Strawberry and vanilla cake
Roasting the strawberries intensifies their flavour in this moist sponge cake – a perfect summer teatime treat.
Ingredients
- 120g/4¼oz unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 200g/7oz granulated sugar
- 2 free-range eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 250g/9oz plain flour
- 200ml/7fl oz whole milk
For the roasted strawberries
- 350g/12oz strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
Method
To make the roasted strawberries, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Put the strawberries in a baking dish and mix with the sugar. Roast for 15–20 minutes, or until the strawberries are releasing their juices. Set aside to cool and keep the oven on.
Grease and line a 23cm/9in cake tin with baking paper (see recipe tip).
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then mix in the vanilla and sift in the baking powder and salt. Stir in half the flour, then half the milk. Stir in the remaining flour and enough milk to form a soft dropping consistency (you may not need all the milk). Lift the strawberries out of their juices using a slotted spoon and gently fold them into the batter..
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula. Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before unclipping the tin. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Tips
Other soft fruits also work well, such as pitted cherries and stoned and sliced plums. Any juices leftover from roasting the fruit can be reserved and served with yoghurt or mixed into smoothies.
You can also make this in a deep 20cm/8in cake tin.
If using a springform tin, place it on top of a baking tray in case the tin leaks a little.
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