This Strawberry Cake is just about the quickest and easiest cake you will ever make. Loaded with 500g / 1 lb of strawberries IN and ON the cake, it’s a great way to use strawberries when they’re in season! Yogurt makes the crumb moist, it’s not too sweet and you’ll love the hint of lemon.
No stand mixer, no creaming butter. Just one bowl and a wooden spoon!
Strawberry cake
A pink sponge cake with pink frosting made entirely with fresh strawberries without cheating* is a recipe that’s officially been in development for 3 years.
I’m confident 2020 will be The Year when I finally crack it. I’m getting close – and I’m SUPER excited to share it with you. And while infinitely doable by any home cook, it is quite an involved recipe.
So for now, here’s the cake you make with all those strawberries – the best easy cake recipe you will ever make bursting with fresh strawberries!
* No cheating = no food colouring, no strawberry flavouring, no fancy pants ingredients like freeze dried strawberries.
The cake is made with a yogurt and oil based batter which keeps the crumb beautifully moist for days and gives it more structure than delicate sponge cakes made with creamed butter so it can stand up to the weight and considerable juices that sweat out of the strawberries.
It’s still a beautifully soft crumb, it’s just not as delicate as traditional butter and sponge cakes. I’ve used it for Blueberry Cake and this Lemon Yogurt Cake if you’d like to read feedback from people who have tried it (spoiler: it’s good!)
What goes in Strawberry Cake
So here’s what you need:
Strawberries – 500g/1 lb to be exact! Some goes in the cake, most goes on top;
Flour, sugar, egg, baking powder, vanilla, salt – all the usual suspects in cakes;
Lemon – the freshness of lemon works so well in cakes made with berries! Proof -> Strawberry Cheesecake, Blueberry Cake, Blueberry Cheesecake Bars, Blueberry Lemon Loaf; and
Oil and yogurt or sour cream – as noted above, this is what keeps the crumb really moist as well as adding a touch of tang, reinforcing the brightness we get from the lemon.
How to make this easy Strawberry Cake
Being that this doesn’t have creamed butter in it, it’s a one-bowl, hand mixed batter. Whisk Wet ingredients first, then mix the dry in.
Some of the strawberries go inside the cake – not too much, I was a little overenthusiastic about this at first but the strawberries made the batter so wet and weighed it down so much it took 1 hour 40 minutes to cook! Most go on top – they hold their form pretty well but burst with juice when you bite into them.
I’m so unoriginal that whenever I see strawberries and baked goods, I immediately think cream. So for me, a (big!) dollop of freshly whipped cream is mandatory for serving.
Though recently, I really showed my wild side when I served it warm with ice cream – and it was to die for. As with most cakes, the inside is a little “pudding like” when it’s still warm from the oven (hence why most cake recipes sternly instruct you to be patient and let the cake cool fully before serving).
But for this Strawberry Cake, that “pudding like” texture with the warm strawberries just seemed to enhance the eating experience. Especially with that (adventurous! risky!) scoop of ice cream I plonked on the side.
It’s terrific both ways – at room temp OR warm. You choose! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Strawberry Cake (really easy cake recipe)
Ingredients
Strawberries
- 500g / 1 lb strawberries , hulled (ie tops removed)
WET:
- 1 cup sugar , caster/superfine best but granulated ok too
- 1/2 cup oil , canola or vegetable oil
- 2 eggs , large (~50g/1.75 oz each)
- 1 tbsp grated lemon rind
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (1 large lemon)
- 1 cup plain yoghurt , unsweetened (Greek or just plain)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or essence)
DRY:
- 2 1/4 cups flour , plain/all purpose
- 4 tsp baking powder (or 1 1/4 tsp baking soda)
- Pinch of salt
SERVING:
- Whipped cream
- Extra strawberries
- Icing sugar/ powdered sugar , for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan).
- Grease and line a 23 cm / 9" cake pan with baking paper/parchment paper. (Any type of cake pan is fine)
Strawberries:
- For inside of cake: Dice some strawberries into ~1.5cm / 1" pieces to make 1 cup (about 1/3 of the strawberries)
- Topping: Cut the remaining strawberries in half.
Cake:
- Place Wet ingredients in a bowl and whisk well for 1 minute.
- Add Dry ingredients then whisk well until lump free.
- Pour half into cake pan, smooth surface. Scatter over diced strawberries.
- Top with remaining batter. Smooth surface, then top with halved strawberries, cut face down.
- Bake 50 minutes or until skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. (Note 1) If you need to cook longer, cover with foil if it starts getting too golden.
- Stand 15 minutes in the cake pan before turning out onto cooling rack.
- Cool 15 minutes+ before serving warm or at room temp. Dust with icing sugar, and serve with cream or if serving warm, ice cream!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published as this Upside Down Strawberry Cake in August 2017 which, due to lack of reader interest (ie virtually ZERO readers!) and some technicality issues, has been replaced with this sparkling new easy Strawberry Cake recipe!
More strawberry recipes
Life of Dozer
When the video camera kept focussing on his big golden head instead of the darn cake!!!
What’s the size/dimensions of the cake pan?
Hi Suzanne, it’s noted in the recipe under the instructions, step 2. N x
Just wondering if anyone has made using a bundt pan?
Hi Duncan, it’s not really suitable for this recipe as a bundt cake you’re turning upside down – this cake has the strawberries on top for presentation and doesn’t get flipped for serving. N x
Thanks. Thats what I figured.
Delicious! Full proof recipe as always Nagi! Made it with normal flour this time, would be keen to make GF with almond meal / GF flour mix. Any tips?
Hi Tiff, I haven’t tried with this recipe sorry, almond flour changes the whole consistency unfortunately. N x
Hi Nagi, this looks delicious and I want to give it a try, just wondering is the baking powder you use single or double acting?
I’ve been living in Germany for a few years and after some cake recipes didn’t turn out how they used to back home I realized that baking powder here is single acting and it makes a difference.
Hi Melissa, ours here isn’t listed as either, but I know it’s double acting (and yes it will impact baking dramatically if you’re using single acting). If you’re interested in the difference; single acting will only react and produce gas bubbles (your raising agent) once, whereas double acting will react when it’s mixed with wet ingredients and then will react again when exposed to heat. 🙂 N x
Thank you so much for answering, baking soda is bicarbonate of soda right? If yes I guess I will just use that alternative for this recipe and hope I can get my hands on double acting baking powder for other recipes
We are still getting local strawberries from the farms on Vancouver Island, B.C., Canada. This was the perfect recipe for them. Yummy!
Yum, I’m super jealous Lorena, nothing beats fresh strawbs!!! N x
Can I make this in cupcake size instead? If so, what temperature do you recommend and how long in the oven? Thank you very much, I love your recipes 🙂
Easy, fast and very very Good.
Just add the whip cream and you have a five star dessert.
Last minute dessert for drop in friends and grandchildren.
Dress up the plate with drops of Maple Syrup…..
Sounds like you nailed it Heather!! N x
I can’t believe how easy and delicious this cake is! It took around 1 hour to bake, but it’s moist and not too sweet. I served it with whipped cream, and it was a hit! Can’t wait to try it with other fruits.
Sounds great RF! N x
Can frozen strawberries be used instead of fresh?
Hi Jenni, yes, I would thaw first then pat dry any excess moisture before using. N x
Just tried this recipe with wholemeal self raising flour and it turned out perfect! The strawberries adds a perfect balance of sweetness! Thanks Nagi!
That’s great to know Luisa! Thanks so much for the feedback ❤️ N x
Love all your recipes, Nagi! Made 12 in muffin tins with this recipe today with spare strawberries which the kids polished in no time. Also used LoGiCane Low GI Sugar instead so my diabetic dad can have them. Baked in 25mins at 180 fan forced. Super yummy! Thank you!
That’s great to hear Queenie!!! N x
I loved this cake! Balanced. It is possible to feel all the flavors, lemon, vanilla, strawberry. Perfect.
Can I use plums instead of strawberries ?
And if I use the same proportions except for all purpose flour (like 165 gm) will that make a difference ?
Hi Prachi, I haven’t tried with plums sorry but reducing the flour by over half will definitely affect the recipe – it will be far too wet. N x
Strawberries are $1.50 in Woolies! Getting some today and making it for the weekend 🙂
Haha precisely why I’m here too! Great minds think alike 😉 thanks for the recipe Nagi!
Me 3 Kiera! Just made the cake with strawbs from Woolies.
thanks Nagi, love your site
YES!! Do it and don’t look back Carol! N x
I made this yesterday and it was delicious. I used half SR flour and half plain flour and halved the baking powder.. I think it would be lovely with raspberries too.
I made this yesterday and it was delicious. I used half SR flour and half plain flour and halved the baking sofa. I think it would be lovely with raspberries too.
I think this cake is really yummy, I had it in my oven for 45 minutes, next time I will check it at 35mins, listen to Nagi when she talks about bake time every oven is different. Mwah cake was wonderful, love all your recipes.
Sorry Nagi, this was my very first disappointment with one of your recipes. I have had success with all your recipes that I have tried for the first time. I always follow the recipes to the letter, this one failed me.
Hi Katherine, sorry you had trouble with this one – what went wrong here? N x
I made this cake with my five year old – it was easy to make and absolutely delicious! It also looked spectacular. Thank you Nagi for another wonderful recipe.
Could I use sunflower oil as a substitute?
Yes 100% Marilyn! N x