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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Hi, I need to watch my sugar intake, is there any advice you can give on swapping the sugar out for a replacement such as Stevia? And if so what quantity? Thanks
Hi Holly, I wish I could help but I’ve never worked with sugar substitutes so I can’t say how it would impact the recipe. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it with one!
I don’t know if this helps but I LOVE this recipe and have made it a few times and have gradually been reducing the sugar. I’m still using regular white sugar but so far I am down to 2/3 cup and it’s still great, fluffy and wonderful (just sprinkling 1 tbsp on top). I know sugar is not just about the sweetness but the structure of the cake so need to be careful, but so far so good.
Hi. I made the cake with half the sugar, and it was delicious (most folks who prefer less sweet might want to cut it down to 3/4c). I used 1/4 tsp almond extract instead of vanilla, & substituted 1/2 c ground almonds for 1/2 c flour. Baking time was about 15 min shorter (when the edge browns and pulls away from pan, it’s done! –even if top is only very lightly browned). The berries make the dish sweet enough, and I only wish I could stuff more in. Simple but beautiful presentation. Drizzle on some dark chocolate balsamic vinegar, and it’s a marvel!
I don’t know what I did wrong, but the cake part came out tasting a little like cornbread to me.
OMG this cake was sooooooo good! I only had oak milk so I used that. I used a 9 x 9 glass dish and it was perfect. This one is a keeper!
I’ve made this many times with strawberries — so fabulous. How do you think this recipe would do with peaches?
So glad you like this! Yes, it will work nicely with peaches too. 🙂
I made this Fresh strawberry cake and it tastes nice but the sponge came over the sides of the tin and ended up being about less than an inch deep. After reviewing the recipe it states 225 gms of sugar. Is this too much sugar? Any advice would help please.
Regards Teresa
Hi Teresa, Sorry You had a problem with this! You mentioned that the batter ran over the side of the pan, but that the cake was very shallow. What size pan did you use a 9-inch deep dish pie pan or 9-inch square cake pan? (The 225 grams of sugar is correct.)
Wonderful recipe Jenn and I agree with you….simplest and most DELICIOUS cake!!!
Can you make with frozen strawberries?
Sure, Kate. Enjoy!
Thank you for the great recipe. Baked it today for my daughter’s birthday and the whole family enjoyed it. It was delicious and the only thing I would change next time is reduce the sugar. Thanks again!
I’ve made this cake about 6 times this summer! It’s easy and fool proof. The consistency is very similar to a moist shortcake/biscuit. We (my family) are not fans of fruit baked in cake, so we use it as a shortcake and pile the strawberries or peaches on top. It’s perfect with a cup of coffee in the morning too!
This cake is absolutely amazing. I’ve made it five times and it’s always a hit with my guests. I’ve used both a deep dish pie pan and a 9 inch springform pan. This cake comes out awesome in a springform and the sides are a bit crunch like the top.