Strawberry Loaf Cake
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A dense, moist, berry-studded loaf cake with a sweet glaze. Uses slightly less sugar and substitutes buttermilk for milk to add tang and tenderness. Bakes at a slightly lower temp for even crumb; times adjusted to watch browning and cake spring back. Fresh strawberries folded in last for bursts of flavor and color. Glaze mixes muddled berries with powdered sugar, thinned with cream if needed, spooned generously to drizzle down sides. Classic loaf cake texture, moist yet firm, with fresh fruit freshness and zing in glaze. Great afternoon snack or simple dessert.
Prep:
20 min
Cook:
50 min
Total:
70 min
Servings:
16 servings
#loaf cake
#strawberry
#baking
#glaze
#dessert
#American cuisine
Dense but tender loaf with fresh strawberries dotted everywhere. Using buttermilk instead of regular milk adds tang and tender crumb, cuts some sweetness, balances the berry flavors popping through. Sugar reduced slightly to prevent overly sweet background; strawberries bring natural vibrancy. Batter should be thick, almost spoonable but not stiff; lumps are fine but no big pockets of flour. Mixing phases key to avoid tough cake—overbeat eggs and butter but under mix after adding flour. Aroma sweet with that butter richness in oven. Glaze finishes it off messy, rustic, dripping down sides. Keeps well wrapped in kitchen; a snack to pull from coffee corner—quick and no fuss. Learned from past dense cakes, the lower temperature prevents burnt edges while crumb firms up gradually. Coin toss for loaf cakes, but improved here.
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk or whole milk
- 2 cups fresh strawberries chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh strawberries chopped for glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
About the ingredients
Everything matters here. Butter has to be softened but not melty—too warm and cake gets greasy. If no buttermilk, add a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar to milk to mimic acidity, helps lift crumb. Fresh berries only; frozen add too much water and weigh down batter. Strawberries chopped medium-small for even distribution—too big and they sink to bottom or cause soggy pockets. Adjust sugar downward slightly if your berries are very sweet. Don’t skip sifting flour with leavener and salt—that aerates flour and ensures even rise. Powdered sugar for glaze sifted to prevent grainy drips. Cream instead of milk for glaze thickens and gives shine. A big offset spatula for folding and smoothing batter saves time and mess.
Method
Cake
- 1. Oven to 340°F instead of 350°F. Grease two 9×5 inch pans thoroughly; lightly flour to avoid sticking but not clumps of flour.
- 2. Sift flour with baking powder and salt in a bowl. Baking powder bump increased slightly to help rise with buttermilk acidity. Set aside.
- 3. Use stand mixer paddle or sturdy whisk—cream butter and sugar well. Should be pale and airy with slight sheen. Takes longer with cold butter so soften well beforehand. Scrape sides often.
- 4. Add vanilla then eggs one at a time. Beat high speed 2-3 minutes until batter turns thick, ribbon-like when lifted. Incorporates air, builds volume essential for crumb rise.
- 5. Alternate adding dry flour mix and buttermilk in three parts, starting and ending with dry. Mix on low speed just until combined between additions. Overmixing ruins cake texture; look for a batter that falls in thick ribbons. Resist temptation.
- 6. Fold in chopped strawberries gently by hand using a big spoon or spatula. Too much mixing bruises them, turns batter pink and watery. Even distribution is key for bursts of fruit without sogginess.
- 7. Pour into pans, smooth tops with spatula. Tap pans gently on counter to release large air bubbles.
- 8. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Start checking at 48 minutes. Insert toothpick near center it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Top should be golden brown, edges pulling slightly from pan, and cake spring back lightly when pressed.
- 9. Remove from oven. Let cool in pans ~15 minutes on wire rack. Warm cake is fragile; too soon and it breaks, too late and you lose moisture as it cools. After 15 minutes, invert onto racks to cool completely. Should feel firm but still moist to touch.
Strawberry Glaze
- 10. Muddle 1/2 cup fresh strawberries in small bowl. Add powdered sugar. Stir well. Texture should be thick. Add cream or milk dropwise until glaze is pourable but not runny. Typically 1-2 teaspoons enough; juice content of berries is variable.
- 11. Place cooled loaves on wire rack with foil or parchment beneath to catch drips. Spoon glaze over cakes evenly. Let glaze set at room temperature until firm but slightly tacky to touch, about 30 minutes.
- 12. Transfer to serving plate carefully. Glaze should be glossy; strawberries in glaze add spotty pink flair. Leftover glaze keeps refrigerated up to 3 days; stir before use.
- 13. Slice with serrated knife to avoid tearing crumb. Store cake wrapped or in airtight container. Keeps moist for days; freeze slices for longer storage.
Cooking tips
Watch visual cues. The batter should thicken after creaming butter and sugar—if still grainy, needed longer beat to dissolve sugar. After eggs added, notice batter shine and slight fluffiness; if dull, under-whipped. Alternating flour and buttermilk stretches gluten gently; mix low and brief each time—stop as soon as flour disappears. Folding fruit by hand avoids bruising; over folding is common trap here. Oven temp dropped to 340°F to prevent dry cake edges while inside cooks through. Check doneness early starting a little before original recipe; toothpick with moist crumbs is okay, clean toothpick for dry cakes only, not fudge-like internal texture. Glaze depends on juice of berries; add milk/cream dropwise to avoid runny mess. Let glaze set on rack for easiest cleanup and a shiny finish. Serrated knife to slice, don’t saw vigorously or cake crumbles. Store wrapped at room temp up to 3 days; freeze extra slices to save.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Butter soft but not melty matters. Cold butter drags mixing. Cream it longer if grainy. That slight sheen, almost pale color signals right. Scrape bowl sides often. Cold butter ruins crumb; takes longer but no shortcuts.
- 💡 Lower oven heat to 340°F not usual 350°F. Slows crust color formation, helps crumb firm gradual. Check at 48 minutes earliest; toothpick test critical. Clean with moist crumbs okay. Edges pulling off pans good sign. Don’t trust time alone.
- 💡 Fold fresh chopped strawberries by hand. Big spoon or spatula best. Overmix and batter turns watery, pink, dense. Large chunks sink causing soggy pockets. Medium-small pieces balance spread but stay intact. Avoid frozen; too much water wrecks crumb.
- 💡 Use buttermilk or milk plus lemon/vinegar teaspoon for acidity. Adds tang, tender crumb. Cuts sweetness. Balances flavor. Skip acidity and cake falls flat or tougher. Sift flour with baking powder and salt for even rise, aerated crumb. No lumps visible.
- 💡 Glaze consistency key. Muddle berries, add powdered sugar, thick paste. Then add cream or milk drop by drop. Too runny glaze runs off completely; too thick won’t drizzle well. Apply on wire rack with foil under. Set 30 minutes at room temp for tacky shine.
Common questions
Why use buttermilk instead of milk?
Adds acidity, tender crumb. Cuts sweetness. Milk alone lacks this punch. Substitute lemon juice or vinegar teaspoon to mimic. Avoid flat taste and tougher crumb.
Can frozen strawberries be used?
Not advised. Frozen berries add excess water, loosen batter, cause soggy spots. Fresh chopped medium-small pieces keep crumb right and distribute well. Frozen means wet batter issues.
How to tell when cake is done?
Toothpick inserted near center. Clean or few moist crumbs okay. Edges pull from pan slightly, top golden-brown. Press lightly, cake springs back. If wet or gummy, needs more bake. Check early 48 minutes.
Best storage methods?
Wrap in plastic or airtight container room temp up to 3 days. Refrigerate if warmer climate but risks drying. Freeze slices individually wrapped for longer. Glaze best eaten fresh; leftover refrigerate, stir before use.
