Strawberry Cake

Strawberries used to be a spring and summer treat but now we eat them all year.  Still, this tasted summery to me and fresh berries from farmer's market can't be beat!  My little helper liked slicing the strawberries, measuring and mixing, and then placing the strawberries on the batter.  No little fingers were harmed in the making of this cake!

It took a lot longer to bake than I thought it would and by the time the center was cooked, the cake seemed a little dry.  The whipped cream definitely helped but I think next time, I'd just make this version of strawberry cake.  I substituted whole wheat flour for half of the white flour and used about 1/2 cup sucanat and 1/4 cup white sugar.  

Martha Stewart's Strawberry Cake 

6 T softened butter

1.5 cups all-purpose flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sugar (+ 2 T for sprinkling on top)

1 large egg

1/2 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 10 inch pie plate.  Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.  Cream butter and 1 cup sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  At a lower mixing speed, mix in egg, milk and vanilla.  On low speed, gradually mix in flour mixture and spread the batter in the buttered pie plate.  Arrange strawberries on batter, cut sides down and close together.  Sprinkle the 2 T sugar over the top of the berries.  

Bake the cake for 10 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.  Bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch (took me about 1 hour).  Let cool in pie plate on a wire rack before cutting into wedges.