The first words out of my daughter’s mouth after she took a bite of this fresh Strawberry Cake? “Wow ~ this is the best cake I’ve ever had!”
This strawberry cake is a keeper!!
She was right, this strawberry cake is one 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? After baking up today’s strawberry buttermilk cake, 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.
- strawberries
- all purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- unsalted butter
- granulated sugar
- vanilla extract
- eggs
- sour cream
- buttermilk
- both sour cream and buttermilk tenderize and add moisture to cakes, they also add a subtle tangy flavor.
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.)
the Great Island kitchen recommends: 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!
TIPS for making a perfect strawberry buttermilk cake:
- Cake recipes rely on precision, and changes can screw things up. This cake recipe is simple, but I recommend following it exactly the first time.
- You’ll need to buy 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. You can use a regular cake pan if you like, but plan on keeping it in the pan.
- 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.
“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
more easy cakes
- Easy Rhubarb Cake
- Cranberry Orange Cake
- Swedish Visiting Cake
- Almond Ricotta Cake
- Apple Skillet Cake
- Honey Cake
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.
Video
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
This is the most glorious cake!! I’ve made the strawberry version and just yesterday made a fresh blueberry version. This cake is outstanding. It is easy to prepare and the results are out of this world delicious!!
I’ve made this recipe several times and I always get rave reviews. The cake is more moist than most cakes and is therefore a bit heavier in texture than a typical cake but that in no way diminishes it and actually makes it rather unique. This recipe has become a “go-to” recipe when I want something fresh and fruity to present to family and friends. I serve it with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Delicious, but baked up more like custard or pudding. Tester came out clean after 45 minutes, but I kept putting it back in the oven – over an hour in total – partially because the top didn’t look brown enough. I used a 9″ spring form pan, and the batter was thick enough that it did have to be spread. I used a slotted spoon to drain excess juice as I folded the strawberries into the batter. Everyone has commented on how moist it is, but this pudding-like consistency the way it’s supposed to be?
It sounds like yours was extra moist, for sure Joan. It sounds like it needed a bit more cooking, maybe your oven is a little low? Or did you use frozen berries? That can make it more moist.
This cake was a huge hit! Our 6 year old granddaughter loves anything strawberry so of course she wanted strawberry cake for her bday. She loved helping me make it!! We made it late in the day so it was still warm when it was time for cake. Served in bowls with heavy cream to everyone’s delight. DELICIOUS!! You are my go-to person for recipes, you never let me down! Thank you!
This might be cheating because I wrote a 5* review of this cake 2 years ago. But hubby came home with a flat of local strawberries, and I remembered this delicious cake and whoo boy it did not disappoint! I used a pound of berries and 1/2 c buttermilk (no sour cream) plus I added a pinch of nutmeg. Hubby said the cake was delicious and has already requested that I make another one 🙂
This makes me so happy Niki, enjoy those berries!
Amazing, eaten up in one sitting by family of four. didn’t make it to breakfast but would be divine with morning coffee. Thanks for this beautiful recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it so much Peta, thanks.
Before making this recipe and commenting on it, I would like to share with you and other home bakers one of the best kitchen equipment things I have found and adopted since the microplane. And may I say, that I unfortunately
have no stake in this company whatsoever! I share it because it is something that in baking I cannot live without and I am sure you and others will feel the same. It is so annoying to have to stop and scrape down the sides of my KitchenAid mixer while preparing batter. This beater really eliminates that forever! I found it some years ago and have been using it ever since. How clever of whoever of these people invented it!!! Check it out: http://www.beaterblade.com I am always shocked that I don’t see well-known cooks, chefs and bakers using it. In recent years I see the KitchenAid has tried to copy it themselves but I suspect it isn’t as good as the original with a two-sided rubber scraper blade. This is made in AMERICA something I love to see and am always anxious to support. I gave one to my son and he loves it, too. Truly one of the best improvements on a great classic (KitchenAid mixer).
Sue, I hope you’ll try it and I’d love to know what you think? By the way, you had me a ‘strawberries’ & ‘custardy’ in this recipe. Sincerely Dee K, NYC
This recipe was ok. I made it exactly according to the instructions, right down to the jumbo eggs. It was not terrible- just ok. It was rather soggy and not very sweet. If I had baked it longer, the outer edges would have been too dry , so I don’t think the sogginess came from under baking. I wouldn’t make it again.
I made this recipe the other day and it is delicious. It’s moist and tender, just the right amount of sweetness and the strawberries really shine. I was quite generous with the sugar sprinkled on top – I wanted that crunchy looking top and I got it. This is one of my very, very favorites.
Can frozen strawberries be used in this cake?
The problem with frozen strawberries is that they’re usually whole, and you need sliced for this cake. If you thaw frozen strawberries they get watery, so I suggest using only fresh for this particular recipe.