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 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!