Spring is coming. Bring on the strawberries! This cake has all the flavors of a classic strawberry shortcake�all in one cake. It’s great by itself, or served with a big dollop of creme chantilly, or scoop or two of good vanilla ice cream.
This cake is good with regular, ole supermarket strawberries. For outstanding berry flavor, use fresh strawberries when you can find them at your local farmers market.
The top of the cake is almost biscuit-y in texture.
The inside of the cake is moist, tender�and dotted with bits of luscious, fresh strawberries. (This cake would be equally scrumptious with fresh blueberries or raspberries.)
I use my stand mixer to make this cake, but you could totally use a hand-held mixer, too�or some old-fashioned elbow grease.
Strawberries & Cream Cake: Vegan version!
My cake isn’t vegan, but Annie Anderson was nice enough to noodle out a vegan version. Click here for her take on this recipe. (Thanks, Annie! +Jessie, July 7, 2009)
Strawberries & Cream Cake
3/4 cup sugar
4 Tbls. butter (that’s 1/2 a stick), softened
1 egg
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups strawberries, sliced
Yields 1 9-inch round cake
Strawberries & Cream Cake: Prep your cake pan & preheat your oven
Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan.
Cut a round of parchment paper and fit it inside your buttered pan. Don’t make yourself nuts trying to make a perfect circle. If it creeps up the edges a little, that’s just fine.
Set the pan aside. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Strawberries & Cream Cake: Make the cake batter
Put the sugar in the bowl of your mixer.
Slice up the butter and add it to the bowl.
Crack in the egg.
Beat the sugar, butter, and egg together to combine well.
When the mixture is fairly uniform, pour in the cream.� Beat to combine.
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Beat on high to combine.
Beat until the batter just comes together, like this. If you overdo it, the cake won’t be as tender. The batter will be really thick, almost like a soft cookie dough.
When your batter is mixed, toss in the strawberries.
Fold them in by hand with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Fold gently, so you don’t completely smoosh the strawberries.
You want the berries to be fairly evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Strawberries & Cream Cake: Bake the cake
When the batter is fairly uniform, scrape it out into your prepared cake pan.
With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, smooth the batter down so it’s even. Pop it into your preheated, 375 degree oven.
Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the top is firm and golden brown, and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake.
Set the cake pan on a rack and cool it right in the pan.
Strawberries & Cream Cake: Serve & enjoy!
When it’s completely cool, run a knife around the edge to loosen it up, then invert it onto a plate. Because you lined the pan with butter and parchment, it should slip right out.
Or you can do what I did, and serve it right out of the pan.
To serve, slice into wedges or squares.
Serve as is, or top with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or fresh, sliced strawberries.
Enjoy!
