STRAWBERRY SUMMER CAKE

Lightly crusted, golden, moist cake, overwhelmed by fresh strawberries that transform into plush pockets of sassy berryness, as they bake.

How could this dessert not taste like summer? 

An easy peasy, tasty-as-heck, little cake touting a full pound of fresh strawberries. 

I scoop and smooth the batter into the prepared pan and start to top with berries. As I keep on keeping on, topping with more berries, I cannot help but smile at 
a l l  t h o s e  strawberries. 

Each time, I swear I can hear the batter let out a long, soft, sigh of lovey, dovey, pleasure.  I just love when batter does that!

As the cake bakes, the batter buckles around those berries turning them into jammy puddles. Mmm... 

♪♫♥ Strawberry puddles forever.....

I like to serve this cake, slightly warmed with whipped cream or Dairy Queen soft serve.  Sometimes I plop the whipped cream right on top of the warm cake and then drizzle Kahlua or Grand Marnier over the whip cream so it's boozy goodness trickles down a bit.  Almost irresistible.

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 Adapted from Smitten Kitchen for The Last Wonton. 
Thanks oodles Deb for all the delicious inspiration!

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STRAWBERRY SUMMER CAKE - 8 to 10 servings

6 tablespoons butter, room temperature, plus extra for pie plate
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (scant) sugar, plus 2 tablespoons extra
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk or buttermilk
1 teaspoon good vanilla extract
1 pound plump, ripe strawberries, hulled and halved (or quartered if large)

Preheat oven to 350F.  Butter a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan.

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl.  In a larger bowl, beat butter and 1 cup sugar until pale and fluffy with electric mixer, about 3 minutes.  Mix in egg, milk or buttermilk and vanilla, until just combined.  Add dry mixture gradually, mixing until just smooth.

Pour or plop into prepared pie plate and smooth out evenly.  Arrange strawberries, cut side down, on top  of batter, as closely as possible in a single layer.  I had to overlap a few to get them all in.  Smile, then sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries.

Bake cake for 10 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 325F and bake cake until golden brown and a tester comes out free of wet batter, about 50 to 60 minutes. (Gooey strawberries on the tester are a given.) Let cool in pan on a rack.  Cut into wedges.  Serve with sweetened whipped cream or ice cream.  Happy sweet summer munching!

Cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days, loosely covered, but good luck with that.

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