This popular Italian strawberry cake harmoniously combines the freshness and sweetness of ripe strawberries with a tender, juicy cake base, and comes together in just a few minutes.
Ideal for a variety of occasions, this simple yet sophisticated dessert showcases the natural flavors of strawberries while delivering pastry-like results, in the comfort of your own kitchen.
INGREDIENTS: For the base of the cake, you need 3 large eggs, 150 grams of icing sugar, a pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon of vanilla sugar or vanilla extract, 150 milliliters of whole milk, 150 milliliters of vegetable oil, 250 grams of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder and 400 grams of fresh strawberries, without the skin and sliced. Anatomy
To make the creamy filling, you’ll need the following ingredients: a large egg, five tablespoons of Greek yogurt or crème fraiche (equivalent to 75 ml or 1/3 cup), two tablespoons of icing sugar, one-third of a teaspoon of vanilla sugar or vanilla extract, and one tablespoon of cornstarch.
You’ll also need butter to grease the baking sheets and confectioners’ sugar to sprinkle on top, if desired.
Cake preparation instructions: Start by preheating the oven to 170°C (gas mark 3). Then grease a 26cm diameter springform tin or round tin, making sure to coat all surfaces well to prevent the cake from sticking to them.
In a large bowl, combine three eggs, icing sugar, salt and vanilla sugar. Using an electric mixer or whisk, beat the mixture vigorously for 3 to 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. This step is essential to achieve a delicate texture for the cake.
Slowly whisk the milk and vegetable oil into the egg mixture, whisking constantly, until well combined. The dough should then be smooth and homogeneous.
To incorporate the dry ingredients, start by sifting the flour and baking powder into a separate bowl. Add half of the flour mixture to the liquid ingredients and mix gently until well combined. Then stir in the rest of the flour. Be careful not to overmix, as this will result in a cake that is too dense.
To add the strawberries, start by washing and hulling them. Then cut them into quarters or halves, depending on their size. Reserve half of the cut strawberries for the filling and gently fold the other half into the cake batter. Make sure to distribute it evenly over the entire surface.
To make the custard, mix the eggs, yoghurt or crème fraîche, icing sugar, vanilla and cornstarch in a medium bowl, and stir until smooth and combined. This custard will form a nice golden crust when baked.
