![Berries and Cream Sheet Cake](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2024/06/25/multimedia/ya-berry-cakerex-bmkp/ya-berry-cakerex-bmkp-mediumThreeByTwo440-v6.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
Old-Fashioned Strawberry Cake
![Old-Fashioned Strawberry Cake](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2019/08/14/dining/13Romanrex2/13Romanrex2-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- ½cup/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), softened, plus more for pan
- 2cups/255 grams all-purpose flour
- 2teaspoons baking powder
- ¾teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓cup/70 grams granulated sugar
- ⅓cup/75 grams light brown sugar
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2large eggs
- ¾cup/180 milliliters buttermilk
- 10ounces/190 grams strawberries, hulled and sliced ¼-inch thick
- 3tablespoons demerara sugar, for sprinkling (you can use granulated sugar in a pinch)
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Smear or brush a bit of butter onto the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan and line with parchment paper (either cut to fit the bottom, or leaving some hanging over the edges for easy removal).
- Step 2
Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
- Step 3
In a stand mixer (or using an electric hand mixer and a large bowl), beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla together on medium-high, periodically scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything incorporates, until the mixture is pale, light, fluffy and creamy, about 5 minutes.
- Step 4
Add eggs, one at a time, beating to blend between additions. (This is a good time to scrape down the sides again.)
- Step 5
Reduce the mixer speed to low and carefully add half the flour mixture, followed by half the buttermilk. Repeat with remaining flour mixture and buttermilk, beating just until no large lumps remain.
- Step 6
Using a spatula, gently fold in half the strawberries and transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. Scatter with remaining strawberries and sprinkle with demerara sugar.
- Step 7
Bake until cake is puffed, deeply golden brown on the top and pulling away at the sides, 45 to 50 minutes. (It should spring back slightly when pressed in the center and appear fully baked where the strawberries meet the cake.)
- Step 8
Let cake cool completely before removing it from the pan (either by inverting or lifting with the parchment lining). The cake can be baked up to three days ahead and stored tightly wrapped at room temperature, or refrigerated.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
I have an abundance of peaches... could I substitute? or maybe mix strawberries and peaches?
The weight conversion for the strawberries is incorrect; 10 oz = 280 g (not 190 g).
I made this twice in. 24 hours. I used yogurt instead of buttermilk which worked well. First time I used frozen strawberries and it took 1hr 45 to cook. It came out well. Second time I used fresh strawberries and it took 1h 20 to cook. The second time I added lemon zest from a whole small lemon; it added a nice roundness to the flavor. I also accidentally melted all the butter the second time around it came out very moist and much fluffier surprisingly. Both times everyone raved about the cake.
I made this with 10 oz of sliced, unpeeled peaches, with a handful of blueberries for color. I sprinkled the top with turbinado sugar. Came out pretty awesome. I'd start checking if it was done in 40 to 45 minutes. The sugar change gives the top a crisp, caramelly coat. I like this more than the summer berry buckle the times put out a few weeks ago.
Halved it and baked it in a loaf pan, 45 min was perfect!
Made the recipe as written, except I used nonfat Greek yogurt instead of buttermilk, since that was the only thing milk-adjacent on hand. I wasn’t expecting this to be so absolutely delicious. It does have a cake doughnutty flavor, probably from the vanilla and Demerara sugar. It straddles the line between cake good enough for dessert and snack cake you can eat without utensils. It was light but satisfying but not too rich and just so scrumptious.
Additional note: this cake does not eat well the next day. It gets dense, stodgy, and a bit soggy.
Such a delicious cake! I followed the recipe as written, except I roasted the strawberries and let them cool completely before adding them to the batter. That eliminated the mushiness and heightened the strawberry flavor.
I'd use almond flavoring with peaches.
While this cake is good, it's not amazing like the Strawberry Sour Cream Streusel Cake recipe. The ingredients are pretty identical except in that one, sour cream is used and a purée filling is made with fresh strawberries and strawberry jam. Both recipes produce a very thick batter that you have to spread in the pan. But this recipe here is missing an "it" factor for me...outside of a burst of strawberry or the crunchy top, the actual cake itself, while moist, is somewhat bland.
Made this cake with cubed white peaches tossed with 3/4 teaspoon of almond extract. Topped the cake with crushed blanched almond slices and the demerara sugar before it went in the oven. Looks beautiful! Cooling now and eager to taste it!
We are in the heart of strawberry season in NC and it's a good year. Thanks goodness for anything good in 2020! Love this cake recipe. I increase the berries to a pound for a greater berry to cake ratio. It works.
Great recipe but the suggestion that it could be made 3 days ahead either wrapped tightly or kept in fridge was just not true. The wonderful crispy turbinado sugar top lost it's crisp and that was a shame. Eat it fresh and be happy!
Just baked this, and followed the recipe exactly. I wanted that golden top, but that required an extra 10-15 minutes... and the cake ended up being more on the dry end. So maybe don't pursue that golden top and trust your intuition! Overall, I found the flavor to be just ok - not a jaw-dropper. But still enjoyed and devoured by all!
I definitely wouldn't freeze this. Unfortunately, the strawberries are likely to become unpleasantly mushy and to release too much liquid into the cake, making the whole thing a bit mushy.
This is my favorite use for strawberries that have ripened past appeal. I only had half a stick of butter, so I subbed the rest with cream cheese, and used 2/3c heavy cream with lemon juice to round out to 3/4c and let that stand for about 10 minutes instead of buttermilk. It was very fluffy and absolutely to die for. Took just over an hour to bake. Unlike other comments, I found the cake kept well for a good couple days, especially when griddled!
I just made this cake and as always, I was diligent about weighing my ingredients. I was surprised to taste the salt in the cake. I've added salt to cakes frequently, so I'm not sure why this time it's different. Apparently, it didn't stop me from finishing my slice.
Was comparing to version in my UK-published book in quest to figure how much a pint of fruit weighs and just a friendly heads up that I think strawberry measurement should be 300g - exact conversion is 283! Maybe this accounts for hulling? Have made multiple times and love! I think fruit quantity is pretty forgiving because I'm sure I'm not always exact.
This was a winner, and very simple to put together. Since I know my family has an insatiable sweet tooth, I added a simple powdered sugar and vanilla glaze.
I have made this a few times. If you want to stay largely true to the recipe, but optimize, here’s my favorite way to make it: - more strawberries: I use a whole 1lb box - sub in 1 cup whole wheat flour: it adds some depth to the recipe - melt the butter: this is the only way I’ve been able to get the batter to be “fluffy” - top with a powdered sugar glaze: use as much as you’d like. It adds a little of the missing sweetness and some nice moisture
Added more strawberries and lemon zest from 1/2 lemon. Very good, but add double of both.
Took much longer than 50 minutes, and even then the top wasn’t very brown and crispy. I may have put in too many strawberries. Will try again with fewer strawberries, and add lemon zest as others have recommended. Vanilla ice cream definitely helped!
This makes a great breakfast cake. I loved the strawberry version and yesterday made it with a pound of sliced summer peaches and a bit of added cinnamon and nutmeg, and it did not disappoint! I always use plain yogurt instead of buttermilk just because it's always on hand -- assuming the results are similar.
This was delicious. I used the 10 oz. strawberries and the same amount of sugar, as recommended.
I used a bit over a pound of strawberries, and rather than slicing them all, I buzzed them in a food processor. Stirred in about half into the batter and poured the rest on top. I ended up adding at least 20 extra minutes of baking but the cake is AWESOME!
Loved this! I added the zest of a lemon, and a little lemon juice to the strawberries, at the suggestion of other commenters. I was also heavy handed with the vanilla. I am at 8000 ft, so added an extra egg. Cooked about an hour. Very decadent and perfect on its own.
I think the sugar measurements are off. I think it should be 2/3 cup of each of the sugars. I measured 1/3 C of white sugar at 35 g.
Made with the suggestions of lemon peel and juice, and the substitute of almond extract for vanilla.
Made this cake three times in three days. First cake was dense and gummy b/c I used yogurt and three small eggs instead of two large. The second and third times I followed recipe exactly (except extended bake time) and it was delicious. More coffee cake like others have suggested than cake cake. Whipped cream improves the experience. Baked for 55 mins in a springform pan and then I removed the sides of the pan five mins after taking it from the oven. Used toothpick to check done-ness.
This cake is amazing. I put in a vanilla bean and one fourth of a teaspoon of vanilla extract in.
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