best wishes,
Marilyn Bilsky
Hi Marilyn, Small world – I’m glad that Shani turned you onto the blog! Yes, I do think you could make this with a combo of strawberries and blueberries. It would also be delicious with cherries. I haven’t made this with gluten-free flour, but a number of readers have commented that they have successfully. Thanks also for your support with the cookbooks! 🙂
Made it this afternoon. It took a long time to cook. Ten minutes at 350, then an hour and half t 325. The outside overdone, center underdone.
Question. The oven had a baking stone in it. Should I have taken that out? Should I have used the convection feature?
It tastes very good and if I can figure out the baking issues, I will make it again.
Hi James, I would remove the baking stone, but I would not use the convection setting. Your strawberries may have been extra juicy; next time you might try using a bit less.
Hi Jen, will it be OK if I substitute the strawberries with raspberries?
Hi Yeny, I haven’t made this with raspberries, but several readers have commented that they have with good results. Hope you enjoy!
Raspberries are delicious in this recipe! Blackberries too! This is my “go to” cake. I make it all the time.
I have made this cake recipe as written several times and everyone has loved it. This last time I added a pinch of nutmeg and about 1/2 tsp. Of cinnamon. I also spied a small bottle of Grand Marnier in my cupboard and added a tsp. of that to the recipe. Wow.
Hi Jenn…what hand mixer do you recommend?
Hi Jill, I like this one. Hope that helps!
Hi Jen,
I made the cake and it tasted yum.
But the strawberries did sink to the bottom. How can I prevent that?
I used a 9 inch pan and i have a fan oven. I baked on 180 for 5 min and then at 165 for 35 mins.
Hi Shagun, Sorry to hear the strawberries sunk. They were likely a little too big. Next time, cut them into slightly smaller pieces.
I made this and it was really delicious but slightly dry, even though I baked it for less time than recommended. I felt like it would have benefitted from more strawberries embedded in the batter. I imagine you tried this and there’s some reason it doesn’t work. Regardless it is really good as is.
Hi Mary, 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.
Hi Jenn, I love how fluffy and crusty this cake turns out.. it’s just that after I finish my slice, behind my teeth has a funny feeling. Is it because of the baking powder that I have? Can I omit it?
Shannon
Hi Shannon, I’ve never heard of baking powder having that effect! That said, maybe it’s just something specific to your body. Unfortunately, it can’t be omitted or the cake won’t rise properly — sorry!
Made this in a 9x 13 pan , recipe doubled and used 2 pounds of strawberries 🍓. Delicious ! Love the crunchy bottom .
I used only 3/4 of a cup of sugar and sparkling sugar over the berries and served with whipped cream . Really excellent!
Just making this now. It looks delicious. I’m hoping it turns out ok as I have a fan oven and was unsure if temp was for fan or conventional oven…I have reduced the temperature to be on the safe side. Fingers crossed
Hi Carol, When using the convection setting, the rule of thumb is to reduce the temp by 25°F. Hope the cake turned out nicely!
Thank you Jenn. I cooked it on 160°c for 10 minutes and reduced to 140°c remainder of the time. It was absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe…I will be making it frequently
So glad — thanks for reporting back!
Thank you for an easy, wonderful recipe! My personal preference is for less sweet treats. Per another review, I used 3/4 cup sugar, and 1 tablespoon sugar on top – it was perfect! The cake itself is so moist and tasty. I will definitely make again and again! Thank you.
I have made this several times – fabulous!
I would like to use pitted sour cherries instead of strawberries – from a jar, drained.
Can I add them to the batter ?
Or best to add on top as I have done with strawberries ?
Thank you !
I’d probably add them to the top like the strawberries. Hope you enjoy!
Just doubled the recipe and baked in 9×12″ glass dish and its all bubbling over the sides right now even as Im watching it – hope its edible?
Eileen
Hi Eileen, I believe that people have successfully doubled it in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, but you mentioned yours was 9 x 12? How did it come out?
Wowwww!!!! This cake is amazing!! Will definitely do it again! One question.. I would like to keep the texture of the cake as it is really good, so to make it of a different flavour, can I use another kind of fruit? Thanks 🥰
Glad you like it! Blueberries or peaches would work here too. You may also want to take a peek at my French Apple Cake. Hope that helps and that you enjoy whatever you make!
This is my first ever review for any recipe and let me tell you…..YUM. I was looking for a recipe with strawberries and this was the first one that popped up. After reading a few reviews on it and the short ingredient list, I decided to give it a whirl. It was a huge hit with my husband and kids. I made it exactly as is, but I think I will experiment with other types of fruit as well. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi – has anyone tried baking this cake in a iron cast skillet ? I think the presentation would be so pretty but not sure if it will ruin the cake ?
Hi Meena, I’m not sure if anyone else has made this in a cast iron skillet but do you think it would work. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
This is my favorite cake recipe Ive come accross, so simple and delicious. I love baking it with my 6 year old son and serving with home made whip cream. I have been asked to share this recipe many times.
Going to make this today! Looks delicious and easy! Is it ok to use whole strawberries that I froze? Thank you
Hi Margie, Frozen strawberries are fine, but I would cut them into smaller pieces. Hope you enjoy!
Absolutely delicious and the easiest cake I have ever made. The frozen strawberries, cut up, worked great! My Grandson and I both loved it!!! Can’t wait to make it again!!
Just pulled this delicious smelling cake out of the oven. Question, all my strawberries sank to the bottom of the pie dish. I’m sure it will be amazing, but it’s lacking the presentation I was hoping for. How do I prevent that from happening next time? Thank!
Hi Stephany, I would cut the berries a bit smaller and also use King Arthur flour (if you aren’t already).
AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS!
I love strawberries and have been searching for years for a strawberry cake recipe that worked …this is IT! It turned our perfectly the first time. It tastes even better the next day, having stayed loosely covered on the counter overnight. Pure strawberry perfection! I will make this again and again. Keep doing what you’re doing Ms. Segal! This recipe inspired me to buy the cookbook. Thank you!
This was so easy and so good! I need to read the directions better next time. I added the strawberries whole but it still tasted delish!! Have you tried other fruit with this recipe?
So glad you enjoyed it! Blueberries would work here too. I’ve also made this with peaches. Hope that helps! You may want to take a peek at my French Apple Cake as well. Hope that helps!
So easy, tasty and beautiful! Thanks for all of your amazing recipes – they always turn out perfect!
💗
Yum! I made this tonight to use up some strawberries.. I cut the strawberries into little pieces and served with whipped cream and some lemon zest! It was a huge hit!
Absolutely amazing!