Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, sifted.
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup superfine sugar
  • 1.5 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 10-12 ounces hulled strawberries, cut in half
  • 2 tablespoons superfine sugar (or lavender or vanilla sugar)
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter or spray with vegetable oil (I used Baker's Joy spray) 9-inch cake pan.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder and salt and set aside.
  • Using an electric mixer or electric beaters, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla paste together until light and fluffy, between 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and beat on low until just incorporated. On low speed, add a small amount of the flour mixture, alternating with a small amount of the buttermilk until well mixed.
  • Transfer to prepared cake pan. Press the strawberry halves cut side down in whatever arrangement looks good, easiest to have large halves radiate out from the middle to smaller ones. Sprinkle on top of the fruit with 2 TB. sugar (or flavored sugar of your choosing). Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees, then reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 50-55 minutes more until top of cake is lightly browned and cake tester comes out clean. Let cool completely then run a slim knife to release from cake pan.
  • Cake can be stored on the counter for several days, covered in a cake stand or with a loose plastic wrap.