By Nadia Arumugam |

Tart Strawberries? Make Cake


Strawberry & Almond Cake

Fresh strawberries at their peak are almost always best enjoyed untempered by heat. Firm flesh and rounded sweetness amplified by a gentle tang. But what to do when you happen upon a few that hit a resoundingly tart note? You make this ultra moist, tender-crumbed cake. Fresh strawberries tossed in sugar are baked into it until they are gooey and sweet and decadent . Don’t be alarmed when you peek into the oven half way through cooking and note that the fruit you arranged on the top has sunk into the batter. It’s supposed to do this, and with some luck the strawberries will be distributed evenly throughout, so you get a bite of  succulent fruit with every forkful.

Serves 10

For the cake batter

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4  cup finely ground almonds (or almond flour)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter, at room temperature, more for the pan
3/4  cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 Tbs. lemon juice

For the topping

3/4  lb. firm strawberries, hulled, halved and patted dry
1 Tbs. flour
1 1/2  Tbs. sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9 x 2 inch round cake pan. Line the base with a parchment disc cut to size, then lightly flour the sides, tipping out the excess.

Sift flour, ground almond, baking powder, baking soda and  salt together into a medium bowl.

Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Alternatively, use a hand mixer. Mix on medium-high speed until well blended, pale and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low, then mix in the egg, vanilla, milk, yogurt, lemon zest and lemon juice. Gradually mix in the flour mixture on low speed until incorporated into the batter, but making sure not to overwork the mix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared tin (it will be quite thick) and spread evenly. Make the topping: Toss the strawberries with the flour and 1 Tbs. of the sugar in a medium bowl. Arrange strawberries lightly on top of batter as closely as possible (how many you fit it depends on their size).  Sprinkle remaining sugar over berries.

Bake cake for about about 40- 45 minutes, or until the top is golden and firm to the touch. Expect most of the berries to sink into the batter during cooking.

Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then run a knife along the inside of the pan and invert the cake onto a cooling rack, using a towel to protect your hands. Leave for 15 minutes or until just cool enough to handle, then remove the disc of parchment paper, carefully flip over to the right side up and leave to cool completely, about 2 hours. Serve at room temperature.

This cake is best eaten the day it’s made.

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