Easy Fresh Strawberry Cake
- PREP
This is a lovely light cake with fresh strawberries baked into the batter. The batter is scented with lemon zest, vanilla and almond extract which all work so nicely with strawberries. Since the cake is so flavorful, we love serving it simply. Try a dusting of powdered sugar on top or next to a bowl of whipped cream. (Ice cream would work, too!)
You Will Need
8 tablespoons (115 grams or 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar plus 1 teaspoon for strawberries
2 large eggs, separated, see notes
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (125 grams) sour cream or plain yogurt
8 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and halved (about 1 1/2 cups)
Powdered sugar for serving, optional
Directions
Make Batter
Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch by 2-inch round pan. Place the pan on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular baking sheets stacked on top of the other (this helps even baking).
In a large bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the egg yolks, lemon zest, vanilla and almond extract. Beat until smooth and blended. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl then beat in the cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
Mix in a third of the flour until only a few streaks of flour remain then mix in the remaining flour. Add the egg whites and sour cream and mix on medium low speed just until smooth.
To Finish
Spread the cake batter into an even layer in the baking pan. Gently press strawberries into the top of the batter in a circular pattern so that the strawberries are covering most of the top of the cake. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar over the strawberries.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes.
Cool cake in the pan for 5 minutes then run a knife around the edges and remove from the pan. Place strawberry-side-up on the cooling rack and allow to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature with powdered sugar sprinkled on top.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Eggs: It’s common in baking to add the egg yolks at a different time than the whites. Egg yolks help to emulsify the batter and add richness. Adding the whites at the end of the recipe adds some structure to the batter so when it rises in the oven, it does not overflow over the sides of the cake pan.
- Recipe adapted and inspired from Alice Medrich’s upside down cake in “Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts”
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the VeryWell Fit recipe calculator to calculate approximate values.
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