Easy Strawberry Cake
- PREP 15min
- COOK 40min
- TOTAL 55min
You will love this simple, light, and lovely homemade strawberry cake recipe! We bake halved fresh strawberries into a batter with lemon zest, vanilla, and almond extract. Serve slices of cake plain, dusted with powdered sugar, or a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
You Will Need
8 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and halved (225 g)
8 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter (113g)
1 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 teaspoon for strawberries (200 g)
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract, optional
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (195 g)
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup sour cream or plain thick yogurt (125 g)
Directions
1Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly grease the bottom of an 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan at least 2 inches tall.
2In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes (or use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment).
3Add the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and almond extract, and beat until smooth.
4In another bowl, whisk or sift the flour with the baking powder and salt. On low speed, mix half of the flour mixture into the butter and egg yolk mixture until only a few streaks of flour remain, then mix in the remaining flour.
5Add the (unbeaten) egg whites and sour cream, and mix on low speed until blended.
6Spoon the cake batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Arrange the strawberry halves, cut-side down, on top of the batter, covering the cake. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar over the strawberries.
7Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a cooling rack, then run a knife around the edges and remove from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature, with powdered sugar dusted on top or whipped cream.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: You can refrigerate the leftover cake for up to 3 days. Freeze it, wrapped well in foil, for up to 1 month. Thaw it overnight in the fridge. You can rewarm slices in the microwave for about 10 seconds.
- Recipe adapted and inspired from Alice Medrich’s “Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts”
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.