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
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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!!!
I made this cake to take to a friends memorial today & everyone loved it.
I have made lots of your recipes & they never fail & are always super delicious.
Your a great inspiration for my cooking & baking.
Hi
I followed your recipe but my batter turned out really gluey compared to your video. Any ideas why.
SENSATIONAL.
Everyone loved it and so easy to make!
Nagi, looks fab😍 I noticed your tin liner in your chocolate fudge cake recipe, and here again, are these special parchment liners or do you have a way of cutting parchment paper so it fits so snuggly? Mine always bunches around the sides when I try use a single sheet to line the base and sides…..
Some of us at home don’t like lemon cake, so I’d leave out the lemon. Should I use the same amount of sugar because of that or do I need less?
Hi Romi, just omit the lemon and leave the cake the same – you’ll love it! N x
Made this yesterday and it was delicious! I don’t bake much and it turned out great. Recipe is definitely a keeper, thanks Nagi!
Loved this one, only difference we used a little less sugar and lime in place of lemon. Thanks again Nagi 😊
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Tamzin! N x
just tried this recipe, i suck at baking but it came out well! thank you!!
Wahoo!!! That’s great SS! N x
I’ve made and REALLY enjoyed 5-6 five-star recipes from Nagi’s site I discovered two months ago. This dessert was not to my liking. The flavor was kinda sour-ish.
I think the culprit was the yogurt.
It happens.
But I’m not dissuaded from trying several more I’ve earmarked.
I’m sorry to hear that Ed, the tang comes from the lemon – you don’t like lemon cake?? 🙂 Lemon and strawberries goes really well together! N x
Best cake and easy I have ever made, so good with the ice cream, thank you
Something to sweeten our w/ ends as We Are having stage 4 lockeddown until 13/09. Thank YOU Kindly. Am use to using sour Cream in cooking and baking love it. Keep warm and Safe and Dozer too. Ciao.
Sounds like I’m not 5e only one who goofed a little. I used 1 T of vanilla instead of 1 t. I used vanilla yogurt and this cake was fabulous. I used a spring form pan and and since my oven runs hot I lowered the temp by 10 degrees and baked it about 43 minutes. Time for a other piece and it isn’t even cooled all the way, heehee.
Cake was delicious! The only issue I had was the bottom and sides were little over done. I baked at 390 for 50 minutes, should I lessen the bake time or adjust the temp?
I’m in Melbourne and was planning on making this as soon as I received your email (before stage 4). Now on day 3 of stage 4 restrictions, I appreciate the comforts of this easy to make cake more than ever! Thank you Nagi!
One question, I’m planning on freezing this cake, how do you recommend I do it? Wrap in foil or freeze in container etc?
Hi Isabelle, I find foil isn’t really airtight and it will get freezer burn. I’d cling wrap it then place in an airtight container 🙂 N x
I loved this cake even though I forgot the 1/4 cup flour 😭😭. Lucky it’s a forgiving recipe 😃. Question…I have some excess poached pears. Will they work in this recipe ?
I made this Sunday and managed to leave out the 1/4 cup of flour…still delicious ! I have some excess poached pears and thinking I could use them instead of berries. What do you think?
Hi Nagi, I have just started cooking and love your recipes – they are easy to follow and the end product turns out well, my family is impressed and I enjoy my time in the kitchen now. A quick question – can I substitute mango for the strawberry?
Hi Nagi! Could I substitute the strawberries for another fruit? Peaches for example? xx
Nagi, I checked and my pan was only 8 inches! I’m going to get a 9 inch pan and make it again!
Either way, it is delicious and the best use of my backyard strawberries so far this summer 🙂
Came out perfectly. Cake was very supple and the family loved it. It did not last more than 2 days! Followed your instructions exactly. My oven took the same amount of time — 50 minutes.