Summer=Strawberries! For this recipe, we wanted to bring back the OG Baking with Friends crew! We have been baking with Stephanie and Magaly for many years now and we wanted to bake together. We all had fresh strawberries and the other ingredients so we thought this would be the perfect summer baking we could do together virtually. I LOVE baking with fresh fruits and this recipe was particularly fun because you are able to see the strawberries at the top of the cake. It made for some fun and creative designs as you’ll see in the pictures below! There are quite a few steps in this recipe but it’s worth it in the end. You can really taste the strawberry freshness but also the sweetness that a cake demands along with that crunchy sugary crisp at the top. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pan
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk (low fat is fine)
- About 3/4 pound strawberries, hulled and halved (you may end up using more or less depending on how you want to arrange the strawberries over the cake)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9-inch deep dish pie pan or 9-inch square cake pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on low speed until well combined.
- Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, and beat on low speed until smooth. (Note: the batter will be thick.)
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula (if you use a square cake pan, the batter will only come about 3/4-inch up the sides of the pan, which is fine).
- Arrange the strawberries on top, cut side down, so that they completely cover the batter (the recipe calls for approximately 3/4 pound of strawberries but use more or less if necessary).
- Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar over the strawberries.
- Bake for ten minutes, then reduce the heat to 325°F and bake until the cake is lightly golden and a tester comes out clean, about an hour.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack. Cake can be stored at room temperature for several days, loosely covered.
Recipe from Once Upon a Chef.
Baking With Friends 