This is a simple lemony 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.
Updated August 7, 2022
We've been up in the mountains in snow country for a fun visit with family. We went sledding up at the meadow, screaming downhill in saucers and brightly colored plastic toboggans. Bowling happened during a snowstorm (Robin, Myles' stepdaughter, cleaned our clocks thanks to the two strikes she scored at the end. And Myles and I kicked back with our books and a pot of tea in front of the fire while the kids all went skiing one day.
Life is good.
We love it up in Tahoe, but it's always nice to get back home to our own beds and routines when we get back to the Bay Area. Know what I mean?
And this time of year, our trips back and forth between the coast and the mountains give me such an appreciation for spring. We left a few feet of snow and bare trees behind us in the mountains. And 3 ½ short hours later, we arrived home to newly leafed trees and a glorious bounty of flowers.
And fresh strawberries.
Jump to:
Are Strawberries Healthy?
Strawberries are fascinating to me. They're technically neither a fruit or vegetable. And, hello, they're not a berry.
So what are strawberries?
The red strawberries we immediately recognize in markets are merely the flesh of the plant that holds the fruit. Whaaat? Each of the white-ish or brown flecks in the red flesh that we commonly think of as seeds are actually individual plants that hold a seed. And because they hold a seed that is ultimately eaten, each of them is an individual fruit.
So when you eat one strawberry, you're actually eating as many as 20 or 30 fruits. I think of the red part part as a stem that holds all the fruits.
As you can imagine, that makes strawberries high in fiber. In fact, ½ cup of strawberries delivers more fiber than a slice of whole wheat bread.
Strawberries are low in calories, but have almost 9 grams of net carbs per cup. So if you follow a low-carb diet, it's best to eat only a few.
Strawberry Cake
This is a cake I created last spring when I was inspired by a recipe on Food52 by drbabs. I've made it several times since then, making a change here and there each time, and never tire of it. For bonus points, it's also one of the easiest cakes I make.
Ingredients for (name of recipe)
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Unsalted butter
- Sugar
- Egg
- Greek yogurt - full fat
- Whole milk
- Vanilla extract
- Lemon
- Strawberries - use fresh strawberries, not frozen
- Turbinado sugar
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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
Yogurt Cakes
Yogurt cakes 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.
Swap out the strawberries for peaches, blueberries or even plums in summer, and pears or apples in fall.
Every autumn I make this Yogurt Cake with Pears that's baked as a loaf cake. It's completely irresistible.
Want more vegetarian and vegan dish ideas? I can help you. I have three newsletters for different topics: 1) Vegetarian Recipes, 2) Vegetarian Meal Plans, and 3) Vegetarian Tips for helping you to move to a more vegetarian diet. Choose which newsletters are most relevant to your lifestyle and you'll also get my 5 SECRETS TO FUSS-FREE VEGETARIAN DINNERS.
Farmhouse Strawberry Cake (Recipe)
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 Greek yogurt with honey I used Greek Gods
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
- ½ pound strawberries sliced lengthwise
- 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. 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 with whipped cream, if desired and / or additional sliced strawberries.
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 🙂