Description
This easy Strawberry Cake recipe yields a moist and flavorful cake bursting with fresh strawberries and a hint of lemon. Perfect for a casual dessert or afternoon tea, it features simple ingredients like yogurt and oil for a tender crumb, topped with whipped cream and extra strawberries for a delightful finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 500g / 1 lb strawberries, hulled (tops removed)
- 1 cup sugar (caster/superfine preferred, granulated acceptable)
- 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 plain)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or essence)
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 4 tsp baking powder (or 1 1/4 tsp baking soda)
- Pinch of salt
For Serving and Decoration
- Whipped cream
- Extra strawberries
- Icing sugar/powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan). Grease and line a 23 cm / 9″ cake pan with baking paper to ensure the cake doesn’t stick.
- Blend Strawberries: In a blender or food processor, puree the hulled strawberries until smooth. This strawberry puree will provide the natural fruity base of the cake.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, oil, eggs, grated lemon rind, lemon juice, yogurt, and vanilla extract. Whisk these ingredients together until they are well blended and smooth.
- Combine with Strawberry Puree: Stir the strawberry puree into the wet ingredient mixture, ensuring it’s evenly incorporated.
- Sift and Add Dry Ingredients: Sift together the plain flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring just until combined to avoid overmixing, which can toughen the cake.
- Pour Batter and Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the Cake: Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
- Serve: Once cooled, dust the cake with icing sugar. Serve slices topped with whipped cream and extra fresh strawberries for an extra burst of flavor and beautiful presentation.
Notes
- You can substitute 1 tsp baking soda if preferred; ensure the acid content from yogurt and lemon juice balances the soda for proper rise.
- For a lighter cake, use Greek yogurt which is thicker and gives more moisture.
- Make sure not to overmix the batter when combining wet and dry ingredients to keep the cake tender.
- If you don’t have fresh strawberries, frozen strawberries can be used but thaw and drain excess liquid before pureeing.
- This cake pairs wonderfully with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.