Fresh Strawberry Cake

Fresh Strawberry Cake Recipe

Despite the completely rubbish, wet and muggy weather, summer is allegedly here and in full swing. All the usual summery things are going on around me, exams, postponed picnics and panic dieting. So to celebrate the start of the Wimbledon tennis tournament next week, for me the most summery of all summer events, I am sharing with you this Fresh Strawberry Cake recipe.

Strawberries at this time of the year are quite wonderful. Their fragrance should be bottled and sold to sniff in the winter when you have to eat the horrid, icy, flavourless, imported strawberries. They are juicy, sweet and delicious, and they work like a dream in this cake. This little creation, which came to me via the informative All Recipes, with thanks, incorporates a soft, sweet cake, the fresh strawberry layer, topped with a crisp crumble topping. This teatime treat can be served warm from the oven with a strong cup of tea or with extra summer fruits and some thick Jersey cream. It keeps wonderfully in a tin or wrap it up and take it, sliced, on a picnic with a chilled bottle of fizz.

I used to think cooked strawberries were a no-no until I discovered my Summer Strawberry Crumble, now I can’t get enough of them. These sweet, juicy seasonal treats aren’t around for that long so make the most of their summer fragrance and give the cake a whirl.

Tired and hungover, me? Yes, hence the fact this line up is missing the very valuable egg. Not to worry, at least I remembered it in the cake itself, although I did add too much milk, so your batter may not look as thin as mine. It was a heavy weekend, I really must try harder to say no to a late night Sambuca.

Make a start by pre heating your oven to 160 degrees fan assisted and buttering and lining your deep cake tin. Then just a bit of housekeeping before you get going on the main event. In either your food processor or in a small bowl, add all the crumble topping ingredients.

Process, or by hand, rub the butter, flour and sugar together until you have a small crumb-like texture. Tip the crumble into a bowl.

Trim and slice your strawberries and pop to one side for later. Measure out the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl pop this aside for a moment.

Now onto the main cake event. Again, either in a your processor or in a bowl with a wooden spoon, cream together the soft butter and caster sugar until it is light and fluffy.

Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat or process until smooth.

Next, add the flour/baking powder/salt mixture and milk in three lots, alternating between milk and flour, until you have a smooth batter. As I mentioned earlier, my hangover and I added too much milk, so yours may not look as thin as mine.

Pour the mixture into your lined tin and level.  Layer the top of the batter with your juicy, sliced strawberries.

Finally, tip on the crumble topping then put in the oven.

This wonderful cake will take between 45 to 55 minutes, dependent on how hot your oven is. The cake is ready when it’s golden, smelling wonderful and a skewer comes out clean when poked in the middle.

Leave this crisp, fruity creation to cool before turning out. Enjoy it warm with cream, extra summer fruits or in slabs as a teatime treat.

This is a brilliant new cake for your cake collection.  So fresh and light, unlike the English summer thus far. Let’s hope the weather improves for the start of the Wimbledon tennis next week. All will not be lost though, we can always sit inside, eating Fresh Strawberry Cake watching the football. Tiny victories.

Lucy x

Fresh Strawberry Cake Recipe

Makes a 8 inch cake, feeding 1 to 12 people

You will need a lined 8 inch cake tin

Crumb Topping

75g plain flour

115g caster sugar

60g butter, cold

Cake

400g strawberries, sliced

60g butter, soft

170g caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

225g plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

125ml milk

Pre heat your oven to 160 degrees fan assisted and line/butter your 8 inch cake tin.

Make a start by trimming and slicing your strawberries then put them to one side.

Next, make the crumb topping either in your food processor or in a small bowl by hand. Add the flour, sugar and cold butter and rub together until you have a lumpy crumble type texture. Leave this to one side while you make the cake batter.

Weigh the flour, baking powder and salt into a small bowl. Then, in either your processor or in a bowl with a spoon, cream the butter and sugar together until lighter in colour and texture. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Next in, alternately, add the flour/baking powder/salt, then milk in three goes, finishing with the milk until you have a smooth batter. Spoon into your lined tin then layer on your sliced strawberries.

Sprinkle your reserved crumble topping onto the strawberries then put in the oven for between 45 and 55 minutes, dependent on your own oven. Mine took nearly an hour, so keep an eye on it. The cake will be cooked when a skewer comes out clean when poked in the middle and the crumble top is crisp and golden. Leave to cool then serve in wedges with a cup of tea or more summer fruits with thick cream. This cake will keep, well wrapped, in an airtight tin for around 4 days.