Foodtastic Mom

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French Strawberry Cake

Welcome! You are in for a treat with this French Strawberry Cake. Mixed in one bowl with the season’s freshest strawberries, this cake bakes up with a custardy middle and crackly, sugary top. This cake has thousands of fans. Read on to see why…

slice of french strawberry cake on plate with whole strawberry and whipped cream

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This French Strawberry Cake will be your new favorite summertime treat. Reminiscent of a classic French Apple Cake it has a crumb that is sweet and custardy with a top that bakes up light and crumbly. This cake is the perfect way to show off those fresh picked strawberries!

overhead view of french strawberry cake in pan

 

I have Southern Cast Iron magazine to thank for the original recipe. I picked up their Spring 2016 issue because the collection of recipes looked so irresistibly delicious. The Strawberry Skillet Cake was the first I chose to make but my cast iron skillet is much bigger than 9-inches in diameter. So I decided to see how this cake fared in a traditional 9-inch cake pan.

overhead view of french strawberry cake slice

After being wowed by the look of it coming out of the oven my family and I were even more impressed with the taste. The cake is moist and custardy in the middle. I looked up the ingredients for a classic French Apple Cake and other than the addition of sour cream this is basically the same cake but with strawberries instead of apples. So I am calling it French Strawberry Cake.

side view of french strawberry cake in pan

 

Watch how to make French Strawberry Cake:

Helpful tips for making French Strawberry Cake:

  • From the comments it is reinforced that oven temperatures vary wildly. My oven bakes this cake in about 40 minutes. For others they’ve left the cake in for much longer. The center of this cake when baked will still have a custard-like texture. Not raw but more moist than other cakes you may be used to.
  • Be sure to dry your strawberries thoroughly before mixing them into the batter.
  • Save a few strawberries (about 1/2 cup) to place on top of the cake before sprinkling it with sugar if you want the cake to look like the photographs.
  • Use full-fat sour cream, not low fat.
  • Full fat, plain Greek yogurt may be used as a substitute for the sour cream.
  • Read the comments below for more helpful information regarding this cake.
  • I bake the cake and serve it straight from the 9-inch baking pan. Find the baking pan I use for this cake here. 

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Made in one bowl. So easy but so impressive! #frenchstrawberrycake #cakerecipes

French Strawberry Cake | Foodtastic Mom #frenchstrawberrycake #cakerecipes

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French Strawberry Cake
4.88 from 57 votes
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French Strawberry Cake

French Strawberry Cake makes a stunning presentation straight out of the pan it is baked in - plus it is mixed together in just one bowl. An easy and impressive cake for strawberry season.

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 430 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 stick unsalted butter softened
  • 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar divided
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 16 ounces fresh strawberries sliced

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray and set aside.

  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip together the butter and 1 cup of the sugar until pale and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes.

  3. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition.

  5. Fold in strawberries. Spread the batter in the prepared cake pan.

  6. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar evenly over the top of the cake batter.

  7. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes.

  8. Let the cake cool completely in the pan and slice and serve the cake from the pan.

Recipe Notes

I used a 9-inch, light silver metal cake pan for this cake. I also used fresh, not frozen strawberries.

The cake is meant to be "custard-like" in the middle. Not under baked but not "crumby" like a traditional cake.

Some people have reported needing to bake the cake longer than the recommended time of 35 - 40 minutes. Color of cake pans, size of strawberries and individual ovens will all factor into the correct baking time.

French Strawberry Cake

More strawberry recipes:

 

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Comments

  1. This looks AMAZING!!! I love French cobbler.. this looks just as delicious. I’m going to need to have recipes stockpiled for summer strawberries yum.

    Reply

  4. I made this recipe last week to test it out for a party I’m throwing today. It was amazing! I making it again today. I recommend doing the good old jiggle test rather than inserting a toothpick because the crusty top gave me an incorrect impression that the cake was done before it actually was. Other than that, it was perfect!

    Reply

  6. Thanks for sharing. I’ll be trying the apple version too. I’m sure that it would be a winner with peaches as well.

    Reply

  7. Just stumbled upon this recipe and cannot wait to give it a try! I’m wondering about the whipped cram in the mason jar. What would be the measurements for the cream and sugar? Sorry new to cooking….

    Reply

  9. This was AMAZING. Made it last night for a dinner party with friends and on the first bite everybody went “whoa.” Storing this one away for sure!

    Reply

  10. Just made this today! It is delicious!!!! Does it need to be refrigerated? It should last a while in my house as I am the only one who likes strawberries!

    Reply

    • Yay, so glad you liked it. I think that yes after a day it should be refrigerated. And make sure to seal it well before you put it in the refrigerator. Thanks for stopping by to give me feedback 🙂

      Reply

  11. Tried this yesterday. The cake tasted great, but didn’t have the crackly top. It came out flat topped, even though I followed the recipe exactly. I wonder why!

    Reply

    • I’m glad the taste was great! Did you sprinkle the sugar on top before baking? I’m not an expert so I’m not quite sure. Differences in humidity could have an effect on it possibly. Kind of like humidity effects a pie crust and how much water you need to add to the dough. That is my best guess.

      Reply

  13. I’ve been cooking for 80 minutes now at 350 in a 8.5″ metal cake pan and the center is STILL wet and uncooked. The edges keep getting more brown. I’ve never had to double the cooking time on baked goods (maybe meats). Help!

    Reply

    • Did you use fresh strawberries, not frozen? The only think I could think of is the high water content in store-bought frozen strawberries would definitely affect the baking. Otherwise it should have been fine. I’ve made this cake many times according to the directions I published and never had an issue. Always used fresh strawberries. I hope that helps. I’m so sorry you had issues!

      Reply


      • I made this recipe today in a 9″ square pan and it turned out fantastic! My stepson was helping me and he said he preferred the square pan to the round one and he told me it would be fine as I told him I was nervous about using the wrong shaped pan, and turns out he was right!

        Reply

  15. Do you think this recipe would work for cupcakes? I have been requested to make fresh strawberry cupcakes for a birthday party and this looks delicious!

    Reply

  16. I had the same issue as the above poster. Cake was still wet even at 45 minutes. I am putting it back in for 20 minutes. Sides have already browned so I don’t think this will turn out well. I’m in salvage mode now. 🙁

    Reply

      • It’s the strawberries. Most recipes have you dry out some of the moisture in the strawberries first by putting them in the oven at 300 for 20 minutes

        Reply

  17. This is currently in the oven and smells AMAZING! Super easy to make. Can’t wait to taste it! I am using a convection oven and I’m already at almost 40 mins bake time (usually convection takes half the time). I am using the jiggle test method…
    Thank you for sharing this beautiful cake recipe.

    Reply

    • Just to add – it is Delicious! I think I may have overcooked it waiting for the toothpick test to come out clean. I think it doesn’t have to be clean – but not totally wet. The jiggle test was probably the better indicator. Anyhow, it is amazing and easy. Make sure to spread out the strawberries evenly or risk getting a cake-only bite, which is still yummy. Thank you for this! I can’t wait to impress my dinner guests “look what I can do!” 🙂

      Reply

  19. I used pie glass pan to bake it and it came out perfectly! And I’m curious will it go well for blueberry Leno?? Thanks!

    Reply

    • I have made it with fresh sliced apples. I’m sure blueberry and lemon would translate well too. Good to know it can be made in a glass pie pan too. Thanks for the comment!

      Reply

  20. I made this for a friend to take home but i was nota able to get it out if the pan. I let it cool completely because I noticed it was sinking as it cooled so I didn’t want to disturb it but it was stuck when I turned it upside down. I sprayed my pan with bakers spray so it shouldn’t have been an issue. Just looking for a guideline for removing the cake from the pan. Thanks!

    Reply

    • I should edit the instructions because I’ve only ever let it cool in the pan and served it directly from the pan. I would say that if you want it to remove easily to line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and then grease and flour the pan (not just cooking spray). That’s what all the pros do! Hope that helps.

      Reply


    • I have made this several times and always use a 9″ spring form pan and line the bottom with parchment as well as spraying everything with coconut oil prior to pouring the mix to bake it. I also used half the amount of sour cream and used buttermilk for the other half because I love what buttermilk adds to my baked goods.

      Reply

  21. I am thinking this would also be very good with blueberries or peaches. This is something that will remain in my deserts for light & fluffy.

    Reply

  22. Made this cake yesterday, used frozen strawberries but the result was still so good. I’m sure it will be a favourite in our house, am going now to buy more frozen red globes of summer!

    Reply

  23. Help the recipe doesn’t say whether or not you take the cake out of the pan to finish cooling or not . I’m literally along it now and really need to know thank you. It looks and smells wonderful

    Reply

  25. Absolutely amazing- cake was soft and very moist and all around just perfect strawberry’s did not sink- I always add extra vanilla and it worked perfectly- will continue to make this recipe, even without strawberry’s !!

    Reply

  26. omg, this was amazing! Thank you for the recipe!

    I may try the recipe with apples, maple extract and sugar cinnamon topping.

    Reply

  27. This recipe was great!!! I added about 1/2 tsp of nutmeg to the batter, and I sliced the strawberries a bit smaller, just to guarantee some in every bite. I thought it was great and plan to make it again!!

    THANK YOU!!

    Reply

  29. Absolutely lovely. Made today for dessert at a friend’s house. Everyone loved it. I used a ceramic dish instead of aluminum because it was a gift from the friend’s we visited. Other than having to bake 15 minutes extra, I followed the recipe exactly. Perfect. So now we have come home and I just put another one in the oven for dessert!

    Reply

  30. Hello! A friend gave me a huge bowl of strawberries that had to be used or frozen or they’d be too old in just a day or two. I clean and cut them up and put them in the freezer to give me time to think of a way to use them. I’d love to give this recipe a try, but I’m worried that because I froze them I’ll have problems with a wet center that doesn’t cook like a few other commenters. Do you think I could thaw them and pat excess moisture off of them with a paper towel? I guess I could use them for smoothies, but good cake looks so good! Thanks for your input!

    Reply

    • I was thinking the same thing. But if you read down in the comments, another follower actually used frozen strawberries in this recipe and said it turned out great! The extra moisture was what I worried about. I’d say if the berries were frozen from fresh just mix them in the batter and bake. It might take a little longer for the baking time but it should (fingers crossed) be OK. Let me know!

      Reply

  31. I made this yesterday and it was a hit. Absolutely delicious. My 14 year old grandson (very picky) ate it and even said it was good. So glad I found your website.

    Reply

  33. Used 1/2 butter and 1/2 cream cheese. Used 1/2 cup Zsweet sugar alternative and just 1/4 cup sugar. Used 1/3 cup whole wheat flour for part of the flour.. Only sprinkled a little Zsweet on top. I had a can of peach slices I needed to use, so I subbed those for the strawberries lol. Only thing for my taste, is I’d use 1/2 tsp salt next time (1/4 tsp more than called for.) Even with all these adjustments, this was great! My oven runs hot. 35 minutes was perfect. Thanks for this great recipe 🙂

    Reply

  41. This looks amazing!!! Do you think this recipe would turn out in the throw away aluminum pans? I wanted to make a few & give them to family. I’ve never had much luck using them..especially with breads, so let me know what you think. Tysm!

    Reply

  43. I’m about to make this for the second time! My family loved it so much that they asked me to double the recipe to make a bigger cake. What are your thoughts? Will that work?

    Reply

    • I’d be concerned about making one big cake as there have been a few comments about the center being difficult to get “done” in some people’s ovens. So I’d just make two separate cakes 🙂

      Reply

  44. I’ve made this 3 times already. Thank you for the recipe! Absolutely delicious. Everyone had loved it. It reminds me of strawberry shortcake. Like others have noted,testing with a toothpick isn’t the best way to go because it is so custardie. It takes 42 min in my oven.

    Reply

  45. Im at 45 minutes and still very much raw in center… Yes I used fresh strawberries. Hope this turns out as it’s Easter dessert.

    Reply

  46. I made this today for Easter. The cake was delicious! It looked nothing like your picture. Mine was really dark. It wasn’t light like your cake. I wonder if anyone else’s came out different.

    Reply

  47. Made this for Easter, the night before, used fresh strawberries, and used the 9 inch cake pan, and the batter overflow the pan why? I used all the strawberries in a 16oz. container like it called for. Plus had to cook it longer to almost 55 min. It smell and taste really good, but I might cut down on the strawberries the next time I make it. Also will be trying it with apples when my trees are fill with fresh apples this fall.

    April 17, 2017

    Reply

    • I make a Kentucky Apple Skillet Cake – same recipe using apples and it is delicious! I’m sorry you had trouble. Everyone’s ovens are definitely treating this recipe differently. Other people have had to bake the cake longer than I had to as well.

      Reply

  48. Hey Jill! I’m stopping by other blogs saying hi to fellow bloggers who are also attending EFC in a couple weeks. I can’t believe it’s almost here!

    I saw this cake and OMG. I had to schedule it to a few of my boards. Gotta get the ol’ springform pan out!

    Hope to meet you at the conference!

    Reply

  50. Hi can’t wait to make this I just wanna know if the sugar you used in the recipe is icing sugar of normal sugar thanks…

    Reply

  51. This looks so delicious, I can’t wait to make (and eat) this cake! I do have one question that I haven’t seen anyone else ask yet– is it possible to use a springform pan for this recipe, or would it not bake the same?

    Reply

  53. I did what I am not supposed to do (but do all the time) and made this cake for the first time for company. It was perfect, exactly what I wanted and so easy to make! This will probably be my go to summer dessert! Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply

  55. Can you substitute the sour cream with cream cheese? I’m thinking this would make an interesting combination.
    Donna

    Reply

  56. My granddaughter and I made this cake today and it came out great! Delicious and beautiful, too, just like the photos. I used a 10″ round cake pan and it worked perfectly. Thanks so much for this recipe, definitely a keeper!

    Reply

  57. I can’t wait to make this next weekend for my father-in-law’s birthday. I saw the comments about the cake taking longer to cook – I wonder if the poster used margarine instead of butter? Just a thought…

    Reply

  58. I made this to take to church. It looked good but was definitely undercooked when it was cut open. Kinda like blcake batter in the middle and I even let it bake for ten extra minutes. The flavor is great, the texture not so much. I’m guessing at least an extra 15 minutes would have helped, so a total of 65 minutes in the oven. I used fresh strawberries and Greek yogurt. The top jiggled when I took it out but I should have left it in even longer. Wasn’t sure if it’s supposed to be like that… I will definitely try it again though. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

    • I guess that just goes to prove how differently everyone’s ovens bake! I hope it works better the next time you try it and thank you for the detailed feedback. It’s always helpful to hear everyone’s experiences 🙂

      Reply

      • Hi! I tried the recipe again and this time it came out PERFECTLY! I used plain Greek yogurt just like last time (to cut a few fat grams) but this time I left the cake in the oven for 65 minutes. It was a work of art, and the people at church couldn’t stop commenting on how delicious it was…Perseverance! 🙂

        Thanks again for posting it!

        Reply

  59. I made this yesterday with gluten free flour (Bob’s Red Mil 1-for-1) and it turned out perfectly! I even doubled it and used 2 – 9 inch cake pans. I had just picked fresh strawberries and wasn’t sure how many cups to use since I don’t have a scale. I found the conversion online and used 3 cups of halved berries per cake. I baked for 35 minutes and they were perfect. I took them to a family gathering yesterday and they were a hit! Delicious!!! Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply

  60. This was BEYOND AMAZING!! I made this for Mother’s Day and everyone who took a bite said whoa or oh my gosh this is amazing! This will forever be my go to recipe when I need to whip something up for a gathering! So easy and pretty quick to put together!

    I was going through the comments while I had passed the 40 minute timer (still wet in the middle) wondering where I went wrong! Thank goodness others had said it took them an extra 15 minutes because that’s exactly how long it took! It came out perfectly browned! I used a 9″ spring form pan that I sprayed well beforehand, it worked perfect. I think all ovens tend to cook slightly different.

    One question though, how long should this last in the refrigerator? I let it cool a good hour on a cooling rack then transferred to the refrigerator when cool to the touch.

    Thanks again for sharing such a yummy recipe!!

    Reply

    • That is so wonderful to hear! I’m glad you all liked the cake and that the additional comments helped. I would say a couple of days at most to keep the cake in the fridge – though it never lasts that long in my house 🙂

      Reply

  62. Hello, wondering if someone can clarify the “jiggle test” before I make this. Do I want it to jiggle or not jiggle? Thanks!

    Reply

  64. I made this today for memorial day cookout and it was delicious! The recipe said custard- like inside though and it wasn’t like that at all. It was delicious but totally cake-like. Any thoughts on why that would be? Cooked for 40 minutes maybe at 350

    Reply

    • Yours may have been a bit over baked. There seems to be quite a variance depending on people’s ovens. I think luckily it seems to be a forgiving recipe 🙂

      Reply

  65. I made this at high altitude with no adjustments and it came out perfectly. I saw other commenters talk about using blueberries, and I think I’m going to try it next week. This is a perfect strawberry short cake in one go.

    Reply

  66. I made this yesterday. Followed the recipe to a T and it took 85 minutes to bake! Glad I followed my intuition and used parchment paper on the bottom or the cake would never have come out of the pan as I had to use a knife to loosen the sides. That being said, it is delicious, but I think I’ll try making it in muffin form next time.

    Reply

    • You are definitely not the first one to have to bake this cake longer than instructed. I’m wondering why there is such a huge difference? I am not a baking expert so color of pans, size of strawberries, temperature of ovens, that’s all I can come up with. I’m glad it still turned out for you! I’ve thought about baking the recipe as muffins too – maybe with peaches instead of strawberries. Thanks for the feedback!

      Reply


  68. I have made this twice now. The taste is fantastic and I love the crunchy sweet top. I have found it bakes best in a ring mold pan (IKEA has a great light aluminum one with a removable bottom, and it has a plain flat bottom insert as well). That helps the center bake through without overtaking the edges, though it was still quite wet. When I used the flat base it was going to be thin so I doubled the batter but didn’t double the number of strawberries because I was concerned about moisture, and before putting the strawberries in the batter I sliced and sugared them, allowing the juices to be drawn ou and set aside (I was going to use it to make a drizzle served on the side). It still was so wet that the center did not bake through. Given that I was going to be taking it to a dinner party, I them had to make an emergency chocolate backup cake.

    Reply

    • I’ve made it several times now too and all I can say is that the recipe has always worked as/is for me and my oven and silver (9-inch) baking pan. Doubling the cake batter would definitely make a disastrous difference and I’m not sure even baking it twice as long could make that work.

      Reply


  69. Made this French Strawberry Cake today and it got raving reviews from the family! It was super easy to prepare. I followed the directions to a tee, with the exception of adding about 1/2 more strawberries. I baked it for 35 minutes.
    It cuts like a cake, but it does have a texture more similar to custard as stated above. This recipe will certainly be a family favorite! Thank you for posting and sharing with the rest of us. :o)

    Reply


  70. Mine turned out darker than yours. It also fell after coming out of the oven and cooling and all the strawberries fell to the bottom. I don’t have a mixer so I mixed it all by hand. Could that be why? I did use a ceramic dish instead of metal. It tasted wonderful just didn’t look very pretty and I was disappointed that my strawberries fell. Any tips? Thank you so much for a great recipe!!

    Reply

    • It may be the air incorporated using the stand mixer helps the strawberries stay “afloat”. Ceramic probably would make the top of the cake look a darker brown. My metal pan was a light silver (not dark) and so I think that helps in keeping the top from browning. As I am not a baking expert that is about the best I can guess. I’m glad it still tasted good! Maybe try using a hand mixer next time to mix the cake.

      Reply

  71. I’d love to make this in a 12″ cast iron skillet. Would I double the recipe or 1 and a half size? Thoughts?

    Reply

    • I’d say just 1 1/2, not double. Though be aware that in some ovens this cake for just one recipe already takes longer to bake than instructed. I’m not a baking expert but I know 1 1/2 times will take longer to bake and I hope it bakes correctly. Good luck!

      Reply


  72. i just took mu cake out of the pan. my house smells lime vanilla, cake and strawberries. thank you so much for sharing this recipe.

    Reply

  73. So excited to find this recipe! We just picked our strawberries and i wanted a new recipe and…i will make this NOW!
    Thank you for making this available.

    Reply


  74. I made the cake with strawberries last week,yum! My strawberries did not stay pretty and bright red but became more like a jam, none the less delish! Made it with blueberries today, mine in 9 inch cake pan are done at 35 minutes. I think you’re right each oven bakes differently. My next adventure will be peach cake. I love this cake so much I may try making it sans fruit and serving with cut fresh fruit like a shortcake. Thanks for my new favorite cake!

    Reply


  75. Hi! Just wanted to share. I’ve made this cake six times in the last three months and I cannot praise it enough. it is so simple and delicious! I also had the problem of it being soggy in the middle, which was fine because you said it was supposed to be custard like. However, one time I did pop it in the fridge to chill after cooling it on the counter and it came out wonderfully. Firm and almost cheesecake like in the middle. It also lasted several days without melting. Some people don’t like cold cake, but this cake is delicious in all forms. Thank you for sharing it with us!

    Reply


  76. AHHMAZING!
    First I made this with frozen strawberries and it turned out wonderful!
    But I wanted something bigger so I doubled the recipe and put it in a 9″ spring form pan. I used regular cherries(frozen and sour!) mixed with rhubarb(frozen and sour!). I baked it in my convection oven for 1 hour, it didn’t need to be covered. It turned out PERFECT!!
    Thank you for the recipe!!

    Reply


  77. I have made this twice for my family and it is a huge hit. One of the best cakes I’ve ever made! I was wondering if anyone has tried doing a cupcake/muffin version of this? I wanted to make it for my neighbors. If so, how do you think times would be adjusted?

    Reply


  79. Made this yesterday, it was so good! Thank you for sharing. I will be making this again for sure!

    Reply


  80. I don’t ever leave comments on blogs but I had to tell you how much I love this cake! I’ve made it numerous times, each time turning out flawlessly and so delicious. Today, I’m mixing it up and adding blueberries (my kiddos ate the strawberries at breakfast without knowing mommy needed them for the cake!). But I’m confident it will turn out just as well. Thank you for posting such a fantastic recipe to share with friends and family! I look forward to making it in the years ahead 🙂

    Reply


  83. I never leave comments on recipes, but I thought I should for this AMAZING cake! My plan to make it was almost derailed as I found bugs in my nearly brand new bag of KA AP flour! I have never had that happen before:( Luckily I did have a new un-opened box of KA cake flour and used it instead by adding 2 additional TBs as mentioned in another comment. I baked it for around 45 minutes in a round 9 inch Wilton cake pan and it came out perfectly! I cut into it while it was still warm, and OMG it was too die for!!! Thank you for sharing the recipe!

    Reply

    • Bummer on finding bugs in your flour. Hope that is only a one time occurrence for you! I’m so glad you were able to keep going and the recipe turned out for you. Thanks for the positive review 🙂

      Reply


  84. I made this yesterday. I decided to use two aluminum loaf pans (smallest size) and a tiny spring form (dark) 4″ pan. It was all a test to see which worked best. They all turned out great, I pulled one loaf pan out at 50 minutes, but decided to go 60 minutes for the others. For my oven, I think 55-60 minutes will be best, I liked the browned top and the sugar crunch better than the one baked at 50 minutes. I had sour cream that had mistakenly been frozen, so as not to have a complete disaster result I decided to use half Greek yogurt and half sour cream, no issues, it could have been all of either! I also prefer Dermerara sugar so my ratio was close to 50:50, the cake color was not pure white like yours, but I loved the extra crunch in the topping so I may adjust accordingly. BTW, I liked this better the second day, {It spent the night in the fridge}. Next time, and there WILL be a next time, I will use 2 regular size loaf pans b/c I like to share with neighbors. AND, thank you for the whipped cream in a bell jar tip! It will be easy to send that along with the cake.
    This is a wonderful (base) cake batter and enhanced by the fruit selected. I could even envision the cake, baked sans fruit, with a fresh fruit mix on the side and a dollop of Crème fraîche or whipped cream. Thank you for such a delight!

    Reply


  86. I made this cake in a spring form pan with 8 ounces of strawberries and 8 ounces of blueberries. It was delicious and everyone wanted the recipe.
    I wasn’t sure if the “ounces” meant wight or volume. I went with volume = 2 cups.
    Would this cake freeze well?

    Reply


  88. I made this with my niece a few nights ago because we both thought it sounded delicious. Oh…my..gosh…it is AMAZING !! Everyone who tried it kept telling us how good it was and it really was ! I’m making this again for a birthday party because I know everyone will love it.

    **the first time I baked it I put it in two 8 inch round cake pans because I misread the directions and left them in for a little over the time it recommended above and they came out perfect !! This time I’m using one 9inch pan 🙂

    Reply


  89. Made this today….wowza! Fantastic! I used frozen strawberries and patted them down to remove moisture before lightly folding them in. I live at 6500 ft and did zero adjustment to recipe for altitude adjustment. Baked it for 40 minutes and it was perfection. We added vanilla ice cream which somehow even bumped up the flavor a bit more. Thanks for this crazy awesomeness:)

    Reply


  90. I am going to make this tomorrow for my hubby’s birthday! It looks and sounds great and reading all the comments has made me more excited.

    Can you please clarify what 1 stick of butter means? How many gms is that approximately?

    Reply

  91. Hello and thank you for posting this delicious looking recipe. Could I substitute whole milk yogurt for sour cream? It’s what I have on hand. Thank you in advance for your reply!

    Reply


  92. AWESOME!!! Made this on a whim and it came out amazing! I have been slaving over trying to make the perfect apple pie and this recipe (in comparison) is way easier and way more rewarding!! Five stars and I’m picky as heck when it comes to baked fruits in my food. I baked for 40 min and toothpick came out clean, was not runny or anything. Omg YES GURL!

    Reply

  94. Hi
    Thanks alot for the recipe, i just made it to day!
    It was really delicious…like it so much specially the crusted top layer!

    But there is a quation, how should i do that the straberries stay it all layers, when i bake it all the straberries went down, but in your beautiful pic i can see that the straberries had stayed in different layer of the cake, what should i do??

    Reply

    • I should update the instructions – I mix in most of the strawberries into the batter then I scatter about 10 or so slices on the top. It’s kinda my little secret 😉 and I did it really for photographic purposes but there you go! Save a few and place them on top once the batter is in the pan and before baking.

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  95. This was delicious! Followed your recipe exactly and baked in a 9” ceramic pie plate for about 40 minutes and it was perfect. Took it to a birthday celebration and everyone loved it. Gotta love easy recipes that look like they would be much more time-consuming 🙂 Thank you for sharing!

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  96. This cake is amazing! I made two for potlucks and another for my family of 8. Everyone wants more so I’m making another for Easter! I have a question. I’m assuming leftovers should be refrigerated. How long do you think is ok to leave it out of making one for a friend? I’m concerned about losing the beautiful crunchy topping to condensation in the fridge. Thanks!

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    • I’m so glad that this cake is a hit for you. At most without refrigeration the cake will keep for two days (covered, like in a cake carrier). And I think you are right. Refrigerating any longer than that would affect the texture. So my answer is two days. Which probably isn’t very helpful 🙂 Sorry! But thank you for the rating and the compliments! Happy Easter!

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  97. Help! How do you store and serve it!? Made this the day before an event and have no idea what to do once it cools.

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    • I slice and serve it directly out of the pan it was baked in. Allow it too cool completely before putting it in a cake container or cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature until tomorrow.

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  98. I tried this recipe twice and both of the times it came out really wet although I baked it longer than the advised time. Does anyone know what could be the cause or (more importantly) how I can fix it? I really love the taste.

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    • Maybe try less strawberries? You are using fresh, not frozen, right? Make sure to drain them and maybe even let them set on paper towels to absorb any extra moisture before mixing them in with the cake batter. I’m sorry you’ve had a less than positive experience with this recipe 🙁

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  99. I am a very discerning cook/ baker and this is a fantastic recipe, not too sweet with a lovely cake, but most importantly the fruit is the star! I will use this recipe over and over!!!!

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  100. I’m so happy with how this recipe turned out! We are celebrating my friend Misty’s birthday today so I stalked her Pinterest to figure out a surprise desert to make. When I saw this pinned I knew it was the recipe! Super easy and delicious! I am pairing it with homemade whipped cream, inspired by the photos above.

    To begin, I followed the recipe to a T……except for the fact that I made it in cupcake form as I thought that would be more fun for her birthday party. I am actually referring to these as ‘French Strawberry Mini-Cakes’ as they are more reminiscent of a miniature cake vs a cupcake or muffin, ie: the top has that wonderful flaky crack and it is not rounded. I read every single review on this page trying to see what I should change/do differently to convert this recipe from a regular cake to mini-cakes but in the end I just decided to go about things by doing a little trial and error of my own. I saw that a few others had asked about doing a ‘cupcake’ versions of this recipe so I wanted to share what worked/didn’t work for me – my apologies for the long review!

    So, yes, I followed the recipe to a T when it came to preparing the batter and everything else. However, instead of a cake pan, I used a 12 cup dark silver muffin tin. I kept the oven at 350* and found that 20 minutes was the perfect amount of bake time. I did broil the tops at 500* for maybe 2 minutes at the end just to give the tops a nice toasted gold color for my personal preference. This recipe yielded 18 mini-cakes for me overall.

    Before I baked my first batch, I tried two tester mini-cakes: For the first one, I used a foil cupcake baking liner and the second one next went straight into the muffin tin which was greased with a light layer of butter. Both worked pretty well! The ‘cupcake’ one was super easy/neat to remove from the muffin tin which was a plus and the actual cake did not stick to the liner. With that said, I actually preferred the other mini-cake better because the sides got a beautiful brown crust to them from touching the baking tray directly. [I love a nice crunch one the outside to contract the custard-like filling!] They were a little harder to remove this way though and I tried several ways to remove them from the muffin tin. In the end, I found that spooning them out of the tin very quickly after they are done baking yielded a better result than letting them cool in the pan.

    Hopefully my review helps others! Please let me know if you have any tips or suggestions. I’d definitely love to find a way to keep the sides of each mini-cake still browned and crunchy while making them a little bit easier to remove from the pan. Not that greasing the pan with butter didn’t work (in fact, it made the sides super delicious) but perhaps I will try another non-stick method next time just to keep them a little more neater.

    Reply

    • Gerald I think you need to be my official tester from now on 🙂 I love your thorough review – so helpful to me and my readers. I’d been thinking of trying this recipe in cupcake form (I’ve made several different versions, just switching out the fruit, and making one into an “upside down cake” with peaches) but hadn’t gotten to cupcakes/mini cakes yet. Your friend Misty is lucky to have you baking for her. Thanks so much for all these helpful tips!!

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  101. this cake looks amazing and would love to try it! Is there another ingredient with which to replace the sour cream cause over in Greece where I live we don’t have it. And i am not sure if I can be successful in making sour cream myself, nor do i want to spend the time i think. Any suggestions? Thank you!

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  102. I just stumbled upon this recipe today, and I would love to make it. However, I had in mind to make a double layer strawberry cake, and I was wondering if you could let me know if that was a good idea? I was thinking of making double recipe and making some kind of stiff cream filling to put in between. What concerns me is that they are supposed to be kind of a custard-like consistency. Does that mean they are going to be too heavy to stack one on top of another with a cream in between? Please let me know what you would recommend. Thank you.

    Reply

    • David, I’ve gotten a lot of comments on this recipe and I don’t have time to read through them right now but I feel like another reader did make this into a double layer cake. While the cake is custard like in texture it’s not particularly heavy. I’d make sure to cool the cakes completely before trying to remove them from the pans. That part might be a little tricky – though it may be fine – I’m not sure only because I haven’t tried it. But I think layering two cakes with cream in between could turn out really well. If you try it, let us know!

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  104. I made this recipe last week and am making it again today. My family seems to think that fruit is not dessert, that is, until we discovered this recipe. My husband can’t stop talking about it! 5 stars!

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  105. Delicious recipe. I baked mine on 355 for about 43 minutes. My oven is usually a few degrees lower than what’s recommended. It could have used another minute or two and been fine as well! Absolutely delicious.

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  107. I made this recipe using adjustments for higher altitude. At 5340 feet elevation I added 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour to the amount in
    recipe & decreased the baking powder to 3/4 teaspoon. Baked at 365* for 40 minutes. My adjustments were spot on! This recipe is a keeper.

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  108. Amazing, amazing cake!!! Made this last night with my mother-in-laws garden fresh strawberries! Will make again in a heartbeat but I do have a question:

    All my strawberries sank right to the bottom of the cake pan. Still such a great taste! But how did yours stay so wonderfully mixed throughout the cake? ?? Thanks!!

    Reply

    • I mixed most of the berries into the batter but I saved a few to scatter over the top before sprinkling with sugar. That seemed to make those at least stay on top. Trade secret 🙂 Garden fresh strawberries sound wonderful. So happy you enjoyed the cake!

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  109. This is lovely! I like fruit desserts. I used coarse-grained sugar over the top for crunch and sparkle. I have only extra large eggs so I baked it 10 minutes longer. I used fresh-picked berries from our garden, they did not sink to the bottom of the pan (bummer for Emily Roelandts).

    I will likely try this later in the summer when wild Maine blueberries are ripe. I am envious of any Southerner with access to REAL peaches to try this.

    Thank you for posting this marvelous recipe, Jill.

    Reply

    • You are so welcome! Great idea to use a course grain for sprinkling on top. I’ve baked the cake with blueberries too now and it’s delicious. Thank you for the positive feedback.

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  111. Made this last year and LOVED it…about to make it again this year, after picking a lot of strawberries. Wondering if anyone has ever tried freezing one and if it was still as delicious when thawed?

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  112. Oh my word this was DELISH! I was.asked to bring a dessert to a BBQ and found this recipe. I am not a baker my any means, but this turned out fantastic. I melted some dark chocolate in the top and use all of the sugar for the top. It was a hit. My husband immediately said “can you make this again?”. Thank you!

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  115. Instead of sprinkling regular sugar on top, I used clear sugar sprinkles (since I wanted larger sugar crystals) so it gave a little sweet crunch on top. I did bake this for about 50 minutes and still had the proper custardy texture. I think the timing could vary due to the temperature differences in ovens, the different moisture content of the strawberries and the temperature of the strawberries themselves. My strawberries were fairly cold from just getting pulled from the fridge. I served the cake with a spoonful of lime curd. The tart tang complemented the cake perfectly. If I were going to serve this to guests, I would bake it in a springform pan instead so it could have a prettier initial presentation.

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  119. I made it with Strawberries last week for a dinner party They loved it .. I made it with fresh peaches this time .. Also because I left my round cake pan behind at that party 😩I made the peach one in the square glass pan .. It came out good , but because it will be cut in squares I think the ends will be drier than the middle .. With the round pan you get some custard middle with every slice ..This recipe will be in my kitchen forever ❤️

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  120. I made this two days ago for lunch with my aunt but I used fresh blackberries that my grocery store had for 99 cents. It was amazing with the blackberries. I did not cut them but they were huge. I made this before with the strawberries for Mother’s Day. I love this cake recipe. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    • I haven’t tried it with blackberries yet, but I love it when our grocery has them for .99 per container. I will have to try it with blackberries now! Thank you for the positive comment!

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  121. This has become my go to cake. I have mixed it up and uses apples and blueberries as well as strawberries. Everyone that tries it loves it.

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  122. I tried the strawberry version of this a few weeks ago. Delicious! I haven’t been able to rest until I had a chance (and a nice rainy day) to do a fresh pear version. I can hardly contain myself as it is in the oven now!

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  123. Hi I did not have a chance to read all the comments so pardon if you’ve already answered. I’m wondering about storage. I want to make this tonight for tomorrow. Does it require refrigerating or can I leave out or do you recommend wrapping in foil.

    Thank you. Looks delicious.

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  125. Just made it here in OZ with fresh strawberries,served 8 people they gave it 10 out of 10 served it with fresh vanilla creamy yoghurt, A Winner,just fabulous! thanks, so easy!

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  126. It looks so pretty and delicious! Here from where I’m from, it’s a bit tough to find fresh strawberries. Whenever I find some, they’re usually then sold at a pretty expensive price. When I find some, I will immediately purchase and bake following your wonderful recipe. Can I add a few walnut slices to it to add a little bit of crunch?

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  127. I just made this recipe using frozen raspberries and it is delicious, the only problem I had was that I accidentally grabbed an 8″ pan instead of the 9″ it calls for so it took a lot longer to cook through causing the bottom to brown a little too much .I am wondering if you or anyone has tried using a springform pan I stead for a pretty presentation at the dinner table

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  128. I made this wonderful cake last night and it was splendid! It is strawberry season here on the west coast of Florida and I had tons, I doubled the recipe and threw it all into a glass 9″ x 13″ pan, I added 10 minutes to the bake time and it turned out perfect!! I would make this cake again in a heartbeat and I will share this recipe with all of my family and friends. Thank you so very much.

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  129. I made this before and was pleased with it. Bought a flat of berries last week and made two this morning, one for my hubs and myself and the other for my mother. Perfect in 40 minutes. Wish I could post a picture!!

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  130. this cake was great. Brought to a dinner and got lots of compliments.

    The most time consuming part of it was slicing the strawberries. I used Greek yogurt(2% fat) and it was a bit dry, so I did need to add a bit more than specified in the recipe.

    Will definately make this again, and would try different fruits (e.g, blueberries or straw/blueberry mixture.

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  131. I would give this 10 stars if i could
    Its incredible.Great for dessert, for breakfast, or for a coffee break. I had about a cup of strawberries begging to be eaten and a cup of bleberries plus anout 1/2 cup of fresh pinepple. I chopped the pineapple and put it in a nonstick skillet to dry it out and caramelize it. I mixed all the friit and baked. Probably cooked it about 25 minutes longer due to the amount of friit i used. I could eat the whole thing

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  133. Thank you so much for this recipe! I have made it several times and always get asked for the recipe! I have made with frozen apples, blueberries, rhubarb, etc. and it is always delicious! I have several friends that do the gluten free so I made it with almond flour and again it was amazing!

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  134. Excellent recipe! May now be my family’s favorite cake, I know it’s mine.. Couldn’t have been more perfect and better than you could ever describe. The baking and preparation hints were invaluable to the results. Very simple and easy to make and a beautiful presentation without all that heaviness of a regular cake and no heavy icing. All the flavor and texture of a truly great cake. Can’t wait to make it again. Definitely going to be my summertime cake. My family will demand it to be. LOL.

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  135. Had berries that the spouse said were “getting squishy” (they weren’t) so I made the cake today and added mini chocolate chips (because, match made in heaven….). I didn’t add the sugar on top as I’m planning on freezing it for a later date. I’ll circle back once we’ve tasted it 😀

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  136. I made this exactly as written and it was awesome! I also switched it up and used ripened pears, topping with an almond glaze/drizzle. Both fantastic! Thank you so much for the recipe!

    Reply

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