Fresh Strawberry Cake
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A simple, beautiful cake that lets ripe berries shine—this strawberry cake is perfect for spring and summer baking.
This strawberry cake recipe was sent to me by Karen Tannenbaum, a longtime reader, avid baker, and all-around lovely person. In her note, she described a dinner that ended with this dessert as “just like a night in heaven.” I was sold. A few days later, I gave it a go—and it turned out to be one of the simplest, prettiest, and most delicious cakes I’ve ever made. The batter comes together in under 15 minutes with just a handful of ingredients, and it’s a great way to use up extra strawberries (even the ones that are a little past their prime).
This recipe originally ran in Martha Stewart Living back in June 2005, but I’ve made a few tweaks to make it even better. If you have extra strawberries on hand, be sure to also try my strawberry shortcake and strawberry muffins. You’ll be glad you did.
“The most requested cake I have ever made.”
Strawberry Cake Ingredients
- All-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt: The base of the cake. The flour gives it structure, baking powder helps it rise, and the salt balances the sweetness. For best results, always measure flour using the spoon-and-level method.
- Unsalted butter and sugar: Creamed together, these create a light, fluffy base. The butter adds richness, and the sugar sweetens the batter and helps the top caramelize a bit as it bakes. A little sugar is also sprinkled over the strawberries before baking—it creates a pretty, slightly crisp topping.
- Egg and vanilla extract: The egg adds structure to the cake and binds everything together, while the vanilla adds that warm, bakery-style flavor.
- Milk: Thins the batter just enough to make it smooth and pourable (low-fat works just fine).
- Strawberries: Halved and arranged on top, they bake down into the cake and add sweet-tart bursts of flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set the mixture aside.
Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar. In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. his step helps incorporate air into the batter, which gives the cake a lighter, more tender texture. Don’t rush it—give it a good 3 minutes or so.
Step 3: Add egg and vanilla. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined.
Step 4: Finish the batter by adding wet and dry ingredients. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. This keeps the batter smooth and helps everything incorporate evenly without overmixing.
As you can see, the finished batter will be quite thick—that’s exactly what you want, since the strawberries release a lot of moisture as they bake.
Step 5: Assemble the cake. Transfer the batter to a buttered 9-inch deep dish pie pan (or a 9-inch round cake pan) and smooth the top with a spatula. Arrange the strawberry halves on top, cut side down, covering as much of the surface as you can. They’ll sink slightly as the cake bakes. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the remaining sugar. Don’t skip this step—it balances the tartness of the berries and creates a deliciously crisp, golden crust as the cake bakes.
Step 6: Bake. Bake the cake at 350°F for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325°F and bake for about an hour more, until the top is golden and a tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool on a rack, then serve warm or at room temperature—plain, or topped with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Either way, it’s hard to stop at one slice!
The cake is best enjoyed fresh on the day it’s made, but it’ll keep nicely on the countertop for a few days, or you can freeze it for longer storage.
More Strawberry Recipes You Might Like
Fresh Strawberry Cake
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 + 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk (low-fat is fine)
- About ¾ lb strawberries, hulled and halved
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and butter a 9-in (23-cm) deep dish pie pan (or 9-in/23-cm 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 they completely cover the batter, using more or less as needed. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar over the strawberries.
- Bake for ten minutes, then reduce the heat to 325°F (165°C) 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.
- The cake can be stored at room temperature for several days, loosely covered.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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 made this cake about once a week this past spring/summer during prime strawberry season and it is the absolute best. One of our family favorites.
Do you think this cake would work with peaches? Want to make it for the Jewish holidays and hoping the farmer’s market might still have some late summer peaches. Thanks Jen!
Hi Allyson, So glad you like this cake! I actually have a peach version of it — you can find it here. (The only change is the addition of the streusel.) Hope you enjoy if you make it and happy new year! 🙂
Thanks Jenn! Will give it a try. Happy New Year to you too. 😉
I used the food processor. I whipped some cream for topping and put it in a serving bowl. Then I beat the egg and sugar in the processor bowl, then added butter. I measured flour, baking powder, salt, stirred together in measuring cup, then added flour and milk alternately with vanilla. Added 1/4 cup more milk. Caked in 9″ spring form pan. Soo good!
I saw this recipe weeks ago and was looking for time to make it. Now I have plenty of time, though this recipe comes together quickly. This cake is easy and delicious, but make sure the butter is soft. We loved this recipe, as we do for every one of Jenn’s recipes.
Delicious! I stumbled across this recipe looking for solutions to a large quantity of strawberries. It was easy to make, relatively quick, and super tasty. Bonus in that I had all of the ingredients in my cupboard. We ate it still a bit warm with vanilla bean ice cream and whipped cream. I will definitely be making it again. Thank you!
I love your recipes, and I am excited to make this cake. Can I use an 8″‘ cake pan or a 9″ pie dish that is not deep dish? Thanks
Hi Jenny, Yes, I’d go with the 9-in pan. Enjoy!
What a lovely cake! I made this very last minute and used what I had for strawberries and it was great, not too sweet and the perfect texture. Jenn, your recipes are becoming all of my family’s favorites- thank you so much!!
😊
Just made this . Wow – it smelled delicious and was really easy but most importantly tasted fabulous
I made this cake – simple to make and delicious! I wonder how this would work with plums??
Glad you liked it! And I actually have a very similar cake that is made with plums — check it out here.
This was delicious. I had one small piece and my 145 lb husband ate the rest in one sitting. Will make again.
Jenn,
Thank you for including weights. It really makes baking faster and neater! I used 130 grams white flour and 60 grams whole wheat. I used only 1 TBSP sugar on top of the strawberries and 5 TBSP butter because that is what I had left after using 3 for the Italian popcorn (it is crazy good). I baked the cake in a 9” cake pan and it was ready after 45 minutes. I tasted a corner while still warm and it is fantastic!
Awesome recipe – everyone loves this cake and it’s easy to make!