This recipe requires a yearly update. It’s that good! It’s one of those simple recipes that you will find yourself making over and over. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches all work beautifully. Choice determined by whatever is ripe and ready at the farm stand or market.

This cake is very similar in taste and consistency to strawberry shortcake, but it’s baked in a 9″ pie pan. All you have to do is cut it into wedges, top with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream and you have a great dessert. The following recipe is somewhat adapted. The original recipe caught my eye in a Penzey’s Spice catalog over a year ago. Since then, I’ve made it with blueberries and peaches, in addition to strawberries. I plan to make it with raspberries this year when the local berries are ripe.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 TBS butter, softened
1 C sugar
1 egg
1/2 C milk ( I use 1/4 C sour cream and 1/4 C 1% milk )
1 tsp. vanilla
1 lb. strawberries ( cut the small ones in half and the larger ones in quarters )
2 TBS sugar for sprinkling on top

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350; grease a 9″ pie pan with butter.
2. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg, milk and vanilla and mix to combine.
4. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. With the mixer on low, add the dry mixture.
5. Put the batter in the greased pie pan. Arrange the strawberries (cut side down) very close together to cover the batter. Sprinkle with sugar.
5. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes; reduce to 325 and bake for an additional hour. The cake should be firm to the touch.

This cake is seriously simple and seriously good!  The blueberry version is even easier. You just pour them on. No slicing required.