You will love this fresh strawberry cake with its tender, light crumb. Before baking, we press fresh strawberries into the top of the cake batter so they fall slightly into the cake as it bakes. This strawberry cake is stunning on the table and absolutely delicious. For more strawberry desserts, see our homemade strawberry shortcake or this incredible fresh strawberry pie!
Key Ingredients
Strawberries: I love fresh strawberries in this cake, but frozen strawberries and overripe berries will also work. For a cake with blueberries, see our lemon blueberry cake! Butter: I use butter to make the cake batter, which makes our strawberry cake taste rich and flavorful. Sugar: I use granulated sugar for the cake batter and sprinkle a little extra over my strawberries before baking in the oven. Eggs: To get the perfect texture, I separate the eggs. The yolks are beaten into the butter and sugar, while the egg whites are gently mixed in at the end. I’ve tried making this cake with whole eggs like in other cake recipes, but the batter rises too much and overflows the pan. By gently stirring in the egg whites (unbeaten), we limit the air in the batter and prevent it from overflowing in the oven. Baking Powder: This helps the cake rise. Flour: I use all-purpose flour, but you can substitute a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend if needed. Sour Cream: This helps to make our strawberry cake tender and moist. Plain yogurt works well if you don’t have sour cream. Spices: I use a combination of lemon zest, vanilla, almond extract, and salt, which makes the cake taste incredible.
How to Make a Strawberry Cake
I use my hand-held mixer for the easy cake batter, but a stand mixer works, too. I beat butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy, then add vanilla, almond extract, and egg yolks (saving the whites for later). I then add the flour, baking powder, and salt. I finish by mixing in the sour cream and (unbeaten) egg whites. This batter is almost the same as the batter for my pineapple upside down cake! From there, I spoon the batter into the cake pan and add a layer of fresh strawberries. After sprinkling some extra sugar over the strawberries, I bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. The strawberries soften, release some juices into the cake, and sink a little. This cake is incredible, with some powdered sugar dusted over the top or homemade whipped cream (my favorite). 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter, softened (1 stick), divided 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, plus 1 teaspoon for strawberries 2 teaspoons lemon zest 2 large eggs, separated 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon almond extract 1 ½ cups (195g) all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/2 cup (125g) sour cream or plain yogurt 2In a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. 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. 5On 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. 6Add the (unbeaten) egg whites and sour cream. Mix on low speed until blended. 7Spoon the cake batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. 8Arrange the strawberry halves, cut-side down, on top of the batter, covering the top of the cake. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar over the strawberries. 9Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. 10Cool the cake in the pan on a cooling rack, then run a knife around the edges and remove from the pan. 11Serve warm or at room temperature with powdered sugar dusted over the top or homemade whipped cream.
