A wonderful Summer dessert! This strawberry buttermilk cake is a flavourful, light cake and studded with beautiful roasted strawberries. Enjoy warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
This lovely strawberry buttermilk cake is super easy to prepare and a perfect way to enjoy strawberries. Simply mix up the batter, spoon it in to a pan, top with fresh, halved strawberries and bake. The berries will sink in to the cake as it bakes.
Baking cakes in a skillet is a wonderfully rustic way to present a cake. Simply place it on the table with a big spoon and allow everyone to take a spoonful. Be sure to wrap the skillet handle, as it might be hot!
Enjoy this cake warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or try it at room temperature for a lovely morning or afternoon treat.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Strawberries – fresh strawberries will always bring the best flavour, but frozen strawberries should work here as well. If frozen, use from frozen. No need to thaw.
Cook’s Notes
No buttermilk? Make your own by adding 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice to a scant 1/2 cup regular milk. Let stand for 10 minutes and use in this recipe.
This beautiful buttermilk cake is a great base for all your summer fruit baking. Try topping with blueberries, peaches, plums or raspberries!
Get the Recipe: Skillet Strawberry Buttermilk Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, 1/4 tsp less if you using salted butter
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 lb. strawberries, hulled and halved
- Confectioners'/icing sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. with rack in middle of oven. Grease a 9-inch deep dish pie pan, 9-inch round baking pan or a 10-inch top diameter cast iron skillet. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes. Add the egg, buttermilk and vanilla and mix until blended, about 1 minute. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined.
- Remove bowl from mixer and use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl well, mixing in any stray flour. Spoon the batter in to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Arrange the strawberries in a randomly in a single layer on top, with the cut side down.
- Bake the cake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325 F. and continue baking for 50-60 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool slightly, then serve warm, with a dusting of confectioners/icing sugar and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if you like.
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I don’t own a skillet so would I be able to bake it in a cake pan.
Hi Kerri and yes, absolutely. A 9-inch cake pan would work fine here, as well.
Hi Jennifer,
My sons and I tripped over this recipe and made this cake last week with some summer strawberries that we had frozen. We forgot about the powdered sugar and loved it anyway. My elder son has requested that I bring it to a school breakfast potluck tomorrow morning. Ideally, we will bring it warm and still in the cast iron pan. I am wondering if I might make the batter this evening and then keep it in the fridge overnight, pouring and baking it as we get ready for school. Our days start fairly early and with an hour bake time, it would help if I had it ready to pop into the oven. Not a highly labor intensive recipe, but every bit helps as we navigate our before school moments. Would it still be tasty and come out the same do you think? Have you ever tried to premake the batter? Any insights welcome. We will surely enjoy this recipe often, appreciate the taste without excessive sugar and explore other fruits over time.
Thanks.
Hi Carol, So glad you enjoyed this cake! As for making ahead, I have never tried it myself and I would worry about how it might affect rise/texture. If it were me, I would whisk up the dry ingredients and leave out on the counter (covered). Then whip up the butter mixture and refrigerate that separately. Prepare your fruit and refrigerate. Then in the morning, just combine the two :) Just bear in mind it might need a couple of extra minutes in the oven if batter is cooler. Hope that helps :)
Such a delicious treat! Love skillet cakes especially when they are warm and this will be so good with some vanilla or strawberry icecream!
Thanks so much, Jenny :)
This strawberry cake looks absolutely dreamy! The perfect summer recipe :)
Thanks so much, Laura :)
I just bought a bunch of strawberries, and was trying to think of what to do with them. This looks like the perfect solution!
I think you will really enjoy this, Cathleen. A great way to enjoy strawberries :)
Sounds so simple to make, yet looks unbelievably good. Will give it a try next week – my husband loves strawberry desserts and I am such a sucker for ice cream melting over a warm piece of pie or poached fruit. With this cake everyone will be pleased!
Thanks so much, Milena. The roasted strawberries are so delicious in this. Your husband will love it :)
Buttermilk cake is the best and the addition of strawberries is terrific! You do amazing things in your cast iron skillet! I was thinking about making a pie in my cast iron skillet and noticed there are cast iron pie plates available now. I am intrigued! Eating this cake warm with ice cream must be an amazing treat. Great recipe! Sharing and pinning :)
Thanks Tricia and yes, I just love my skillet :) It’s always just the right size and it cooks things so beautifully!
I just made one of these a week or so ago Jennifer! It’s one of my favorite recipes for summer strawberries! Yours looks delicious!
Thanks so much, Mary Ann :)
The name is so enticing! I am never without a carton of buttermilk in the fridge, I use it for so many things, so I’m all set to try this gorgeous cake, sharing!
Thanks Sue and yes, I always have buttermilk on hand, too. So handy!
Do anyone else have trouble with your print button not working ?
Hi Linda, I just checked myself and the print button is working fine for me. Have you tried the Print link at the top of the page (right under the big top photo)? You might have better luck with that one. Let me know.
Yes please! We’re having friends for dinner tomorrow night. This will be dessert! I just need to pick up buttermilk. Thanks Jennifer, it looks WONDERFUL!!
Thanks Chris :) It’s a simply perfect little cake, sure to be enjoyed by all!