Spring Strawberry Cake

and an optional citrus glaze

This kind of dessert is perfect for a spring day—Mother’s Day, Easter, Passover, someone’s birthday, or just to make an ordinary day feel a little more special. It’s simple enough to throw together on a weekday and unfussy enough to make with kids, but it still feels like a treat. The kind of thing you can snack on, or bring to a brunch and feel proud of.

One layer strawberry cake with grapefruit glaze

I’m on “vacation” in New York City right now (air quotes because children are involved IYKYK) and soaking up some spring inspo I can’t wait to share—but in the meantime, I offer you this gorgeous and delicious cake. It’s been a longtime favorite on my Instagram and really took off when I re-shared it during the pandemic—when we were all stress-baking banana bread and trying to make joy out of basic and simple pantry staples.

Pandemic cake bake - simple with no glaze and still perfet!

It’s a riff on Marian Burros’s iconic Plum Torte from the New York Times, which I’ve made more times than I can count. But in this version, I swap in strawberries. If I’m making one layer I usually add a simple citrus glaze, and if I want a double layer cake I bake two cakes and “frost” with whipped cream. It’s simple, adaptable, and just really, really good. I ove using grapefruit for the glaze, but if you’re not a grapefruit person, use lemon or orange, or skip the glaze altogether and let the buttery, jammy cake speak for itself.

A single layer is great for snacking—maybe with a dollop of whipped cream, Greek yogurt, or ice cream.

with greek yogurt

When I want the more impressive (but just as easy to meake) version, I double the recipe for a layer cake: fill it with whipped cream and fresh berries (you can stick to strawberries or add blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc.), pile more berries and whiped cream on top, and call it a day. No need to frost the sides. The cake below was made with mixed berries and garnished with lemon zest and mint.

She’s a total show stopper and people always ask for seconds.

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You can get as simple or as wild as you want with the spring theme. For this one I added edible flowers and sprigs of lavender:

The cake also keeps well for a couple days on the counter. If you’ve added whipped cream, store it in the fridge.

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👉 Download the printable recipe PDF

⁣Strawberry Cake with Grapefruit Glaze

(Makes one 9" cake — double for a layer cake)

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 pound strawberries

• 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• ¾ cup sugar + 1 tablespoon, divided

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Zest of 1 grapefruit

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Grapefruit Glaze (optional):

• 4 tablespoons grapefruit juice

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

For an orange variation: use 4 tablespoons orange juice + 2 tablespoons sugar + 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

Lightly Sweetened Whipped Cream (optional, but highly encouraged):

• 1 pint heavy cream

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9” cake pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Flip the parchment so both sides are greased.

2. Prep the strawberries: Hull and quarter them. If they’re especially big, cut them smaller—you want ½- to 1-inch pieces. Set aside.

3. Make the batter:
   Beat the butter and ¾ cup sugar together until light and fluffy, 3–5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in the vanilla, grapefruit zest, and salt. On low speed, stir in the flour and baking powder just until combined—don’t over-mix.

4. Assemble the cake:
   Stir in half the strawberries. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it to the edges. Scatter the remaining strawberries over the top and gently press them into the batter. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar over the top.

5. Bake for 50–60 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Don’t underbake or it’ll be mushy—definitely use that toothpick!

6. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edges. Invert onto a cutting board, peel off the parchment, and flip again onto a serving plate.

7. Make the glaze (optional):
   In a small saucepan, boil the grapefruit juice, lemon juice, and sugar for 3–5 minutes, until slightly syrupy. Let cool a bit, then spoon or brush over the cake.

8. Make the whipped cream (optional):
   In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla together until soft peaks form. Use the whipped cream to frost the cake, or spooned generously on top of each slice.

Whether you’re making this for a spring celebration or just because, I hope this cake brings a little brightness to your day. It’s the kind of recipe that reminds us simple can still be special.