A delicious and pretty fresh strawberry cake, with a wonderfully flavourful and buttery yellow cake base, flavoured with vanilla and topped with lots of fresh strawberries.
This Strawberry Yogurt Cake is a delicious way to bake with fresh strawberries from scratch. With a buttery yellow cake, moistened with yogurt and lots of fresh strawberries on top.
I make a lot of cakes with fruit and sometimes, the cake is just a pleasant backdrop for the fruit. Not with this cake. This cake could stand on its own as a great cake. And the fresh strawberries just make it even better. With a wonderfully moist and buttery crumb, and a nice bit of vanilla, this is a thoroughly enjoyable cake.
Ingredient Notes
Strawberries - this recipe is best with fresh strawberries. While frozen strawberries might work as well, I haven't tested this recipe with frozen strawberries.
Yogurt - you'll want to use plain yogurt here, preferably a thicker Greek yogurt. You'll also want to use a full-fat yogurt, 3% or above b.f. I haven't tested this recipe with low or no-fat yogurt. As it has a higher water content, it may affect the outcome of the cake. In a pinch, vanilla yogurt might work. For the sweeter vanilla yogurt, you may want to reduce the added sugar in the cake somewhat.
White Sugar - caution is always advised when attempting to reduce the sugar in a baking recipe. Sugar in baking acts as more than a sweetener. It contributes to the texture and moistness of the finished cake. While you can often reduce the sugar slightly and "get away with it", arbitrarily cutting the sugar in half or less, or replacing it with something else may compromise the finished cake quality.
You will also need - eggs (3), butter (salted or unsalted), baking powder, all purpose flour, vanilla.
Step-by-Step Photos
This is a simple summary of the steps to make this recipe. Always refer to the complete instructions in the Recipe Card below when making the recipe.
Cream the butter and sugar together until light in colour, about 2-3 minutes. (Tip! Creaming together butter and sugar should always be done at medium speed, speed 5 or 6 on a stand mixer and you should scrape down the bowl at least once during the process.)
Next you'll beat the eggs in, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Finally, you'll add the flour mixture, alternately with the yogurt. (So that means add 1/3 of the flour, followed by 1/2 of the yogurt, then the second 1/3 of flour, the remainder of the yogurt and finally, the last 1/3 of flour. Mix briefly between additions).
Spread the batter into a greased 9-inch springform pan. I like to place a round of parchment on the bottom, for easy removal, but it's not absolutely necessary. Place the halved strawberries over the top, cut side down, pressing them down into the batter slightly, so the batter pushes up between them. Sprinkle with a bit of granulated sugar and bake.
Recipe Video
Cook's Notes
- When placing the halved strawberries on top of the cake, do your best to avoid having a strawberry right up against the side of the pan. Try to have a little batter in between. It's not the end of the world, but the berries will scorch a little if baked in contact with the pan, making those berries a bit unappealing looking and possibly slightly bitter.
- This cake is best enjoyed on the day it is baked, as the fruit will soften the crumb of the cake quite quickly. If you have a bit left-over, it will freeze well.
- You can use either a 9-inch or a 10-inch springform pan. I prefer to use a springform pan, for easy removal, but a basic 9 or 10-inch cake pan should work just fine. I always line the bottom with a parchment round, even with the springform pan.
- If you have a dark baking pan (black or dark grey), don't forget to reduce your oven temperature by 25F degrees. Even with lowering the temperature, you should always check the cake a little ahead of the recommended time, as it may bake more quickly, too.
Top Tip
Elevate your cake for a special occasion or entertaining by topping the whole with whipped cream and additional strawberries when ready to serve.
Recipe
Strawberry Yogurt Cake
Ingredients
- 1 lb. strawberries, washed, dried, hulled and halved
- 3/4 cup plus 1 tsp salted or unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp white granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 2 1/4 cup plus 1 tsp all purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- Pinch salt, or increase to a heaping 1/4 tsp if using unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup plain full-fat yogurt, preferably Greek
For sprinkling top before baking:
- 1 Tbsp white granulated sugar
For serving:
- Icing/confectioners' sugar, for dusting before serving
Instructions
- Take the butter and eggs out of the fridge in advance, so they both can come to room temperature before starting to make the batter.
- Prepare the strawberries by hulling, washing, drying and cutting in half. If berries are huge, you can cut them into quarters, if you like. Set aside.
- Grease a 9 or 10-inch springform pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350F (not convection bake). **If your baking pan is dark grey or black, reduce the oven temperature to 325F, as the darker pan will retain more heat and cook more quickly. It also helps to avoid over-browning of the outside of the cake.
- Add the room temperature butter and white sugar to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream the butter and sugar together at medium speed (5 or 6 on a stand mixer), until light in colour and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, adding them one at a time and beating between additions. Scrape down the bowl as well, as needed. Add the vanilla and mix in.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and pinch of salt. Add the flour mixture to the batter, adding it alternately with the yogurt. (*So add 1/3 flour, then 1/2 the yogurt, then 1/3 flour, then remaining yogurt, then remaining flour, mixing in between additions.)
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly into the pan. Place the prepared strawberries on top of the batter, placing them cut side down, very close together and pressing them into the batter slightly (about 1/4-inch-ish). Fit as many on top as you can, leaving a bit of space between each strawberry and avoiding as best you can having a strawberry right up against the side of the pan. Try to keep a bit of batter around the outside edge, as any strawberries that are right next to the pan may scorch, which doesn't look great and is a bit bitter in taste.
- Sprinkle top of strawberries with 1 Tbsp white sugar.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 45-55 minutes for a 10-inch pan or 50-60 minutes for a 9-inch pan. Top should be just lightly golden over the entire top and a little darker towards the edges. The sides of the cake should have pulled away from the sides of the pan. You can test with a skewer in the centre of the cake, but test in a few spots, as the fruit makes the cake quite moist.
- Remove from the oven and let stand a couple of minutes before running a knife around the outside and removing the outer ring. Allow to cool on a cooling rack a bit more before sliding off the bottom round of the pan and removing the parchment.
- Sprinkle with icing sugar, when serving. Lovely warm or at room temperature. You can serve with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, if you like.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided for general guidance only and should not be relied upon to make personal health decisions.
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Hi! I'm Jennifer, a home-cook of many years and a lifelong seeker of delicious food! I'm an equal opportunity eater. I enjoy eating all the foods!
LILIANA RANCATI says
Hello Jennifer,
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. I've made it to celebrate with my friends finally been able to get together after two years of isolation. Everyone enjoyed it and asked for the recipe. I gave them your website address. So, now you have 5 more sweet addicts who appreciate a great cake made at home. This is going to be one of my new "must do it again" recipe. It is a gorgeous recipe. Many thanks.
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed it, Liliana! Thanks so much :)
Wayne Shuttleworth says
Hi, I would like to know if I could use frozen strawberries, and if so what adjustments I would need to make. Fresh strawberries are very expensive, and in every container there are always a lot of mouldy strawberries right off the bat that have to be immediately discarded the moment I get home with them. This is also what makes them expensive because I'd have to buy a pound and a half to get one pound of usable berries.
Thanks,
Wayne
Jennifer says
Hi Wayne, I haven't tested this with frozen strawberries. If I were to try it, I think I would thaw the strawberries in a colander to drain off any extra moisture. Then pat dry, before placing on the top of the batter. While I expect it will technically "work", I expect it won't be as attractive a cake with the frozen berries, as they will be less colourful and quite a bit softer, I imagine. If you try it, do let me know how it turns out! (Also if you aren't married to baking with strawberries, this cake would be nice with any number of fresh berries - raspberries, blueberries etc. instead).
Monika says
Made this yesterday for Mother's Day. Easy and simple. Was a moist and delicious cake- will definately make again.
Jennifer says
So happy to hear, Monika :) Thanks so much!
Cooler by the Lake says
Made for a birthday celebration and it was outstanding!! Served with a little vanilla bean ice cream. Family loved it.
Jennifer says
So glad to hear :) Thanks so much!
Jenn says
Hi love all the strawberry cake recipes. Excited to try..can u tell me what kind of stand mixer you use..thanx
Jennifer says
Hi Jenn, I have a Kitchen Aid Professional 5 Plus Bowl Lift mixer. I had to go with the bowl lift, as my upper cabinets were too low for the tilt model without pulling it out all the time. I like the bowl lift, though it seems to have less accessories available for it (pretty bowls :)