Sourdough Strawberry Cake with Fresh Berries

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Sourdough strawberry cake with fresh berries is lightly sweetened and filled with juicy strawberries. Made with lemon juice, yogurt, and sourdough discard, it is moist, tender, and perfect for a spring treat.

It might be an unpopular opinion, but I think spring baking, in some ways, is better than fall baking.

I love the bright flavors of sourdough strawberry scones, sourdough strawberry shortcake, sourdough discard lemon bars, and, of course, this strawberry cake.

Not only is this cake a no-wait discard recipe, but it’s also made in one bowl, so clean up is a cinch!

This recipe is an adaptation of RecipeTin Eats‘ strawberry cake.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Lightly Sweetened: This cake is lightly sweetened to let the fresh strawberries and subtle sourdough flavor shine.

Sourdough: Sourdough discard adds depth of flavor and helps create a soft, tender crumb.

Fresh Berries: With strawberries in the middle and top of the cake, each bite has a burst of fresh strawberry flavor.

One-Bowl: Like my sourdough carrot cake recipe, this cake is made in one bowl, making it easy to make with minimal cleanup.

Key Ingredients

Strawberries: Fresh berries are ideal. But you can also frozen berries or use my recipe for freeze-dried strawberries and rehydrate them.

Oil: I used avocado oil, but any neutral oil will work.

Lemon Juice: Use fresh or bottled lemon juice.

Greek Yogurt: I prefer full-fat Greek yogurt. But you can use sour cream, too. Reduced-fat varieties will also work.

Sourdough Starter: Use active or inactive sourdough discard.

Vanilla: I used homemade bourbon vanilla extract. But any vanilla extract will work.

Get the full list of ingredients and measurements on the printable recipe card below.

Variations

Lemony: Add fresh lemon zest to elevate the lemon flavor.

Almond: Stir almond extract into the batter and sprinkle sliced almonds on top.

Blueberry: Swap the strawberries for fresh blueberries.

Fresh-Milled: Use soft white wheat instead of all-purpose. You’ll need to increase the amount of soft white wheat by 1/4 cup (30 g) per cup of flour in the recipe. Grab my fresh-milled flour conversion chart to learn more.

How to Make Sourdough Cake with Fresh Berries

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350° F.

Grease a 9″ round cake pan with unsalted butter and flour, or line with parchment paper.

Hull and cut the strawberries in half.

Step 2: In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, oil, eggs, lemon juice, yogurt, sourdough starter, and vanilla. Then, stir until thoroughly combined.

Add the dry ingredients, and fold in until combined.

Pour half of the cake batter into the pan and smooth it over. Scatter half of the strawberries over the batter in the pan.

Step 3: Pour the remaining batter into the pan.

Smooth the top of the cake batter, then place the halved strawberries on top, cut side down.

Step 4: Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for a few minutes before turning it out on a wire rack to cool to room temp.

If preferred, dust with powdered sugar once cooled.

Tips for Success

• If you prefer smaller bites of berries, you can dice them instead of halving them.
• Check the cake around the 40 minute mark to make sure it isn't getting too browned. If so, cover with foil.
• Gently fold in the strawberries to avoid breaking them down and adding excess moisture to the batter.
• If you prefer, you can toss the chopped strawberries with a small amount of flour to help prevent them from sinking while baking.
• For less sour sourdough baked goods, use a starter that has been recently fed.

Serving Suggestions

Whipped Cream: Serve with a dollop of homemade vanilla bean whipped cream.

Dessert Spread: Pair with sourdough brownies, strawberry heart cupcakes, and sourdough London Fog cookies for a cute dessert spread.

Ice Cream: Add a scoop of my vanilla ice cream without eggs or old-fashioned strawberry ice cream.

Storing

• Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days
• Refrigerate for up to 5 days
• Freeze slices tightly wrapped for up to 2 months

Strawberry Cake with Fresh Berries FAQs

More Sourdough Discard Recipes

If you tried this Sourdough Cake with Fresh Berries recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks, y'all!