It’s strawberry season, and we’ve been eating lots of fruit salad. Fortunately, a break in the weather made it possible for me to turn on the oven and do a little baking. This easy strawberry cake is a terrific way to use those not so perfect berries in the fridge. Don’t limit yourself to just strawberries – you can use peaches, blueberries or a mix of the three! It’s delicious and a perfect dessert to tote to a picnic or cookout.

• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons butter
• 8 oz. strawberries, cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar – divided
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups flour

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a 9″ cake pan and line with parchment paper.
2. In a small pan, melt butter over medium heat for 6 to 7 minutes until it smells nutty and is light brown. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, combine strawberries and 2 tablespoons sugar – and coarsely mash with a fork. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk milk and lemon juice – then add butter, egg, zest, baking powder, vanilla, and remaining sugar. Fold the flour in with a spatula.
5. Pour the batter in the prepared pan, and top with the strawberries and their juices. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn oven down to 325º and bake for another 45 minutes until the cake is golden brown, and pulls away from the edges of the pan. Test with a toothpick. Cool completely on a wire rack before inverting on a serving plate. Serves 6.