Brown Butter Strawberry Cake
Preparation time: 60-80 minutes | Serves: 4 people
This Brown Butter Strawberry Cake is the perfect treat to bake during strawberry season. Great for enjoying with soothing cup of tea in the afternoon or paired with coffee for a mid-morning break, it’s moist, moreish and absolutely delicious.
Why you’ll love this easy Strawberry Cake recipe -
I love berry season, and in my excitement buying multiple punnets, the warmer weather has them ripening faster than I can eat them. When I have slightly mushy strawberries on hand, I throw them into all sorts of recipes - compote, salsa, marinades, hot sauce - you name it, but this cake has to be my favourite.
Brown butter mixed with almond meal adds a lovely, nutty flavour that pairs beautifully with fresh strawberries. The molasses sweetness of brown sugar adds depth without being overpowering, adding to the moist, fluffy texture of this cake. Buttermilk adds a delicate tang while ensuring the crumb stays tender long after it’s baked.
I've tweaked this recipe countless times - trying hazelnut meal instead of almond, swapping strawberries for stone fruit or figs, testing different flours and sugars. But this version of my strawberry buttermilk cake produces the best results: easy to make and dangerously effortless to polish off in one sitting.
I love serving this strawberry cake warm with a cloud of thickened cream, but it’s just as good by itself or paired warm beverage dusted with cinnamon to tie the flavours in together.
Find more suggestions and tips in the recipe notes.
Ingredients
100 gms butter (cold will do too)
70 gms + 1 tbsp. brown sugar
2 eggs (room temp)
1 tsp. vanilla essence
90 gms flour
60 gms almond meal
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsps. baking powder
3 tsps. ground cinnamon, divided
50-60 mls buttermilk
5-6 large strawberries, quartered
Flaked almonds, to garnish
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°c and line a 9 inch baking tin with baking paper.
Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat, swirling occasionally. It's ready when it smells nutty, about 5-7 minutes. Set aside to cool briefly.
Stir the dry ingredients + 2 tsps cinnamon together in a bowl.
Whisk cooled butter with 70 gms brown sugar for 1-2 minutes, then add eggs and vanilla.
Fold in the dry ingredients, alternating with buttermilk, until smooth. Pour into prepared pan.
Arrange sliced strawberries on top, pressing gently into the batter. Sprinkle with flaked almonds.
Mix 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tbsp sugar, then sprinkle over the top.
Bake 45-40 minutes until golden.
Serve warm with a dollop of thickened cream or vanilla ice cream.
Swaps, Serves & Storage
What can I use if I don’t have almond meal?
You can increase the amount of flour in the recipe if you don’t have almond meal. Use a total of 140 gms of flour instead.Can I substitute the buttermilk?
You can substitute the buttermilk with 50 gms of yoghurt, thinned with water. Or make your own version of cheats buttermilk, combining 1 tbsp. of vinegar/ lemon juice with 60 mls of warm milk.What fruits can I use instead of strawberries?
This recipe is lovely with stone fruits including peaches, nectarines, plums or apricots. Figs, blueberries or blackberries would also work well in this cake.What should I serve this cake with?
I love eating this cake warm from the oven with a big dollop of thickened cream. Vanilla ice cream, or warm vanilla custard would also be delicious.How long can I store this cake?
Allow the cake to cool completely and store in an air tight container for up to 4 days.
Tips & Tricks
Brown Butter - An incredible way to add depth and a warm, nutty, almost caramelised flavour to your cakes, once you start swapping regular softened butter for brown butter, you’ll never go back.
To make the perfect brown butter, ensure you use a small, deep saucepan (the butter splashes as the water separates from it, so be careful), add the butter and swirl every few seconds ensuring it doesn’t burn. Once it foams, the milk solids will turn golden brown (watch closely as it burns easily). The solids should settle to the bottom of the saucepan.
An important step is to let the butter cool down. If it's too hot, it can scramble the eggs. Cool it for 10ish minutes until it's warm but not hot to touch.
Check out my other fruit based recipes -
