Strawberry Buttermilk Cake

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

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