Description

This delicious Strawberry Cake is a moist, flavorful treat perfect for any occasion. Made with fresh strawberries, a hint of lemon zest, and a tender crumb, it’s topped with halved strawberries and lightly dusted with icing sugar for a beautiful finish. Serve warm with cream or ice cream for a delightful dessert.

Ingredients

Scale

Strawberries

500g / 1 lb strawberries, hulled (tops removed)
Extra strawberries for topping

Cake Batter

1 cup sugar, caster/superfine preferred but granulated ok
1/2 cup oil, canola or vegetable
2 large eggs (~50g/1.75 oz each)
1 tbsp grated lemon rind
1/4 cup lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
1 cup plain unsweetened yoghurt (Greek or regular)
1 tsp vanilla extract or essence
2 1/4 cups plain/all purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder (or 1 1/4 tsp baking soda)
Pinch of salt

For Serving

Whipped cream
Icing sugar/powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan). This ensures the cake will bake evenly at the correct temperature.
Prepare the Cake Pan: Grease and line a 23 cm / 9″ cake pan with baking paper or parchment paper. Any type of cake pan will work, but lining helps easy removal.
Prep Strawberries: Dice about one-third of your strawberries into ~1.5cm / 1″ pieces to make 1 cup for the cake filling. Cut the remaining strawberries in half for the topping.
Mix Wet Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, eggs, lemon rind, lemon juice, yoghurt, and vanilla extract for about 1 minute until well blended.
Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, baking powder (or baking soda), and a pinch of salt to the wet mixture. Whisk thoroughly until the batter is smooth and lump-free.
Assemble the Cake – First Layer: Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Scatter the diced strawberries evenly over this layer.
Assemble the Cake – Final Layer and Topping: Pour the remaining batter over the strawberries and smooth the top. Arrange the halved strawberries cut face down on top for an attractive finish.
Bake the Cake: Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. If the cake browns too much before fully baked, loosely cover it with foil to prevent burning.
Cool in Pan: Let the cake stand in the pan for 15 minutes to set before turning it out onto a cooling rack.
Final Cooling and Serving: Allow the cake to cool for at least 15 minutes more before serving. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or ice cream if preferred warm.

Notes

If the cake starts to brown too much before it is cooked through, cover it with foil to prevent over-browning.
Use superfine (caster) sugar for best texture, but granulated sugar works as well.
Serving warm with ice cream creates a lovely dessert contrast, while whipped cream pairs nicely at room temperature.
Make sure to hull the strawberries to avoid any tough tops in the cake or topping.
You can substitute baking powder with baking soda as specified, but adjust quantities carefully.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: strawberry cake, fresh strawberry dessert, lemon strawberry cake, moist cake, summer berry cake