Simple Strawberry Cake Recipe

I got inspired by this Simple Strawberry Cake recipe while reading Natasha’s blog. Natasha sure bring out all the fondest memories of my childhood. The batter for this recipe it is actually a base batter for a lot of the Russian cakes and bundt cakes and is probably a staple batter in almost every Russian kitchen. My favorite one is done with apples. It is also called a “Charlotte” cake in some instances. There are variations of it where certain ingredients can be swapped with others. My Mother-in-law gets asked for her recipe ALL the time, you guys. I am happy to present you my version of the recipe and the changes you can make to it in order enjoy a simple, yet delicious dessert.

This cake packs 2051 calories as a whole and can be generously sliced to 10 pieces. You can enjoy a slice at 205 calories. You can always cut a smaller slice.

Tips to keep in mind:

1. Natasha also offers a sauce to go along with it. I really liked this idea. It can be made in various ways in the easiest would be blend 1 cup of strawberries with 1/4 cup of sugar. This combination is plenty to serve with the entire cake.

2. Err on the side of caution with the flour. Consistency and density of the flour is always different depending on the brand of flour you might use. Also do not pack the cups solid, make sure to gently top the cups off with a butter knife to avoid usage of too much flour. In case you notice your batter has gotten too think and you are having a hard time mixing it or working with it, adding a little bit of liquid in the form of a TBSP extra sour cream or a TBSP of milk is quite al right. In fact, that’s exactly what I did in order to avoid too thick of a batter.

Ingredients:

• 2 large or 3 small eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar (or coconut sugar)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup liquid oil of your choice (or 1/4 cup melter ghee or butter)
• 2 loose cups of flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 12 oz  strawberries, hulled (You can swap this process with any berries or fruit which has a lower moisture point)
• Powdered sugar for decoration purposes.

Directions:

Divide hulled berries into two, even portions. I always leave the prettier, more even ones for the top. The ones which goes in the middle of the batter can be sectioned in smaller pieces or sliced thinner.

Crack two eggs in a medium bowl, add 1 cup of sugar and beat the mixture for about 5-6 minutes, on medium speed until it looses its color and becomes much thicker.

Add 1 cup of sour cream, 1/4 cup of oil of your choice, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp salt in to the batter. Mix everything gently, until everything is incorporated.

Sift 2 cups of flour on top of the batter and add 2 tsp of baking powder on top of the four heap. Using the lowest setting of your whisk gently mix everything together, until the flour is well incorporated.

Err on the side of caution with the flour. Consistency and density of the flour is always different depending on the brand of flour you might use. Also do not pack the cups solid, make sure to gently top the cups off with a butter knife to avoid usage of too much flour. In case you notice your batter has gotten too think and you are having a hard time mixing it or working with it, adding a little bit of liquid in the form of a TBSP extra sour cream or a TBSP of milk is quite al right. In fact, that’s exactly what I did in order to avoid too thick of a batter. Although having a thicker batter will ensure that the cake will not turn out soggy around the berries. Refer to photos for the exact consistency.

Season the bottom of a spring form pan (or any other baking medium, for that matter) with a little bit of butter or liquid oil. I try not to get oil on the sides of the pan because at times it might initiate a warping pattern, creating a dome like cake. The bottom of the cake will not stick to the bottom of the pan. If you are afraid that it might, you can always line the bottom with a parchment paper. Pour half of the batter on the bottom of the pan, evenly place chunks of strawberries that you’ve separated to use inside the batter.

Pour the rest of the batter on top the strawberries. Make sure this process dumps more or less even amounts of batter throughout the surface. This will help you to evenly spread out the batter without moving the underneath berries too much.

Preheat oven at 360F. Place the spring form pan in the oven and let it bake for about 50 minutes or until the cake reaches the desired color. Once the cake is baked, let it cool on the counter for solid 15-20 minutes. Once the time is up, run a knife around the sides of the pring form in order to release the cake from the pan. Remove the sides of the pan to expose a beatifully baked cake.

Decorate the cake with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and serve with the side of the sauce, if you wish. Enjoy!