The first words out of my daughter’s mouth after she took a bite of this fresh Strawberry Buttermilk Cake? “Wow ~ this is the best cake I’ve ever had!” She’s right, this cake is a keeper. The crust is crisp and sweet, and the inside is moist and creamy. This is a fantastic way to ease into strawberry season.
This strawberry buttermilk cake is a keeper!!
It’s a cake you can be proud to serve and share with loved ones and friends, so run, don’t walk, to your nearest market for a pound of strawberries. I like to use good quality ripe berries that aren’t too big ~ small to medium size berries have the best flavor, usually. Baking enhances the flavor of the berries, but it helps to start with good ones.
Do you love cake for breakfast as much as I do? Try my Rhubarb Breakfast Cake next, and then my Lemon Yogurt Breakfast Cake. Be sure to let me know what you think!
Serve your strawberry buttermilk cake for breakfast, brunch, tea, or coffee break.
It would fit into a classic afternoon tea party, and of course you can end your evening meal with a big slice with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla and some extra sliced berries, but it’s really fabulous all by itself. It makes a pretty presentation with its crackly crust and bits of rosy berries peeking out. It slices beautifully, too. Can you tell I’m exited about this cake??
“I found this recipe about a year ago on Facebook, and it is my favorite cake recipe ever! It has been a hit at every event I have brought it to!”
~ Mary Grace
There’s a LOT of fresh strawberries in this cake
This recipe includes almost a pound of strawberries, which sounds like a lot for a one layer cake, but trust me, it works. The berries bake with the cake batter to create a soft, custardy interior which is magical.
Best pan for making this strawberry breakfast cake
- You’ll need a 9 inch round cake pan, and I like to use my spring form pan, it makes it super easy to pop the cake out for slicing. (See below for the pan I recommend.)
TIPS for making a perfect strawberry buttermilk cake :
- Cake recipes rely on precision, and changes can screw things up. This one is simple, but I recommend following it exactly the first time.
- You’ll need to buy large 16 ounce pack of strawberries for this recipe, but you won’t use every last one. I found that 14 ounces was perfect, so set aside a few berries for serving with your cake.
- Wash your berries and set them on a clean dish towel to try. Dripping wet berries will make the cake too wet.
- I used jumbo eggs. I know that’s unusual, but that’s what I used, and it resulted in the perfect texture. If you only have large eggs on hand, use 3, that works great too.
- A spring form pan is key here, because the cake is too delicate to be removed from a regular cake pan. The spring form allows you to remove the outer ring of the pan to neatly slice and serve the cake.
- This is best the day it’s made, but if you must store it, cover loosely with foil so the top doesn’t get soggy. Room temperature is fine.
tvfgi recommends: USA 9-inch Spring Form Pan
A spring form pan is handy for a recipe like this because the cake is very delicate, and removing it from a regular cake pan would be impossible. With a spring form pan you can release the sides so that even the most delicate cakes can be presented and sliced perfectly. I use my spring form pan for cornbread too because I love to be able to remove it and serve it on the table beautifully sliced. USA makes a whole line of bakeware and I’m slowly replacing all my pans. Plus, they’re made in the USA!
“This is amazing – made it for Mother’s Day and I think this is my new favorite strawberry cake. Not overly sweet and perfectly moist. Thank you!!”
~ Kristen
Strawberry Buttermilk Cake
Equipment
- a 9 or 10 inch spring form pan
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, or 2 jumbo eggs
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 14 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F
- Lightly spray a 9 or 10 inch spring form pan.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
- Cream the soft butter and sugar together in a stand mixer for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl a couple of times.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then beat in the vanilla.
- Stir the sour cream and buttermilk together to blend, and then add the flour to the mixing bowl alternately with the sourcream/milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until combined, but don't over mix.
- Fold in the berries and turn into the prepared pan. Smooth out the top. Sprinkle the surface of the cake liberally with granulated sugar.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the cake no longer jiggles in the center and the top is golden and slightly crackled. The exact cooking time will depend on the pan size you use. You can insert a toothpick in the center to test.
- Let cool briefly, and then unlatch the spring and remove the outer ring. I like to run a spreading knife along the edge first to loosen any parts of the cake that are sticking to the pan. Cool completely on a rack before slicing.
Notes
- I used half sour cream and half buttermilk, but you can use all sour cream, all buttermilk, half and half, full fat yogurt, or full fat milk for this cake.
- You can bake this in a 9 inch cast iron skillet. Serve it right in the pan.
- Try it with other fruit, especially other berries like blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries.
Nutrition
I made this cake tonight for my husband and I and we really loved it! I did have to cook it about 8 minutes longer, but that happens with different ovens. This is a keeper! Thank you so much Sue!
This is a superb recipe! It’s so delicious!
Can you use frozen strawberries?
Fresh is best for this cake.
This cake was delicious! Made it for a friend today and she loved it as well! Love coming back to this cake over and over again.
Can this cake be frozen?
Yes, it will freeze well. Just be sure to wrap well to prevent freezer burn. I’d use it within 3 months.
I made this recipe because it looked very appetizing. Little did I know I would be making it six mire times. We had it for breakfast, lunch & dinner. My grandson stopped by and had a slice. He asked me if I would make him one so I did. Later I found out he took a fork, put the cake on his lap and proceeded to eat 1/2 the cake. BTW the recipe calls for 14 iz of strawberries – I put 16 ounces in. It was even better.
Haha, glad it was a success 😉
I made this cake yesterday and by evening more than half was gone! It is so yummy! I will make it again for sure. I love to bake and cook and I spend a lot of time in the kitchen! It relaxes me and it’s good for my soul!
I’m so glad Caroline, and I know just what you mean about baking 🙂
Delightful cake! Have used both blueberries and raspberries and next time will be strawberries! So good anytime of day! Have used all buttermilk both times, a lovely full-fat Bulgarian style buttermilk. So easy to put together.
Oooh that buttermilk sounds amazing.
Hello. I cannot have any dairy except sheep milk. What can I use for the buttermilk. I have substitutions for the other dairy ingredients.
You can try the sheep’s milk, shouldn’t be a problem.
Hi Traci, I made a vegan cake and used 1-Cup of unsweetened almond milk and 1 Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, stirred together and let sit for 10 minutes. Made vegan buttermilk, hope this helps.