Strawberry Cake (Really Easy Recipe) Recipe
This easy and delicious strawberry cake recipe features a moist and tender crumb from yogurt and oil, bursting with fresh strawberries both inside and on top. Perfect for a summery dessert, it combines tangy lemon and vanilla flavors with the natural sweetness of strawberries. Ideal served with whipped cream or ice cream, this cake is straightforward to prepare and forgiving for bakers of all levels.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices
- Category: Dessert, Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Western, American-inspired
Ingredients
Strawberries
- 500g / 1 lb strawberries, hulled (tops removed)
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar, caster/superfine preferred but granulated is fine
- 1/2 cup 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 unsweetened yoghurt (Greek or 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
Serving
- Whipped cream
- Extra strawberries
- Icing sugar/powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F) or 180°C (350°F) fan-forced. Grease and line a 23 cm (9″) cake pan with baking or parchment paper. Any type of cake pan will work.
- Prepare Strawberries: Dice about one-third of the strawberries into 1.5 cm (1″) pieces to make 1 cup for mixing into the batter. Halve the remaining strawberries for the cake topping.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, eggs, grated lemon rind, lemon juice, yoghurt, and vanilla extract for about 1 minute until well combined.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Sift or add the flour, baking powder (or baking soda), and salt to the wet ingredients. Whisk together thoroughly until the batter is smooth and lump-free.
- Assemble Cake Batter with Strawberries: Pour half of the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the surface. Scatter the diced strawberries evenly over this layer. Pour the remaining batter on top and smooth. Arrange the halved strawberries on top, cut-side down, for decoration.
- Bake: Bake the cake for about 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. If the cake starts to brown too much, cover the top loosely with foil and continue baking.
- Cool: Let the cake stand in the pan for 15 minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack. Allow it to cool an additional 15 minutes or more before serving.
- Serve: Dust with icing sugar and serve warm with ice cream or at room temperature with whipped cream and extra strawberries.
Notes
- Bake Time: Baking at 200°C may seem high, but it suits this strawberry cake due to the fruit’s juiciness. If your oven is weaker and requires longer baking at 180°C, the cake may be moister but still excellent.
- Measurement Variations: Cup and tablespoon sizes vary by country. This recipe is forgiving of slight differences, but for baking accuracy, measure carefully.
- Recipe Inspiration: Adapted from lemon yogurt and blueberry cake recipes, inspired by Smitten Kitchen, Martha Stewart, and Natasha’s Kitchen.
- Storage: Keeps moist and fresh for up to 5 days. Refrigerate in warm humid environments and bring to room temperature before serving. Freezes well.
- Nutrition: Based on 12 slices.
