This is a simple lemony, strawberry yogurt cake baked with strawberries, and topped with more for a fabulous twist on strawberry shortcakes. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream for a touch of decadence.
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This is wonderful (and easy!) cake to make in spring when strawberries are at their best. For more ideas of what to cook in spring to make the best use of fresh produce, check out this post on what to cook in April.
🧅 Strawberry Yogurt Cake Main Ingredients
The secret to faster and easier meals often lies in the ingredients. For example, store-bought items and ingredients you make ahead and store in the refrigerator (or freezer) can turn a 60-minute recipe into a 30-minutes meal or less.
For the all of the ingredients, measurements and directions, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
- All-purpose flour - I like King Arthur flour best, for its consistency.
- Baking powder
- Unsalted butter
- Sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla Greek yogurt - don't substitute regular yogurt, as it won't be thick enough.
- Whole milk - or 2% milk.
- Vanilla extract
- Lemon
- Strawberries - use fresh strawberries, not frozen
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Recommended Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Standing mixer
- Rubber spatula
- 9" pie plate or baking pan (if using a dark baking pan, check the cake after 40 minutes)
- Chef's knife
👩🍳 Why This Recipe Works
- The yogurt adds so much to cakes (see the below section) that I add yogurt or sour cream to many of them now.
- The addition of the lemon is perfect with the strawberries, and adds to the old-fashioned flavor of this simple cake.
🤷♀️ What does adding yogurt to a cake do?
Yogurt cake recipes are among the easiest cakes to make. They're so tender and fluffy, and not overly sweet. Best of all, they have a hint of tang from the yogurt that pairs perfectly with fruit.
There are 3 big benefits to adding yogurt to a cake batter:
- The acid in the yogurt interacts with the baking soda in the recipe, making the cake rise and become light and fluffy. This recipe calls for baking powder, and all baking powder is made with baking soda.
- Adds moistness to a cake. This is great no matter where you live, but it's particularly wonderful if you live where it's dry, such as high altitudes.
- Yogurt has a natural tang, and when it's added to cakes, it brings that old-fashioned tangy cake flavor.
💡Ideas for Possible Variations
- Swap out the strawberries for peaches, blueberries or even plums in summer.
- I haven't done this myself, but you should be able to exchange the yogurt for sour cream. The acid in the sour cream carries the same benefits as yogurt.
- If you like a little sugar crust on top, sprinkle the batter with turbinado sugar just before sliding the baking dish into the oven. Turbinado sugar is raw coarse sugar.
📇 More Yogurt Cakes
- Every autumn I make this pear yogurt cake that's baked as a loaf cake. It's completely irresistible.
- Similar to a yogurt cake is one that uses sour cream. Both contribute tenderness and moistness to a cake, and sour cream adds a little more tang to the cake. My favorite one to make is this sour cream pound cake that is flavored with tangerine zest (or you can use orange zest) and maple.
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Farmhouse Strawberry Yogurt Cake
Equipment
- 9" pie plate (or cake pan)
Ingredients
- 6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (1 ½ cups)
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter room temp
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
- ½ pound strawberries sliced lengthwise
Optional
- 1 ½ tablespoons turbinado sugar
- whipping cream optional topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter a 9-inch pan or pie plate.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. It's important to whisk it a few times to evenly distribute the baking powder and salt through the flour. Set aside.
- Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high until it's pale colored and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
- Add the egg, yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract and continue to mix on medium high for another 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and mix until incorporated.
- Reduce the mixer to its lowest speed and gradually add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed only until most of the flour is incorporated into the wet base. Finish mixing the flour in with a spatula until the flour is completely mixed in. The batter will be thick. (Alternatively, the flour can be folded into the batter by only using a rubber spatula.)
- Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan using a spatula, and gently spread to the edges of the pan to even out the thickness. Place the sliced strawberries on top, and gently press them into the batter. As you do this, the batter will rise up. Optional: Sprinkle the surface with the turbinado sugar.
- Slide the cake into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325˚F and bake until the cake is firm to the touch (about 50 minutes).
- Optional: Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or additional sliced strawberries. Or all of them!
LiztheChef
I remember this cake, a perfect spring berry recipe! Hope you are feeling better now.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I am, thanks so much Liz. As soon as strawberries show up in my farmer's markets, this is one of the first things I make 🙂
Becky
Your cake is gorgeous, and sometimes simple is the best. Sending lots of #berrylove your way! Glad that you are feeling better.
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious
I'm so jealous that you have a strawberry farm nearby. I get my strawberries from Costco and/or Trader Joe's and sometimes they look incredibly gross.
This cake looks fabulous. I made a similar Martha Stewart version ages ago and I absolutely loved it.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I admit, it's nice to have local strawberry farms. Strawberries can only ripen on the vine, so the closer you are to their source, the better they're going to be. Once they're completely ripe, they're so juicy and soft, transporting them becomes a real challenge. Hooray for farmer's markets!
Baker Street
Using greek yogurt with honey would have surely given this cake a lovely texture! This is such a gorgeous looking cake!
Helena / Rico sin Azúcar
Simple and pretty: fantastic recipe (love the cream on top, yum....!)
Happy #berrylove!
Soni
Oooh I love the Greek Yoghurt with honey in there!This cake looks so moist and delicious Susan!I would want a slice with my cup of tea :)Sending you loads of #berrylove 🙂
Liz
Such a gorgeous cake!!! I'd love a piece for my breakfast 🙂 Sending you #berrylove!!!
Jaime
What a lovely cake, so light and tempting. I've never heard of turbinado sugar, learnt of something new today 🙂 If I can't get hold of that, what substitute sugar would you recommend? Thanks! x
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Turbinado sugar is the same as raw sugar, if that helps. It provides a bit of a crunch to the top of the cake. If you don't have either, I'd just omit it altogether. The flavor of the cake is wonderful with or without it:-). I hope you give it a try - it's really a favorite here at my house. Thanks for stopping by!
Jennie @themessybakerblog
This cake looks amazing. Perfect for this lovely spring season we're having.
Deanna @ Teaspoon of Spice
So simple yet so perfect to let those strawberries shine! Your photo is gorgeous too - thanks for sharing in the #berrylove this month!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Suzanne! I'm so glad it was a hit!!
Reem | Simply Reem
What a luscious cake!!!
I have to really try this recipe.
I too have a strawberry farm near to me but then I really dont know why I dont go there more...
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Reem!! I just go to my local farmer's market to find them. It's such a difference in juiciness! But they don't last long since they're so ripe. I've taken to freezing some if I don't think I'll use them in time.
Georgie
Simply a lovely cake! It's a crowd pleaser for sure! Happy berrylove!
Richa@HobbyandMore
That is one beautiful crumb. i cant get enough of strawberries! the colors work so well together too!
Cynthia
This is gorgeous, Susan. It's close to berry season here, finally, and I'd love to try this as an alternative to shortcakes. Not that there's anything wrong with them, I just get a little tired of them. I may try this in mini-muffin tins with a berry half in each one. I think that would go great on a catering tray. Thank you so much, and have a lovely Easter!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I love your idea of mini-muffins, Cynthia! I can definitely see them on a catering tray. I may play around with that idea a bit too. You have a lovely Easter too!
Cindy
This looks perfect! I need to add to my "make" list! 🙂 Sending you some #berry love!
Cindy
Campasimpukka
I tried this lovely cake today and it was an instant hit! Thanks for sharing!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I went to your blog to see you posted about it with a credit back to me. Thanks so much - I'm so glad you liked it so much. And I can't tell you how cool it was to know people in Finland are now enjoying it, and your spin on it. Sooooo cool!!!
Laura @ The Art of Cooking Real Food
I love how rustic the photos are - matches the name of the cake perfectly! Such a deliciously simple recipe - those are always the best ones. I'm really looking forward to trying it!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Laura! I hope you like it - I've made it 3 times in the 2 weeks now for one thing or another 🙂