Description
This Strawberry Cake is a delightfully moist and fruity dessert that’s super easy to make. Featuring fresh strawberries both inside and on top, combined with a tender lemon-yogurt batter, this cake is perfect for warm afternoons or casual get-togethers. The recipe emphasizes a quick preparation and baking method, yielding a cake with a subtle tang from lemon and a light crumb, best enjoyed with whipped cream or ice cream.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruits
- 500g / 1 lb strawberries, hulled (tops removed)
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar (caster/superfine best but granulated ok too)
- 1/2 cup oil (canola or vegetable oil)
- 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 yoghurt (unsweetened, Greek or just plain)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or essence)
Dry Ingredients
- 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
- Extra strawberries
- Icing sugar / powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 200°C (390°F) or 180°C fan to prepare it for baking the cake evenly.
- Prepare the cake pan: Grease and line a 23 cm (9 inch) cake pan with baking paper or parchment paper to ensure easy cake removal later on.
- Prep strawberries for inside the cake: Dice about one-third of the strawberries into approximately 1.5 cm (1 inch) pieces, which will be folded into the batter to provide fruity pockets inside the cake.
- Prep toppings: Cut the remaining strawberries in half for placing on top of the cake before baking.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, oil, eggs, grated lemon rind, lemon juice, yoghurt, and vanilla extract. Whisk these together thoroughly for about 1 minute until combined.
- Add dry ingredients: Sift or add the flour, baking powder, and salt into the wet mixture and whisk well until the batter is smooth and lump-free.
- Layer batter and strawberries: Pour half of the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the surface. Evenly scatter the diced strawberries over this layer.
- Add remaining batter and top: Pour the remaining batter over the strawberries, smoothing the surface again. Then arrange the halved strawberries cut-side down on top of the batter.
- Bake the cake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for about 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If the cake begins to brown too much before done, cover loosely with foil to prevent over-browning.
- Cool in pan: Let the cake stand in the pan for 15 minutes after baking to firm up slightly.
- Transfer to cooling rack: Carefully turn the cake out of the pan onto a wire rack to cool for at least 15 minutes more before serving.
- Serve: Dust the top with icing sugar and serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream. If serving warm, ice cream also pairs wonderfully.
Notes
- If the cake is not fully cooked after 50 minutes, cover with foil and continue baking to avoid excessive browning.
- Using caster sugar helps to dissolve the sugar more easily, but granulated sugar works fine.
- Ensure strawberries for topping are cut with the flat side down to create an appealing design and keep them from browning too quickly.
- You can substitute lemon with orange zest and juice for a different citrus flavor.
- This cake keeps well and can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for 3-4 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Western
Keywords: strawberry cake, easy cake recipe, berry dessert, lemon yogurt cake, quick cake, bake at home cake
