Strawberries are the perfect summer fruit and in season for a period as brief as the English summer itself. I often like to eat them just as they are without being drowned in the customary accompaniment of cream.

This summer cake is as difficult to resist as the perfect box of sweet, ripe strawberries that go into it. A cake that does justice to this wonderfully aromatic berry.

I’ve made a promise to myself to go off deserts for the next month but before that happens this is my one last hurrah for the summer. I might bake some more but the rest of the family are going to enjoy the fruits (or should I say cakes) of my baking.

Ingredients:

250 grams self raising flour

250 grams golden caster sugar + 2 tablespoons

250 grams softened butter (I use salted butter)

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 box ripe strawberries, hulled (approx 200 grams)

Method:

1. Keep a handful of berries aside, then quarter the rest. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of caster sugar over the quartered strawberries and keep aside.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees.
3. Grease and flour your baking dish. I used a bundt pan.
4. Cream the butter and sugar together, either by hand or in a mixer.
5. When they are well mixed, add in the eggs, one at a time, beating continuously.
6. Add a teaspoon of the vanilla extract.
7. Add the baking powder to the flour and mix well with a fork or a whisk to incorporate as much air in to it as you can.
8. Now add the flour, one tablespoon at a time, into the eggs-butter-sugar mixture. Mix in slowly so that it is well incorporated.
9. Place a few of the macerated strawberries at the bottom of the baking dish. (These will caramelise while the cake cooks.)
10. Once the cake batter is ready pour it very gently into the baking dish.
11. Insert more strawberries into the batter. You can choose to be as artistic or random as you like. The strawberries wilt into the cake anyway.
12. Bake for about 25-30 minutes depending on your oven.
13. Check the cake after 25 minutes by inserting a skewer or a knife. If it comes out clean, the cake is done.
14. Take it out of the oven. Cool and unmould.
15. You can choose to add a whole heap of strawberries over the top and dust with some icing sugar or if you can’t be bothered, cut into wedges and serve.

I would like to say serve with ice cream or a cup of coffee etc. but truth be told, I’d rather just whip the spoon out and dig in.

The month ahead with no desserts to see me through it is going to be hard. But I’ve made a promise ( I don’t like the word – diet) to myself and I’m going to see this through! But until then, I’m going to savour every bite of this cake.

This post is part of the Bar-A-Thon challenge for the prompt ‘a promise’.

Filed under: Cakes, Celebrations, Desserts Tagged: Archana's Kitchen, Bar-A-Thon, bundt cake, epicurious, strawberries, strawberry cake, strawberry summer cake, summer cake, yummly