Strawberry loaf cake

Strawberry loaf cake is a deliciously light buttery cake filled with bursts of fresh strawberry. It’s a really easy recipe, making it perfect for kids and beginner bakers alike.

Strawberry loaf cake is a deliciously simple recipe which is perfect for the summer months. It’s a lovely moist and light loaf filled with fresh strawberries but best of all, it is really easy to make so a great bake for kids to try.

I love making loaf cakes, partly because they’re so simple, but also because they’re made with mostly store cupboard ingredients. They’re quick to rustle up, and versatile so you can add different elements to it like we have with the strawberries.

A slice of a loaf cake is perfect if you want a little treat to go with your afternoon tea.

Loaf cakes are a great simple alternative to more complicated, decorative layer cakes. There’s no fancy decoration or piping which makes them great for kids to try. But that doesn’t mean it’s not delicious. The pops of fresh strawberry added to the fluffy cake makes it really deliciously moreish.

How can kids help make a strawberry loaf cake?

This strawberry loaf cake is a great bake for kids. It’s really simple and with no fancy decoration like you might find with a layer cake it’s easy enough for kids and beginner bakers to make.

It’s easy to make but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t lots of things for children to get involved in. They can start by measuring and mixing everything together, as well as having a go at cracking the eggs (which is an important skill for any young baker).As a really simple, classic bake, there’s no fancy decorating involved, which means there’s no tricky piping to get to grips with, but your kids can enjoy decorating it with a drizzle of icing and some chopped strawberries.

How do you stop the strawberries from sinking to the bottom of the loaf cake?

Before adding the strawberries to your mixing bowl, mix them with a spoon of flour. This should stop them sinking to the bottom of your loaf. You can also add a few to the top of the loaf before you bake it.

How long does a strawberry loaf cake keep?

This loaf cake will keep in an air tight container for a few days.

If you want to keep the loaf for longer, you can freeze it for up to three months. To freeze it, wrap it well in cling film and pop it in a freezer bag. Make sure you defrost it fully before you serve it.

Should I use fresh or frozen strawberries?

You can use either fresh or frozen strawberries in this loaf cake. It’s a great recipe for using up a glut of fresh strawberries but frozen strawberries are a great alternative when the fresh ones are out of season.

How do you stop the strawberries sinking to the bottom of the loaf cake?

Before you add the strawberries to your cake batter, add them to a bowl and sprinkle some flour on top of them. Give them a stir so they’re all coated in flour.

What can I use instead of self raising flour?

Self raising flour is easy to find in any supermarket here in the UK but if you don’t have any you can swap it for an equal amount of plain or all purpose flour and add 1 ½ tea spoons of baking powder and a pinch of salt.

What is baking margarine/baking spread?

Baking margarine or spread, (Stork is a well known example), is just a non-dairy margarine. It’s perfect for baking as it can make cakes and cupcakes lighter and fluffier than if you use butter, which means it’s a great, cheaper alternative.

How big is a 2lb loaf tin?

Dimensions of a 2lb or 900g loaf tin vary slightly, but are generally about 24cm x 14cm x 6.5cm (9.5 x 5.5 2.5 inches). If you want to check the size of your tin, but don’t have a ruler you can fill it with water then pour the water into a measuring jug. A 2lb tin should hold at least 1.2 litres.

If you only have smaller tins, for this recipe, you’re best to fill each tin with half the mixture and adjust the baking time down.

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Can I make this in a cake tin rather than a loaf tin?

Yes, if you want to make a 8 inch round cake, double the recipe and shorten the baking time to approximately 25-30 minutes.

Similar recipes

If you liked this strawberry loaf cake you might also want to try one of these delicious classic bakes:

Ginger loaf cake
Treacle sponge
Lemon and blueberry loaf
Fruit loaf
Caramel and apple loaf
Lemon drizzle cake
Raspberry and white chocolate loaf cake
Madeira cake

Or if you have more strawberries you need to use up, why not try one of these strawberry based recipes:

Strawberry crumble
Strawberry sponge cake
Easy strawberry cupcakes
Strawberry cheesecake
Strawberry cookies
Strawberry shortcake
Strawberry muffins
Strawberry jam

Useful equipment

You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make this strawberry loaf cake

Digital scales
Freestanding mixer
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
2 lb loaf tin
Wire rack

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Ingredients

For the loaf cake
150 g strawberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon caster sugar
175g (¾ cup) butter or baking spread
150g (2/3 cup) caster sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
115ml (½ cup) whole milk
210g (1 2/3 cups) self raising flour *
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp flour

For the decoration
¼ cup icing sugar
Splash of water/milk
Strawberries

If you don’t have self raising flour, swap it for an equal amount of plain/all-purpose flour and add 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder.

How to make a strawberry loaf cake

Preheat your oven to 170C / 160C Fan / 340F and grease and line a 2 lb loaf tin with baking or parchment paper.

If you don’t have any purpose made loaf tin liners, the easiest way to line your baking tin is to cut a strip of baking paper and add that to the tin in one direction. Then add another one in the other direction. Leave some baking paper overhanging the edge to make it easier to remove the loaf once its baked.

Macerate the strawberries

Get your kids to hull and cut the strawberries into small pieces then put them in a small bowl with the lemon juice and caster sugar. Set them aside to macerate while you make the sponge batter.

Cream the butter and sugar together

Get your kids to measure out the butter or baking spread, if you’re using it, and the sugar and add them both to a large mixing bowl or a free-standing mixer. The butter needs to be soft enough to mix in so if yours isn’t soft get your kids to cut it into a few pieces and then pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it. Don’t heat it for long enough for it to start melting. If you’re using baking spread you can add it straight into your mixing bowl.

Using the k-paddle of your mixer, a hand held mixer or even wooden spoons, beat the butter and sugar together for a few minutes until they become light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, vanilla and milk

Get your kids to crack the eggs into a small bowl. We generally never add eggs straight in, just in case any shell goes in. If (or when) it does we fish it out with a larger piece of shell or a teaspoon as it sticks to that better than it does our fingers and is a lot less messy!

Add the eggs, one at a time, to your mixing bowl, mixing a little in between each addition.

Get your kids to add the vanilla extract. You might need to hold the teaspoon level while they pour in the vanilla or vice versa.

Mix the eggs and vanilla in.

Add the milk and mix it in, don’t worry if your cake batter looks quite sloppy at this point.

Add the flour

Measure out the flour and add it to your mixing bowl. Get your kids to add the baking powder. When they do, make sure they use their finger to level the teaspoon so you add just the right amount. Gently mix it in until it is well combined and the batter is nice and smooth.

Add the strawberries

Finally, drain any excess liquid from your strawberries and add a tablespoon of flour to the bowl. Mix it in so the strawberry pieces are all coated in the flour.

Add the strawberries to your mixing bowl. Gently stir them in with a wooden spoon or spatula until they are well dispersed through the batter.

Bake the strawberry loaf cake

Spoon or pour the batter into your prepared loaf tin.

Spread the batter into each corner with a spatula, the back of a spoon or a small palette knife.

Bake the strawberry loaf cake for 50-55 minutes. It’s ready when it has turned a lovely golden brown colour and a skewer or sharp knife inserted into the middle should come out clean.

If you find the top of the loaf is browning too much before it is ready, loosely cover it in foil for the last 10 minutes or so while it finishes baking.

Remove the strawberry loaf from the oven, leave it to cool in the tin for 10-15 minutes, then turn it out and pop it on a wire rack to cool completely.

Decorate the strawberry loaf cake

Get your kids to measure out the icing sugar and mix it in with a splash of water or milk until it is runny but not too thin.

Using a small piping bag or a small spoon, drizzle over the icing and decorate with a few chopped strawberries.

Serve and enjoy.