Summertime is the season of tall glasses of lemonade, grill parties, and fresh-off-the-vine strawberries. Sweet Strawberry Cake shows off the ruby red, juicy, and sweet fruit in all its summery glory! The strawberries form the topping for a fluffy, moist, and buttery vanilla cake so delicious it doesn’t even need frosting. Sweet Strawberry Cake is an afternoon teatime treat or the best last course after a patio dinner party, especially if you serve it with whipped cream. Strawberry shortcake may come up a little short in comparison!
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pan
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3/4 pound strawberries, hulled and halved
- whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, optional, to taste, for serving
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Butter a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan or a 9-inch square cake pan.
Step 3 –In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, the baking powder, and the salt.
Step 4 –Set the dry ingredients mixture aside.
Step 5 –In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat 6 tablespoons of the butter and 1 cup of the sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Step 6 –Add the egg and the vanilla and beat on low speed until well combined.
Step 7 –Gradually add the dry ingredients mixture and the milk, while the mixer beats on low speed, alternating between the two and beating until smooth. The batter will be thick.
Step 8 –Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smoothing it with a spatula.
Step 9 –Arrange the strawberries on top, cut-side up so they completely cover the batter.
Step 10 –Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the strawberries.
Step 11 –Bake for 10 minutes.
Step 12 –Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F.
Step 13 –Bake until the cake is lightly golden and a tester comes out clean, about 1 hour.
Step 14 –Let the cake cool on a rack.
Step 15 –Serve with the whipped cream.
