Rustic Fresh Strawberry Cake

By Crystal Baldwin

A perfect cake for celebrating the June, Strawberry Moon, a Father's Day gathering, or just a good excuse to make something warm, sweet and delicious with those fresh strawberries coming into season! 

This simple, single layer cake can be whipped up quickly without any frosting or fuss or muss.  A very simple blended strawberry drizzle can be poured over top for added, fresh, strawberry flavor or for a quick presentation simply dust with some powdered sugar. 

This cake is very adaptable and can be made to accommodate many different dietary needs. Below you will find substitutes for Gluten, Dairy and Sugar-Free options. 

Strawberry Moon

The Strawberry Moon is almost here and it ushers in the end of spring and the start of summer.  Originally named due to the fact that June is typically the month that strawberries are harvested according to the Farmer's Almanac.  In Europe the moon was called "The Rose Moon" or "The Honey Moon" as this was usually a time when the first honey harvest was collected.

Sometimes the Strawberry Moon can look pink, amber or rosy due to atmospheric conditions, especially if it is low in the sky and passes through more of the Earth's Atmosphere. 

Don't expect it to always be pink or reddish as those conditions don't always exist  However, it is still very spectacular and important as it is the 6th of 12 full moons marking the halfway point of the year.  Spiritually the Strawberry Moon is tied to love, abundance, renewal and celebrating your accomplishments over the last 6 months.   So let's celebrate with some comforting food and the strawberry harvest! 

How to Make this simple Cake

This cake is easy to make, one layer, warm crumb and fresh baked strawberries.  You start by hulling and slicing the strawberries. 

Next you blend together the dry ingredients and set them aside.  Then you combine the wet ingredients , then blend the wet and dry ingredients together for a thick batter.  Half the batter goes into the cake pan. 

Next the strawberries go on top of the batter and then the rest of the batter goes over the berries.  Keep the prettiest berries for last and place them on top around the edges or if you are a big strawberry fan you can cover the entire top with berries. 

Sprinkle the top with sugar and pop it in the oven for 45 minutes until it is a golden brown and the sugar gets a little crunchy. The strawberries on top will make a lovely design.  Remove it from the oven and place the pan on a rack to cool

Rustic Fresh Strawberry Cake Recipe

Rustic Fresh Strawberry Cake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cups All-purpose flour (or GF Flour)
• 1 large egg, room temperature (or make flax eggs)
• ½ Cup of sugar, plus 4 Tablespoons for the pan (or sugar substitute)
• ¼ Cup Olive Oil
• 3 Tablespoons soft Butter, plus more to grease the pan (or butter substitute)
• ½ Cups Sour Cream (or coconut or cashew cream, see below)
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 ½ Teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ Teaspoon Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Cup Soy Milk (or milk of choice)
• 1 ½ Cups strawberries, hulled and halved

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and butter a 9-inch round deep cake pan (or you can use a bundt cake pan, placing parchment paper in the bottom and greasing the sides)
2. Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of sugar in the bottom and along the sides of buttered pan
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl add the butter, sugar and Olive oil, beat until fluffy and creamy.
5. Next, add the egg, sour cream and vanilla and blend on low until well combined.
6. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, and beat on low speed until smooth. The batter will get a little thick, don’t over-mix, stop once blended.
7. Pour half the batter in the prepared pan and layer with half of the cut strawberries, top with the rest of the batter and smooth with a spatula.
8. Place the rest of the strawberries on top, cut side down, in a neat pattern around the edges, use more if needed to cover. Sprinkle a little sugar over the strawberries.
9. Bake for 40 minutes until the cake is lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean,. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for just a bit and serve warm or chill in the fridge.
10. Cut a slice and serve with the strawberry sauce poured over the slice of cake and a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (or frozen lemon yogurt)
11. This cake can be stored at room temperature for a couple of days, in the fridge or it can be frozen for several months.

Substitutions

If you want to make this cake gluten, sugar or dairy free it is very simple to exchange out a few ingredients. 

For Gluten free, just use your favorite gluten free all purpose flour.  I prefer Bob's Redmill 1:1 gluten free baking flour. 

For sugar free you can use your favorite sugar-free substitute.  Just be sure it is a granulated form for the correct cake consistency.  I prefer the brand Lakanto.  They have a classic formula (white) and a Golden blend , a "raw sugar" substitute which, is a mixture of Monkfruit & erythritol (a natural sugar alcohol). The golden is my favorite. For a powdered sugar substitute, I like Wholesome Yum Besti powdered sugar substitute.

For Dairy free, you can use any butter substitute, I prefer Earth Balance Butter Substitute.  For the Sour Cream you can either use coconut cream or you can make a cashew sour cream by soaking 1 cup of cashews  overnight, rinse and place in a blender.  Add 1/2 cup water, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 3/4 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar...blend till smooth.

For a egg substitute you can make a "flax egg". To do this simply mix 1 Tablespoon of ground flax and 2 1/2 Tablespoons of water, mix them together for 30 seconds then let it rest in the fridge for 10 minutes until thickened.  This makes 1 egg substitute. 

Strawberry Sauce

Watch video here

If you are a big strawberry fan, then you will want to make this fresh sauce to pour over your warm cake.  It adds a lot of strawberry flavor and just the perfect amount of gooey goodness!  If you want to forgo this step you can sprinkle the cake with a little powdered sugar or add some vanilla Ice cream on the side.  My favorite side dish with this cake is Lemon Frozen Yogurt...keep your eye out for that recipe, coming soon!

• 2 Cups Fresh Strawberries hulled & Halved
• 2-3 Tablespoons Sugar (or sugar substitute)

Blend strawberries and sugar together in a high speed blender until pureed.  Pour the strawberry sauce over sliced cake when serving.  Store leftover cake, covered on the counter for 1-2 days then move it to the fridge.  Add a little vanilla ice cream or some lemon frozen yogurt or sorbet- delicious!

 

Download the recipe HERE

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