Fresh Strawberry Cake

Strawberry!Strawberry!Strawberry!

Maybe it is strawberry overload but I think it is absolutely delicious. I recently made this for a birthday party and the birthday girl’s favorite flavor was, you guessed it Strawberry! This cake is a little work but believe me its worth it. This recipe produces a soft cake with a creamy custardy center filled with strawberry flavor. As you will see below the strawberry sauce is completely optional, but I really wanted to drive home the fresh flavor and had a ton of strawberries to use up.

Please enjoy this strawberry extravaganza!

Strawberry Sauce

Fresh Strawberry Cake

Time: 2 hr.

Yield: 1 9″ cake + 1 1/2 Cups Strawberry Sauce

Ingredients:

Cake

1 1/3 Cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 Teaspoon baking powder
1/4 Teaspoon salt
1 Stick unsalted butter, softened
1 Cup +1/4 Cup granulated sugar, reserve the 1/4 cup
2 Large eggs
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 Cup sour cream*
16 Ounces fresh strawberries sliced*(See tips below)

Fresh Strawberry Sauce(Optional)

1 lb Strawberries, rinsed, hulled and thickly sliced
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice (from 1/2 Lemon)

Procedure

1. Prepare all ingredients, then preheat oven to 350℉ and prepare a 9″ cake pan.*

2. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt with a whisk or fork. Set aside.

3. You need need a large bowl and a whisk or a stand mixer. Begin with the softened butter and 1 cup sugar whipping until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Then beat in the eggs one at a time fully incorporating and ending with the vanilla.

4. To the butter sugar egg mixture stirring until just combined add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/2 of the sour cream, then 1/3 flour, then the remainder of the sour cream and the remainder of the flour. You DO NOT want to over mix this cake as it will not have the custardy center it is supposed to have.

5. Reserve 10-12 of the best strawberry slices to decorate and then add the remainder to the batter folding in gently with a spatula. It is going to look like a lot of strawberries but believe me it will be ok! Now spread the batter evenly into the cake pan, then place the strawberries on the top of the batter pushing gently to set, I placed mine cut side down. Finally sprinkle the reserved 1/4 cup sugar on top. The sugar will give the top of the cake a beautiful finish as well as a delicious crunch. Place in the oven baking for 35-40 minutes. Testing with a tooth pick for doneness should be clean.

6. (Optional)While the cake is baking it is time to prepare the strawberry sauce, if desires. Place all the ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir the strawberries occasionally to prevent the sugar from crystalizing on the sides of the pan or from burning. Heat until boiling. Once boiling reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and place in a bowl allowing to cool to room temperature.*

7. Allow the cake to cool completely before serving. I prefer to serve the strawberry sauce on the side.

Tips:

If you don’t have sour cream you can also try plain sugar free yogurt or plain sugar free greek yogurt.
When slicing the strawberries, remember to remove 12 of the best looking slices to decorate the top of the cake.
I really wanted to bump up the fresh strawberry flavor, hence the strawberry sauce. Feel free to top with whipped cream or ice cream or anything you like. Or nothing. It is tasty all on its own.
I prefer to use a springform pan, parchment paper and baking release spray for this recipe but it is not necessary. A standard 9″ cake pan prayed with a light coat of oil is just fine.
The strawberry sauce recipe is a on the chunky side, which is my preference. If you like a more smooth texture, feel free to remove half of the mixture and use a blender till smooth and add back. Or use an emersion blender and blend until as smooth as you want it to be. Just be careful with the hot liquid!
As with any cake recipe, your oven, color of the cake pan and strawberries can affect the time it takes to bake. If you re unsure of your ovens temperature use a thermometer. If using glass pans reduce the heat by 25℉ and monitor the cooking so as not to burn the bottom.
Please note that this entire recipe is using fresh strawberries. Do not try using frozen. It will result in a wet soupy mess.
Thank you FantasticMom for the inspiration!

Here is our recommended 9″ Springform pan! If you don’t have one already, let me tell you they are very useful. Cheesecake, Cake, or even our Cheese Stuffed Garlic Rolls!! At only $9.00 on Amazon, how can you go wrong? Click the image below!

Farberware Nonstick Bakeware 9-Inch Round Springform Pan