Rich, buttery, Strawberry French Butter Cake is a no-fuss, easy-to-mix cake that is loaded with sweet strawberries and requires no frosting.
Instead of strawberry shortcake, how about strawberries in the cake? This fluffy, buttery cake with both vanilla and almond flavors has a burst of sweetness from juicy, sweet strawberries in every bite.
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So grab a fork and get ready to add a little sweetness to your day!
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Why You’ll Love This Strawberry French Butter Cake Recipe
- Just 1 Bowl.
- Simple Ingredients.
- Mixes in Just Minutes.
- Needs No Frosting.
- Makes 8 Generous Servings.
About This Recipe
This Strawberry French Butter Cake is very much like a French Yogurt Cake and also like a pound cake (also French!) with a few tweaks. It needs no extra adornment like whipped cream, and its simplicity makes it easy to remember the recipe.
Essentially, this cake follows the ratios of a 1-2-3-4 cake and the baking rule of a teaspoon of baking powder for every cup of flour. Simply cut the recipe in half, making a single-layer cake, and it immediately makes sense how this recipe was developed.
To make the cake richer and more dense, sour cream is substituted for milk, making the cake a little less sweet so that the strawberries shine.
A generous topping of plain white sugar is the crowning touch before the cake is popped into the oven. Doesn't this sound easy and delicious? Great!
So, let's cook!
Ingredient Notes
Here's what you need:
- Butter-Flavored Non-Stick Cooking Spray - A butter-flavored spray enhances the buttery flavor of the cake and keeps the cake from sticking to the pan.
- All-Purpose Flour - All-purpose flour is best. Do not substitute cake flour.
- Baking Powder - Baking powder lifts the cake to improve its texture.
- Salt - A small amount of salt brings out the sweetness in desserts.
- Salted Butter -This cake comes together very quickly if the butter is at room temperature. I prefer salted butter, but you can use unsalted and add an extra ¼ teaspoon of salt with the dry ingredients.
- White Granulated Sugar - White granulated sugar gives a fine texture to the crumb of cake.
- Large Eggs - This recipe is balanced to use large eggs. Do not substitute other sizes.
- Vanilla Extract - Vanilla is the prefect backdrop to many flavors and is delicious with strawberries.
- Almond Extract - Almond goes very well with strawberries. I like to have just a hint, but you can use up to ½ teaspoon of almond extract.
- Sour Cream - Sour cream gives a tang to the flavor of the cake and makes a denser crumb than milk. In a pinch, you can substitute plain Greek yogurt.
- Fresh Strawberries - Firm ripe strawberries are best for this recipe. As the strawberries bake with the cake they release their juices, so over ripe berries may make the cake soggy.
Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities. All ingredients must be at room temperature.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat and Prepare. Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C. Spray the sides and bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with butter-flavored cooking spray. Measure all ingredients and stem and cut the strawberries.Butter Non-Stick Cooking Spray
Sift Together. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt onto a sheet of parchment paper and set aside for later.1 ⅓ Cups All-Purpose Flour,1 ¼ Teaspoons Baking Powder,¼ Teaspoon Salt
Creaming Method. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar with an electric mixer for 6 minutes or until the mixture is light, fluffy and pale yellow.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the extracts until well incorporated.
Alternate Flour and Sour Cream. Alternate adding a third of the sifted flour mixture to the creamed ingredients followed with half the sour cream. Beat only until just barely combined after each addition. Fold in the cut strawberries.
Transfer Batter to Pan. Spoon, pack, and evenly spread the batter into the prepared springform pan. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of sugar evenly over the top.
Bake, Cool, & Serve. Bake the cake in the preheated oven 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Run a sharp knife around the top edge of the cake, release the sides of the pan, and plate the cake. Serve and Enjoy!
My Top Tips
♡ Be sure to bake the cake until it is fully done and a toothpick comes out clean after being inserted into the center of the cake.
♡ Use ripe strawberries; cut them into smaller chunks if they are very large.
Equipment
I prefer to use a springform pan, which makes it easier to remove the cake from the pan and transfer it to a serving platter. However, you can also use an 8" round cake pan with at least 3" tall sides.
Make-Ahead & Storage
- Make-Ahead: Make this cake a few hours in advance to have time to cool it completely. This makes it easier to slice and serve.
- Storage: This cake is best eaten the same day it is baked. But will keep at room temperature for up to 2 days.
♡ Did you love this Strawberry French Butter Cake? Please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how things went in the ✍ comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
Strawberry French Butter Cake
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Equipment
- 8" Springform Pan
- Dry Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Paring Knife
- Parchment Paper
- Large Sifter
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Electric Hand Mixer
- Silicone Spatula
Ingredients
- Butter Non-Stick Cooking Spray
- 1 ⅓ Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 ¼ Teaspoons Baking Powder
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Cup Salted Butter, Room Temperature (1 Stick)
- 1 ¼ Cups White Granulated Sugar, divided
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ Teaspoon Almond Extract
- ½ Cup Sour Cream
- 16 Ounces Fresh Strawberries, Stemmed and Halved
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare. Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C. Spray the sides and bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with butter-flavored cooking spray. Measure all ingredients and stem and cut the strawberries.Butter Non-Stick Cooking Spray
- Sift Together. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt onto a sheet of parchment paper and set aside for later.1 ⅓ Cups All-Purpose Flour, 1 ¼ Teaspoons Baking Powder, ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- Creaming Method. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar with an electric mixer for 6 minutes or until the mixture is light, fluffy and pale yellow.Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the extracts until well incorporated.½ Cup Salted Butter, 1 ¼ Cups White Granulated Sugar, 2 Large Eggs, 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract, ¼ Teaspoon Almond Extract
- Alternate Flour and Sour Cream. Alternate adding a third of the sifted flour mixture to the creamed ingredients followed with half the sour cream. Beat only until just barely combined after each addition. Fold in the cut strawberries.½ Cup Sour Cream, 16 Ounces Fresh Strawberries
- Transfer Batter to Pan. Spoon, pack, and evenly spread the batter into the prepared springform pan. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of sugar evenly over the top.
- Bake, Cool, and Serve. Bake the cake in the preheated oven 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.Run a sharp knife around the top edge of the cake, release the sides of the pan, and plate the cake. Serve and Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Per 1 serving. All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.
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