French Strawberry Cake — buttery batter, fresh strawberries, sour cream, eggs, flour, sugar, vanilla. A tender, custard-kissed crumb with a crackly sugar top that screams “summer.”
Meet your new “wow, you made this?!” dessert. This simple, one-bowl French Strawberry Cake bakes up with a soft, almost custardy center and a lightly crisp, sugared top. It’s wildly popular each strawberry season because it’s unfussy, gorgeous straight from the pan, and equally happy at brunch, picnics, showers, or lazy Sunday coffee. In this version, I’m sharing baker-tested weights, pan options, and foolproof cues so yours turns out perfect the first time—and every time.
What Makes This French Strawberry Cake Special?
It’s the kind of “effortless but elegant” bake you’ll keep on repeat. Here’s why readers love it:
- One bowl simplicity: Classic creaming method, minimal dishes.
- Custard-soft middle: Sour cream keeps the crumb tender (not gummy).
- Crackly sugar lid: A quick sprinkle before baking = bakery finish.
- Weighed ingredients: Reliable, repeatable results with gram weights.
- Flexible pan choices: 9-inch round, 10-inch springform, or 9-inch skillet.
- Make-ahead friendly: Even better on day 2—chill or room temp.
- Diet-friendly swaps: Gluten-free and dairy-free options below (tested notes).
- Serving ideas: Try it with Strawberry Upside Down Cake for a berry-themed dessert table, or pair slices with espresso.
Ingredient Notes
Keep it simple and high quality—this cake lets strawberries shine.
- Unsalted butter (113 g): Softened to cool-room temp so it creams fluffy, not greasy.
- Granulated sugar (250 g total): 200 g for the batter + 50 g for that signature crackly top.
- Eggs (2 large, ~100 g out of shell): Room temperature for better emulsion and lift.
- Vanilla (1 tsp): Use pure extract; a scrape of vanilla bean is dreamy.
- All-purpose flour (1⅓ cups / 165–170 g): Spoon and level if not weighing. See GF swap below.
- Baking powder (1¼ teaspoon / ~5 g): Fresh matters—check the date.
- Kosher salt (¼ teaspoon / ~1.5 g): Balances sweetness.
- Sour cream (½ cup / 120 g): Full-fat for best texture. Greek yogurt works 1:1.
- Strawberries (16 oz / 450 g), sliced: Pat very dry. Use ⅔ in the batter, ⅓ on top for a café-style look.
- Optional flavor boosts: 1 teaspoon lemon zest, a small pinch of cardamom, or 1 tablespoon dark rum for depth.
How To Make French Strawberry Cake
Overview: Cream, alternate dry and sour cream, fold berries, sugar the top, bake. You’ve got this!
- Prep the pan: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a light-colored 9-inch round pan and line the base with parchment. (Springform? Wrap the base—batter is rich.)
- Cream butter & sugar: Beat butter with 200 g sugar on medium-high 3–4 minutes until pale and fluffy. Proper creaming = fine, tender crumb.
- Add eggs & vanilla: Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping bowl. Mix in vanilla just to combine.
- Dry team: Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low, add dry mix in 2 additions alternating with sour cream, beginning and ending with dry. Mix only until just combined—no dry pockets.
- Fold strawberries: Gently fold in about two-thirds of the berries. Spread batter into pan; top with remaining berries. Sprinkle the last 50 g sugar evenly over the surface.
- Bake: 35–50 minutes depending on pan and berry juiciness. The edges will be set and golden; the center will be custard-soft but not liquid. A tester near the edge comes out clean; the center reads ~200–205°F (93–96°C).
- Cool & serve: Cool in pan on a rack. Loosen edges with a knife; serve from the pan or lift out via parchment. Slice and add softly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla.
Pro Tips
- Dry the berries: Moisture is the enemy of structure—pat slices thoroughly.
- Pan color matters: Dark pans brown faster; start checking at 32 minutes.
- Avoid gumminess: Overmixing + very juicy fruit = dense center. Mix just until combined.
- For a less-custardy cake: Use a 10-inch springform or reduce berries to 350 g.
- Pretty top: Reserve the best slices for the surface, then sugar for sparkle.
- High altitude (3,000–6,000 ft): Reduce baking powder to 1 tsp, increase oven to 365°F (185°C), add 1–2 tablespoon milk if batter seems thick; begin checking at 30 minutes.
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Storage & Reheating
This cake keeps beautifully (and tastes lovely chilled).
- Room temp: Cover tightly; up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: 3–5 days, covered. Serve cold or let it stand 20 minutes.
- Freeze: Wrap slices in plastic + foil; freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- To warm a slice: 10–15 seconds in the microwave softens the crumb without drying.
Variations & Substitutions
- Greek yogurt swap: Replace sour cream 1:1.
- Gluten-free: Use a cup-for-cup GF baking blend (with xanthan). Let batter rest 10 minutes before baking.
- Dairy-free: Plant butter + thick coconut yogurt; flavor with extra vanilla and lemon zest.
- Egg-free: 2 flax “eggs” (2 tablespoon ground flax + 6 tablespoon water) will make it denser but tasty; bake closer to 40–55 minutes.
- Other fruit: Try raspberries, blueberries, or sliced peaches. Keep fruit around 400–450 g.
- Lemon-cardamom: Add 1–2 teaspoon lemon zest and a pinch of cardamom to dry mix.
- Almond bakery vibe: Swap 30 g flour for almond flour; add ¼ teaspoon almond extract.
Serving & Pairing Ideas
- Top with softly whipped cream or crème fraîche and extra berries.
- Make it a strawberry spread with my Best Strawberry Cake Ever and Fresh Strawberry Muffins.
- Love custardy textures? You’ll adore my Vanilla Magic Custard Cake.
Simple ingredients, café-worthy results. This French Strawberry Cake turns peak-season berries into a showstopper with almost zero fuss. File it under “hostess hero” and prepare for a steady stream of requests.
FAQ
Why is the center soft—did I underbake it?
French-style fruit cakes are meant to be slightly custard-soft in the middle. Aim for ~200–205°F (93–96°C) in the center and set, golden edges. If your berries were very juicy, you may need a few extra minutes.
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Yes, but thaw completely and pat very dry. Chop rather than slice and keep total fruit around 400 g to avoid excess moisture.
Can I bake this in a skillet?
Yes—a light 9-inch skillet works well. Dark cast iron may brown faster; reduce temp to 340°F (170°C) and start checking early.
My berries sank—help!
Reserve ⅓ of the fruit for the top, and make sure the batter is thick and well-creamed. Very wet berries sink; pat them dry.
What can I make ahead?
Bake the day before; cool, cover, and chill. The texture is dreamy cold, or let it stand at room temp before serving.
Gluten-free or dairy-free?
Use a cup-for-cup GF blend (with xanthan) and rest batter 10 minutes. For dairy-free, use plant butter + thick coconut yogurt.
French Strawberry Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup 113g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups 250g granulated sugar, divided
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cups 160g all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup 120g full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 pound 450g fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- Optional: powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and position a rack in the middle
- Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter or cooking spray, then line the bottom with parchment paper for easy removal
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and 1 cup of sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed
- Beat in the vanilla extract until well incorporated
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt
- With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream (begin and end with the flour mixture)
- Mix just until combined after each addition, being careful not to overmix
- Gently fold in about three-quarters of the sliced strawberries using a rubber spatula
- Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan and spread it evenly
- Arrange the remaining strawberry slices on top of the batter, pressing them in slightly
- Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of sugar evenly over the top of the cake
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter)
- If the top is browning too quickly, loosely cover with aluminum foil for the last 10-15 minutes of baking
- Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack
- Once cooled, run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake
- Serve directly from the pan or carefully invert onto a plate and then flip right-side up onto a serving platter
- If desired, dust with powdered sugar just before serving
