The first words out of my daughter’s mouth after she took a bite of this 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.
I absolutely love this cake, it’s so delicious, and different, too. This is 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??
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.
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.
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, you could try using 3, but I haven’t tested that.
- 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.
*I adapted this recipe from Foodtastic Mom
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling later
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 jumbo eggs (or 3 large)
- 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, and then add the flour to the mixing bowl alternately with the wet, 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.
Make it your own ~
- 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, I plan to.
Don’t forget to pin this strawberry buttermilk cake
78 Comments
Julia Sybert
June 5, 2018 at 8:13 amHas anyone made it with frozen strawberries? Not store bought, but strawberries frozen and then vacuum packed?
Sue
June 5, 2018 at 8:43 amI’m not sure how you would slice them without defrosting them? And then they might be soggy…
Kathleen
June 10, 2018 at 5:55 pmHow would you make this Gluten free?
French Strawberry Cake | thebrookcook
June 2, 2018 at 1:45 pm[…] recipe was adapted from Foodtastic Mom, via The View from the Great Island. I used 3 large eggs instead of jumbo eggs and modified the baking time. The recipe suggests baking […]
Berni
May 30, 2018 at 8:18 amThis cake turned out fabulous another favorite. My daughter is trying to lose weight after having her baby and has asked me nicely to stop finding these great recipes! Hee, hee…
Sue
June 2, 2018 at 8:40 amHaha, well at least this one has some nice healthy fruit in it :)
Amber
May 28, 2018 at 8:29 amHi Sue,
I’m so excited to try this recipe! I want to bring it to my work and was wondering if it would still be good if I made it the night before? What’s the best way to store it?
Sue
May 28, 2018 at 9:34 amI love cakes the day they are made Amber, but you can make this the night before, and I would suggest covering it very loosely with foil and leaving it out on the counter. The issue is that the crisp top crust gets a little soft when it’s covered with plastic.
Heather
May 23, 2018 at 11:08 amDo you think this cake could be made as muffins? I love individual sized goodies!
Sue
May 23, 2018 at 11:25 amIt’s a very moist cake Heather, so I’m not sure how it would turn out, you would definitely want to use paper liners if you try.
Brenda
May 20, 2018 at 3:47 pmHi Sue. This sounded and looked delicious so we made it for The Royal Wedding, yesterday. It was super delicious and easy to make.
Sue
May 20, 2018 at 5:22 pmThanks Brenda ~ hope you enjoyed the wedding, I missed it but loved the pics of the dress ;)
Caroline
May 16, 2018 at 10:30 amMade this today, baked for 45 minutes. I think next time I will add a touch less sugar and use the whole 16 oz. of strawberries. Regardless, a delicious cake! Tastes like the cakeist pancake. :) Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Sue
May 16, 2018 at 10:42 amThanks so much Caroline, I appreciate the feedback so much, it helps everybody. Wouldn’t this be amazing as pancakes!!
Nancy
May 15, 2018 at 4:38 pmThis looks amazing! I have a ton of blueberries and don’t want to go shopping again…, would you do anything differently with blueberries?
Sue
May 15, 2018 at 5:51 pmNo, I think they’d work with the same recipe Nancy, let us know how it turns out.
Caz
May 14, 2018 at 1:53 pmI have all ingredients ready to go, but was wondering if anyone has tried it with 3 large eggs vs. 2 jumbo. I only have large … should I try three?
Sue
May 14, 2018 at 2:13 pmHey Caz, I just made it with peaches, which will be up on the blog soon, and I used 3 large eggs, it worked great.
monique
May 14, 2018 at 9:45 amIt’s very good! Made and approved!:)
Sue
May 14, 2018 at 10:26 amYay!
Shawn
May 13, 2018 at 5:31 pmThis cake is too good! My stomach hurts from eating so much. It is delicious. Will definitely make again!
Sue
May 13, 2018 at 6:04 pmHaha, sorry about the tummy ache, but glad you liked it Shawn.
Marge
May 12, 2018 at 7:56 amThis cake was a HUGE hit with my family. Strange thing though, I cooked it to the time frame, cake tester came out clean. When we cut into it, it was runny. Through it back in the oven for 20 more minutes. It was perfect. I forgot to dry the strawberries before slicing them. Do you think that could be the issue?
Sue
May 12, 2018 at 8:20 amThe extra moisture could have been the issue, Marge, and your strawberries could have been extra juicy. I’ll amend the recipe to note that the cooking time can be longer than expected.
Lesli
May 14, 2018 at 10:54 amMine fell in the middle as it cooled. Can I still put it back in the oven? I will make a note on my recipe to bake longer next time to begin with. It looked and tested (the toothpick test) done. I’m hoping that I love this recipe!!
Elora Trumper
May 11, 2018 at 3:37 pmI might try this with rhubarb or a mix of strawberries and rhubarb.
Sue
May 11, 2018 at 3:49 pmReport back please!
Jacynda
May 11, 2018 at 3:30 pmMy brother wants a strawberry cake for his birthday, this looks perfect! I feel as if he’d be disappointed without an icing however, what do you suggest?
Sue
May 11, 2018 at 3:47 pmWell, this cake is really more of a coffee cake than a dessert cake, and while you could frost it, it would be a little odd. If it were me, I’d maybe serve it with macerated strawberries or a strawberry sauce for some added excitement? Or maybe a strawberry glaze made with pureed strawberry mixed with powdered sugar.
Deb
May 11, 2018 at 2:59 pmThis looks delicious and easy. PERFECT! Can’t wait to try it, maybe over Memorial Day weekend-family coming.
Sue
May 11, 2018 at 3:51 pmI just pulled a peach version out of the oven…
Bethanie
May 11, 2018 at 12:32 pmI have a bunch of fresh rhubarb from my moms garden. Do you think I could add some into this cake? It looks delicious
Sue
May 11, 2018 at 12:42 pmAbsolutely I think that would be really great, the two go so well together. You could also use all rhubarb if you wanted to.
Sarah
May 10, 2018 at 8:22 pmI don’t have a springform so I am intrigued to use a cast iron pan but should I expect it to bake differently?
Sue
May 10, 2018 at 9:07 pmI’d bake it the same way Sarah, if it’s a 9 inch pan. If it’s bigger or smaller you’ll have to adjust the baking time.