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I look around on other food blogs a lot. And I mean a lot. My husband looks over his shoulder at what I’m doing and kind of laughs at me as he sees me looking at different sites and bookmarking new recipes constantly. But what can I say… I love my food! And it’s not like he complains when he gets to try new things! When I saw this recipe on Smitten Kitchen, I knew it was something I had to make, as soon as possible. And with the next carton of strawberries I bought.Strawberries mean summer, and it is definitely summer. Temps have been in the 100’s for a while here now, and it is HOT. So what could be better than a nice, cool dessert with some strawberries? Nothing! This is a light cake with a slight lemon kick to it. The berries are soft and almost jam-like from the long cooking time, and they pair perfectly with some lightly whipped cream. You could probably use any berries of your choice for this as well, and it would come out deliciously no matter what. As an extra bonus, it’s an incredibly easy recipe and you should have everything on hand, except for maybe the strawberries…. Maybe. 🙂Strawberry Summer Cake

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for pie plate
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon table salt
1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons lemon zest
1 large egg
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 10-inch pie pan or 9-inch deep-dish pie pan, or a 9-inch or 10-inch springform or cake pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In a large mixing bowl, work the lemon zest into 1 cup of the sugar, using your fingers to mash the zest and sugar together. Add the butter and beat until pale and fluffy with an electric mixer, about 3 minutes. Mix in egg, milk and vanilla until just combined. Add dry mixture gradually, mixing until just smooth.

Pour into prepared pie plate. Arrange strawberries, cut side down, on top of batter, as closely as possible in a single layer, but overlapping if needed. Try to keep strawberries away the touching the edge of the pan to minimize sticking. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries.

Bake cake for 10 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake cake until golden brown and a tester comes out free of wet batter, about 50 to 60 minutes. (Gooey strawberries on the tester are a given.) Let cool in pan on a rack. Cut into wedges. Serve with lightly whipped cream or dusted with powdered sugar.

Cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days, loosely covered.

Source: Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

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