Summer Strawberry Cake

Love this easy strawberry cake, great to make when strawberries are cheap and plentiful.

Ingredients

Strawberry Cake

• 115g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 200g sugar
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 190g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp table salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 125g sour cream
• 500g strawberries, hulled and halved
• extra 2 tbs sugar for topping, I used Demerara sugar
• toasted flaked almonds, optional

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C
2. Line the base of a 23cm springform cake with baking paper and butter the sides. Alternatively use a deep 23cm pie dish.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together in a small bowl.
4. In a larger bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until pale and fluffy with an electric mixer, about 3 minutes.
5. Add the egg yolks, lemon zest and vanilla, beat until smooth and blended. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
6. Add the flour mixture gradually, mixing until just smooth.
7. Add the egg whites and sour cream, mixing on a low speed until just smooth.
8. Pour into prepared cake pan.
9. Arrange strawberries, cut side down, on top of batter, as closely as possible in a single layer, it will be a tight fit.
10. Gently press the strawberries into the top of the batter.
11. Sprinkle with the extra sugar and flaked almonds ,if using.
12. Bake cake for 10 minutes
13. Reduce oven temperature to 160C and bake the cake until golden brown and a tester comes out free of wet batter, about 50 minutes to 60 minutes. (Gooey strawberries on the tester are a given.)
14. Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and remove from the pan.
15. Place strawberry-side-up on a cake rack and allow to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature sprinkled with icing sugar.