This strawberry buttermilk cake is one of those simple signature cakes every baker needs ~ soft, tender, full of fresh berries, and universally loved.
It’s the cake I come back to every strawberry season: simple to make, and so pretty. My strawberry buttermilk cake works for a weekend breakfast, feels special enough for company, and has earned a permanent place in my rotation.
What readers are saying about this strawberry buttermilk cake
➡ “Wow ~ this is the best cake I’ve ever had!”
➡ “Easy and fun to make. I’ve made this breakfast cake several times now and it always gets raves.”
➡ “We ate this entire cake in one sitting -SO GOOD!!
➡ “it is my favorite cake recipe ever! It has been a hit at every event I have brought it to!”
Ingredient notes
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
- 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.
- sour cream and buttermilk
- Why use both? Buttermilk keeps the crumb light and tender, while sour cream adds richness and a little structure. Together they give this strawberry cake that just-right texture ~ soft, plush, and sturdy enough to hold all those juicy berries.
Baking details that matter
- Follow the recipe exactly the first time.
- Cake recipes rely on precision, and even small changes can affect the final texture. This strawberry buttermilk cake is simple, but it’s worth making as written before experimenting.
- Buy a 16-ounce package of strawberries.
- You won’t use every last berry. I found 14 ounces to be the sweet spot, so save a few for serving.
- Dry the berries thoroughly.
- After washing, spread the strawberries out on a clean dish towel and let them dry. Wet berries can add extra moisture to the batter and make the cake too soft in the center.
- Jumbo eggs are intentional.
- I used jumbo eggs for this cake, which I know is unusual, but they gave me the texture I was after. If you only have large eggs, use 3 large eggs instead ~ that works well too.
- Use a springform pan if you can.
- This cake is tender and fruit-filled, so the removable outer ring makes it much easier to slice and serve neatly. You can use a regular cake pan, but plan to serve the cake directly from the pan.
- Store it loosely covered.
- This cake is best the day it’s made. If you need to store it, cover it loosely with foil and keep it at room temperature; airtight wrapping can soften the top too much.
Best pan for making this strawberry cake
I recommend: 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!
Your questions
Fresh strawberries are best here because they hold their shape and don’t flood the batter. Frozen berries can work in some cakes, but I don’t recommend them for this one.
Yes, but plan to serve it from the pan. This cake is tender and fruit-filled, so a springform pan makes slicing and serving much neater.
It’s best the day it’s baked, when the top is prettiest and the texture is freshest. You can bake it earlier in the day and leave it loosely covered at room temperature.
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Strawberry Buttermilk Cake
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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
What to make next with strawberries
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Delicious cake! However, the strawberries were all on the bottom! I’d made it dairy free (sunflower spread & soya milk) for very allergic grandson, was that the reason?? Luckily it tasted good, so just less aesthetically pleasing! Would welcome ideas for better strawberry distribution!
I think your substitutions might have changed the consistency of the batter, which is quite thick and supports the berries. You might try cutting them small, and tossing in flour before folding in. If your batter is quite thin you might add a bit more flour.
Thank you! Determined to improve! Happy to bake more!! ?
Intstead of adding more flour to the batter, toss the finer cut strawberries in 2 Tbsp of flour and decreasing the butter milk by 1 Tbsp, but yes, as you are surmising, changing the ingredients will definitely change the chemistry of anything (for example, instant (boxed pudding mix will not set when using soy or nut milk).
This is one of my favorite cakes to bake- and enjoy for breakfast! I’ve made this with blackberries and it is absolutely delicious as well!
Thanks Samantha, I love hearing the great reports on this simple cake. I actually have blackberries in the fridge today, so maybe I should try that, it does sound good 🙂
If I used rhubarb do I slice it and meausre 16 oz in a cup or how
do I measure it or do I weigh 16 oz of rhub then cut it up.
Basically you’ll use about 2 cups of thin sliced rhubarb, and if you want to check the weight, weigh it after chopping.
I found this recipe about a year ago from. an article that was posted to Facebook, and it is my favorite cake recipe ever! It has been a hit at every event I have brought it to! My only changes were using salted butter, a normal round 9 inch pan (not spring-form) which still works great as long as you spray with cooking spray before adding the batter, and using a hand mixer instead of a stand mixer. I haven’t experimented with other fruits because the strawberry is so darn good, but I plan on doing so eventually!
Thanks Mary Grace, I hope you get around to all that other fruit this season 🙂
I’m confused. The recipe says three eggs. The instructions say 3 if you are not using jumbo eggs, but that was not tested. Ideally should I use 2 jumbos? Thanks
You can use 2 jumbo, or 3 large, either will work!
This was absolutely delicious! I used frozen strawberries because I have a bunch of them (I grow them)! I thawed them about half way, then sliced them. They worked great! Also, I don’t have a scale to weigh out 14 ounces, so I just kept adding the berries until the batter looked “right”. 🙂 Another thing, I don’t have a stand mixer, so I used a hand mixer. It worked perfectly!
I’m so glad it worked out for you!
This is absolutely delicious! I made two batches yesterday. One, sticking to the recipe, the other using 50:50 Splenda Sugar blend (I bought it by accident, might as well use it) and adding a hint of grated tonka bean for flavor. The second batch, split between two 6″ cake pans, baked up in about 35 minutes (if anyone cares). (I did convert all measurements to metric with no problems)
My addition: some of the pictures look like they have a crackly crust so I decided to play off of that with a very thin buttermilk + icing sugar glaze that dries almost clear and gives a slight texture as you bite in. I like to tell myself it’ll keep the cakes fresh too.
Sounds great Cat! I’ve never had tonka bean, I’m curious 🙂
Cat could you please give the metric measurements. would be appreciated. Thanks
I’ve just added those Erica!
I just baked it today and additionally dusted it with icing powder. Delicious!!! Thanks for this recipe Sue
Made this for my mother’s birthday brunch; and we all LOVED this delicious beautiful cake! Can it be reheated?
I think the best way to reheat would be to do individual slices very briefly in the microwave. The oven might t dry it out. I guess you could wrap it well in foil and reheat in the oven, but that’s something I’ve never done.
Ginny, I noticed that “Cat,” who posted here on April 23, 2019 said that she substituted using a 50:50 Spenda Sugar mix and liked the results. She made a couple of other variations to the recipe, as well
Thank you so much Sue. I’ll bake it over the weekend. The local farmer comes round in his van with his strawberries.
Just made this and I will make it again! I couldn’t wait to taste it.
I used 0% Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Also I don’t keep buttermilk handy so I used 2% milk with a teaspoon of vinegar added (something my mother did when making buttermilk pancakes).
Even though it has a cup of sugar it is not overly sweet.
Nice to know that the no-fat yogurt works so well, thanks Theresa 🙂
Would love to try. I’m a weight watcher member. Do you think I could substitute the sugar with Splenda and how much would I use.
I’m not too familiar with Splenda Ginny but I believe you can use the granulated form in the same amount as the sugar in recipes.