Strawberry Buttermilk Cake definitely falls in the "absolute crowd pleasing" category. The cake is really easy to make, and bakes up a tender, flavorful and simple to serve treat. Honestly, slicing the strawberries is the hardest part of the prep. This is truly our favorite strawberry cake recipe.
This is an anytime Strawberry Cake recipe:
I'm lucky enough to live in California, where strawberries are in season year-round. In winter, strawberries are grown outside and in hot houses in Southern California, then harvest moves north in spring and summer. Peak season is late spring and throughout summer, when the berry plants are producing so much fruit they have to be picked every three days. During that time, every grocery store and fruit stand around is bursting with fresh berries.
I love pairing the sweet berries with tangy grapefruit zest. I call for 3 teaspoons, but I often add a bit more. The cake works equally well with lemon or orange zest too - so use what you have or what's in season.
Choosing gluten-free flour for cake:
I use Pamela's Products Artisan Gluten-Free Flour or the King Arthur Gluten-Free AP Measure for Measure in most baking. Or I mix my own flour and add gum-free baking binder. This cake isn't temperamental, so any of those options will work well.
Make your Strawberry Buttermilk Cake gluten-free or conventional:
A few friends have tried this with regular AP Flour and loved it - so it can be made conventionally as well. This recipe is really very versatile.
If you don't have Buttermilk, but you want to make buttermilk cake - or you need a dairy-free substitute:
I’ve used coconut milk in this strawberry cake recipe with success, but you’ve got to add about ¾ teaspoon of lemon juice to the coconut milk and let it stand for about 10 minutes to get the tangy flavor you’re looking for. (The same process will work with regular dairy milk if you don’t have buttermilk.) You can replace the butter in this cake with coconut oil for a fully dairy-free option.
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More berry good recipes:
If you love this cake, you'll love my Berry Buttermilk Cake too. Strawberry fans should definitely check out this Farmer's Daughter strawberry + basil cocktail and my Real Strawberry Cheesecake.
When you try this cake, let me know! I love it when someone tries one of my favorites. Plus, you can serve this Strawberry Buttermilk Cake for breakfast & dessert!
Strawberry Buttermilk Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Gluten Free flour blend add 2 teaspoons xanthan gum or baking binder if not already included in the blend - or conventional AP flour (if not GF)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened (or coconut oil)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 large egg
- ⅔ cup buttermilk (or non-dairy milk with lemon juice added)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 teaspoons grated grapefruit zest divided (orange is ok if you prefer)
- 1 pound strawberries halved – or quartered if very large
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Butter a 10-inch (25 cm) pie or tart pan, or prepare with non-stick spray.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. Combine butter and ¾ cup sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in egg, buttermilk, vanilla and 2 teaspoons of the grapefruit zest on medium speed. Add the flour mixture and mix to combine without over-mixing. Spread batter in the prepared dish (it will be thick). Arrange strawberries, cut-side down, on top of the batter, gently pressing to partially submerge. Squeeze in as many strawberries as possible. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar (if you have turbinado or raw sugar available, that works well on top of the cake).
- Bake in oven until top is light golden and a knife inserted in the cake comes clean, about 50 minutes. Cool in plate on a rack. Before serving, sprinkle remaining zest over the cake. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Accompany with whipped cream if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Photos: Meg van der Kruik - it's her favorite strawberry cake recipe now, too.
The Best Gluten-Free Recipe For Strawberry Cupcakes from Sprinkles!
Your new favorite sweet treat is this Gluten-free Recipe For Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Icing, which is overflowing with rich strawberry flavor from strawberries in the cake and the frosting.
Real Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe
After trying this Real Strawberry Cheesecake recipe, rich in natural strawberry flavors, you'll never go back to the gloppy-red-topping version.
The fresh strawberry sweetness combined with the cheesecake's luscious creaminess. Yum! Don't try to hide it; you're drooling. This strawberry cheesecake might make you never want to eat regular cheesecake again.
Frequently Asked Questions About This Strawberry Cake:
This cake calls for ⅔ cup of buttermilk. To substitute, add ¾ teaspoon of lemon juice to ⅔ cup of plain coconut milk or dairy milk and stir, then allow to sit for 10 minutes. Use in place of buttermilk.
Since this cake bakes with the strawberries in in and it's lower in moisture, the strawberries stay fresh once it's baked.
This cake does not need to be refrigerated. Strawberry cakes that are covered in icing likely need to be.
This strawberry cake can sit at room temperature for up to three days, covered.
Melissa says
This was exactly the recipe I needed to use up some buttermilk and strawberries! I did take some liberties - diced the strawberries and mixed them in along with swirling in Nutella (which I also had to use up). It was delicious! Thanks for a great recipe. Absolutely making it again when strawberries are in season.
K.C. Cornwell says
so happy you love it!
Laurie Hopmann says
This was yummy! My strawberries sunk to the bottom. Any idea why?
K.C. Cornwell says
Laurie - I haven't had that happen - might you have pushed them in deeply or did you cut differently than we did? Did you make an ingredient substitution perhaps? Either way, I'm so glad you love the recipe!
Nadia Aboud says
How long do I bake if I use this recipe to make cupcakes?
K.C. Cornwell says
We've never made cupcakes with it! I would start at 18-20 minutes and use a cake tester to check.