French Strawberry Cake

I bought some beautiful baskets of strawberries in the market over the weekend, a cake was in order. This is a wonderful cake – light, studded with strawberries, and flavored with orange zest. It’s perfect for serving after a big meal, or with a mug of coffee with breakfast!

• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cups strawberries, chopped
• sugar, for sprinkling

1. Spray a 9″ round cake pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, then vanilla and orange zest.
4. Add the flour mixture and sour cream in batches, beginning and ending with the flour. Fold in the strawberries and pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing out the top with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with some granulated sugar.
5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, testing with a toothpick. Let sit on a wire rack for 20 minutes, run a knife around the edge, and turn out on a serving platter.