This rustic strawberry cake has all the flavours of strawberry shortcake, in one big, strawberry-filled cake! Serve with a dollop of whipped cream for a lovely strawberry dessert.
This rustic strawberry cake is super easy, mixed in one bowl, without a mixer, and in the oven in about 15 minutes. It’s great for a last-minute dessert. Enjoy on its own, or top with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Strawberries: I love this cake with fresh strawberries, but if you are overflowing with frozen strawberries, they will work as well. Use frozen and allow extra baking time as the batter will stay colder longer.
Heavy Whipping Cream: It’s the heavy whipping cream in the dough that gives this cake it’s rich, shortcake-like texture and flavour. If you prefer, you can use a lighter cream, milk.
Butter: This recipe specified unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter, reduce the added salt in the dough to a pinch.
Recipe tips!
- This cake is best baked up in an 8-inch springform pan, but you can also use a 9 or 10-inch springform pan. Be sure to line the bottom with parchment, to be sure it comes out of the pan gracefully and note that a larger pan will create a thinner cake that will also cook more quickly!
- This is a “little goes a long way” cake, when baked up with heavy cream, so I suggest small slices to serve. About 10 slices for the 8-inch round cake is about right. For a dessert, serve on a plate with a dollop of whipped cream on top.
Making ahead, storing and freezing
This cake is best on the day it is baked, but keeps reasonably well covered, at room temperature. The large amount of fruit in the cake will start to moisten the cake as it sits. This cake can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
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Get the Recipe: Rustic Strawberry Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup whipping cream, 35% b.f.
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and cut in half
- 2 teaspoon white or turbinado sugar, for sprinkling top before baking
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. (regular bake setting/not fan-assisted). Grease an 8-inch springform pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper. Set aside.
- In large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar and a pinch of salt. Cut in cold butter with a pastry blender (or two knives) until it is in small pea-size pieces.
- In small bowl mix the egg, vanilla and cream. Add all at once to the flour mixture. Stir with spoon until just blended. *Mixture will be stiff. Gently mix in about 2/3 of the halved strawberries.
- Spoon into prepared pan, spreading to the edges and smoothing the top. Arrange remaining halved strawberries on the top of the cake, press them into the batter slightly. Sprinkle with 2 tsp. granulated white or turbinado sugar.
- Bake for about 55-60 minutes (For an 8-inch springform pan. A larger springform will cook more quickly. Check regularly after about 40 minutes). until the entire top is golden brown and firm and a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove the sides of the springform pan. Allow to cool more before removing from the bottom. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature as is, garnished with a sprinkling of icing sugar or with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if you like.
Notes
- This cake is best baked up in an 8-inch springform pan, but you can also use a 9 or 10-inch springform pan. Be sure to line the bottom with parchment, to be sure it comes out of the pan gracefully and note that a larger pan will create a thinner cake that will also cook more quickly!
- This is a “little goes a long way” cake when baked up with heavy cream, so I suggest small slices to serve. About 10 slices for the 8-inch round cake is about right. For a dessert, serve on a plate with a dollop of whipped cream on top.
More strawberry cakes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Just made this for dinner last night. Used half strawberries and half cranberries, as I didn’t have enough strawberries – it turned out wonderfully! Thanks Jennifer – I just love that all your recipes turn out beautifully every time!
So glad to hear, Linda :) Thanks so much!
Can you substitute 1% milk rather than using whipping cream?
Hi Marilyn, you can (buttermilk is 1% butterfat, at least here it is :). Just remember that using milk instead of cream will cut the richness of the cake. With the whipping cream in it, it tastes like shortcake with whipping cream on it.
Made this cake last week right after reading about it. Came out great. My husband loved it! He ate it for breakfast for 5 days straight. Thank you, another great strawberry recipe for my collections.
So glad to hear, Anne! Thanks so much :)
Strawberry desserts are my favorite! I love this cake! :)
Thanks so much Laura!
Looks incredibly homey and the fresh strawberries are such a tease! Will try! Pinned.
Thanks Milena :)
You can’t beat a classic, especially one that involves one of summer’s best – strawberries! Looks delicious, Jennifer :)
Thanks so much, Dawn :)
Another strawberry recipe to add to my collection. This looks wonderful! I know those Canadian strawberries are wonderful!
Thanks Chris and yes, we do grow lovely strawberries here :)