French Strawberry Cake is mixed in one bowl with fresh summer strawberries. It bakes up with a tender custardy middle and crunchy sugary topping.
If you like this cake, check out my Chocolate Strawberry Cake next!
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French Strawberry Cake will be your new favorite sweet treat. Reminiscent of a classic French Apple Cake, it has a crumb that is tender, sweet and custardy. And a delightful sugar crunch topping. This cake is so easy to make. And it’s a great way to show off freshly picked summer strawberries. This cake is a fan favorite!
More favorite strawberry recipes
I have Southern Cast Iron magazine to thank for this original recipe. I picked up their Spring 2016 issue because the collection of recipes looked so irresistibly delicious. Their Strawberry Skillet Cake was the first I chose to make from that issue. But my cast iron skillet at the time was too large. So I decided to bake it in a traditional 9-inch round cake pan.
After being wowed by the look of it coming out of the oven, my kids and I were even more impressed with the flavor. This 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 have officially christened this cake to be known as a ‘French Strawberry Cake‘.
Ingredients for french strawberry cake
- Strawberries – Fresh strawberries are best for this cake. I’ve only ever baked it with fresh strawberries. But some readers have had success using frozen strawberries.
- Butter, Eggs, Sour Cream and Vanilla – I have only tested this recipe using full-fat sour cream. Some readers have had success replacing the sour cream with plain yogurt.
- Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder and Salt – I’ve only tested this recipe using all-purpose flour. The granulated sugar is divided, with one cup sugar mixed into the cake batter. And a quarter cup sprinkled on top. Most readers describe the cake as not overly sweet or just sweet enough.
Pro tips
- 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 might 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 my pictures.
- Read through the many reader comments below for more helpful information regarding this cake.
- I bake the cake and serve it straight from its 9-inch round cake pan.
- Some readers have had success baking it in a springform pan. And then transferring it to a platter before serving.
Kitchen tools
- My favorite inexpensive paring knife for slicing the strawberries
- Nine-inch round cake pan for baking the cake
- My favorite set of magnetic measuring spoons and measuring cups for baking
Video
French Strawberry Cake
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
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip together the butter and 1 cup of the sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time and beat well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition.
- Fold in strawberries using a rubber spatula. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared cake pan.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar evenly over the top of the cake batter.
- Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
- Let the cake cool completely in the pan and slice and serve the cake from the pan.
Notes
Nutrition
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More versions of this cake
fraisier cake, sponge cake, moisture, preheated oven, large bowl, bite
Maggie says
I have a gluten free friend coming over for dinner. Would like to make this. Has anyone tried this recipe with gluten free flour? Any tips or ideas?
Melissa Hebbard says
Really delicious cake. I made it for book group and all adored it. I added the zest of 1 lemon which I highly recommend. Thanks for the recipe.
AFrei says
This cake turned out amazing. I used a dairy free sour cream for allergy purposes and it still tasted amazing. I don’t think it altered the texture at all. I topped it with some homemade (dairy free) whipped cream, because I’m obsessed with sugar, and it was delicious.
Thanks so much!
Grandma Carol says
Definitely a favorite. Easy & quick. First made it as a birthday cake for a strawberry lover. She now wants it for every birthday!
Jill McOwen says
I love hearing this. Thank you for taking the time to leave a positive review!
Lisa J Llewellyn says
ok, so I had strawberries i needed to do something with asap…I can across this and it sounded perfect…
I made it right away, first off, super easy to prepare, secondly it looks so rustic, and third…I overbaked it slightly, so I suppose I just gave to make another, because it didn’t come out with the custard like middle. with all that said….omg this cake is absolutely amazing..can’t wait to make it without over baking..lol
thank you for the recipe
Melanie says
I’ve made it with strawberries, absolutely delicious! I just made it with fresh cherries , a bit of almond extract, and cardamom in the batter. Topped it with sliced almond and sugar. I didn’t think it could get any better than strawberries but this combo is definitely a contender!
Jill McOwen says
I’ve been thinking about publishing a cherry version. I think you just convinced me! Also, I love cardamom.
Jami Biwer says
I love this cake recipe and also love the pineapple version. I’ve made both several times. Delicious and so easy! Question: Should i store it in the refrigerator or on the counter? Thanks
Jill McOwen says
If just for a day or two, leave it on the counter. If you want to try and make it last beyond that, store it in the fridge. Also I’m so happy to hear that you love the cakes!
Hannah says
My FAVORITE cake recipe ever. Always a hit, I bring it to pretty much every party or event I can, and I’ve been asked for the recipe dozens of times! I have made it with several different fruits depending on what’s in season, my favorite version was using fresh peaches last summer, but it’s also been incredible with strawberries, cherries, and cranberries. 10000/10
Jill McOwen says
Love this glowing recommendation for my cake! Thank you so much Hannah! 🙂
SARAH says
Wow! Fantastic cake warm AND cold! I needed to use up some fresh strawberries, and this was the perfect choice.
king tv says
What a lovely recipe. The combination of a soft cake and fresh strawberries is always a winner, and the presentation looks fantastic. I especially like desserts that highlight seasonal fruit instead of relying on overly complicated ingredients. This would be perfect for a spring or summer gathering.
Jean Mishler says
Made this recipe exactly as written and it turned out fantastic! Our Amish neighbor gave us a bunch of fresh strawberries, and another Amish neighbor gave us fresh farm eggs. Couldn’t want for a more delicious cake! My husband and I ate the first cake to see what we thought and it received an all thumbs up. I now have another cake in the oven that I will take to the Amish in gratitude for the strawberries. Thanks for the terrific recipe!
Kayla says
The cake was amazing just 20 minutes and I had to loosely cover it with tinfoil and I also cooked it at 325 because I have an older oven that cooks hot. Left it in for the complete 40 minutes. Came out great would definitely make again.
Amber says
I froze a ton of fresh springtime strawberries and was looking for a dessert last night to use them in. They had sat in the fridge over night and were mostly thawed and pretty juicy. I knew this recipe was a risk but tried anyway. As if that adjustment wasnt risky enough, I also doubled it and cooked in a 9×13 glass Pyrex dish. It was a HUGE hit, going to be in rotation often now.
Before gathering ingredients, I put the mostly thawed strawberries in a strainer and let the juice drain out into a pan. I folded in probably 1.5 cups of strawberries slowly, careful not to overwhelm the cake with them since they were juicier than fresh. Baked for 40 minutes. Flawless.
I used the strained juice to make a strawberry sauce to go on top. It was good, hubby loved it that way but I prefer it without to keep that beautiful crinkley top texture.
Warmed it a touch this morning for breakfast. So So good!
Jill McOwen says
This is such great feedback. Love the creativity of using the juice to make a sauce. Thanks so much for your comment!
Desiree says
I baked for over 45 minutes, it passed the toothpick test, and then when I cut into it it was still batter wet in the middle, not just custard. I used a 9-inch dark silver spring form pan, and baked at 350. Any suggestions? I put it back to bake longer, hoping to salvage it. Any suggestions for the future? I’m thinking maybe baking in a pie plate may go better?
Jill McOwen says
I’ve had others have this issue. The dark pan may have caused the cake to heat to quickly on the outside so it looked done but the center was still raw. I usually use a shiny silver 9-inch cake pan for baking.
It’s possible that your oven runs hotter than the 350 it says. It’s also possible that the batter was over mixed? Just trying to give you all possible reasons.
Based on reader comments, some people definitely have to let the cake bake longer than 40-45 minutes. I hope that helps. And I’m sorry you had that experience!
Desiree says
would it be possible to maintain the integrity of this recipe while reducing the sugar? trying to watch mine for health reasons and it’s strawberry season, I’m bringing in a few bowls daily and looking for different things to make that aren’t totally filled with sugar.
Linda says
hello, do you think this can be made with Gluten Free 1-to1 flour?
Francis says
Thank you! I haven’t made this in years and didn’t save the recipe. My Internet search of recipe you were the first to pop up and this is the recipe I was looking for!
buffalo wild wings menu says
This French Strawberry Cake looks incredible! Can’t wait to try it for a special summer dessert.
Cindy says
This is my husband’s favorite cake recipe! I have tweaked it a little by using coconut sugar and Greek yogurt instead. I also have used blueberries, and add chocolate chips on top. I’m making it today and trying raspberries for the first time! We love the different variations we have tried! This cake never lasts long in our fridge. Job well done!! Thanks for sharing it!!
Carma K Hansel says
I make this with fresh blueberries and add lemon paste. Always a hit! And soo EASY!
Joy DeNicola says
I have made this cake several times and it always turns out perfect. Everyone I have made it for loves it. I made it again today to take to a friend’s hours and added toasted almonds to the batter and sprinkled some on top along with non-melting sugar crystals from King Arthur. This is one of my favorite cakes, not too sweet, an absolutely lovely crumb, and very easy to make. I highly recommend this to anyone.