German Strawberry Cake

A slice of strawberry cake on a plate with a fork

5 from 7 votes

This German Strawberry Cake is bursting with fresh berries and so delicious with whipped cream! A colorful, easy summer dessert that everyone will love.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: German

Servings:

Author: Julia Foerster

Equipment

11-inch Tart/Flan Pan

Ingredients

For the cake layer

4 large eggs room temperature
¾ cup granulated white sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup vegetable oil neutral
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla sugar or vanilla extract

For the topping

½ tsp whip-it whipped cream stabilizer see alternatives below
1 pound strawberries
1 package red glaze prepared according to package

Cups - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease an 11-inch tart pan with butter or baking spray.
In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, combine sugar and eggs. Mix for 1 minute at medium speed then add all remaining ingredients and mix for 1.5 minutes at medium-high speed.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and tap the pan on the counter a few times to make sure no big air bubbles are in the batter.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean with only a few crumbs attached. Rotate pan after 10 minutes.
Let the cake cool for a few minutes before carefully removing it from the pan then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
When the cake is cool, sprinkle it lightly with whip-it powder (see alternatives below) then hull the strawberries, half them, and arrange them on top of the cake. Filling holes with smaller strawberries.
Prepare the glaze according to package directions then spoon it over the fruit making sure everything is covered. Let the glaze set then serve with whipped cream.

Notes

You need a special tart pan (affiliate link) for this recipe. It has a rim at the bottom that later holds the filling.
Make sure the tart pan is greased well so the cake easily comes out of the pan after baking
It's important that the eggs are at room temperature so the cake gets airy and not dry. Take them out of the fridge an hour before you need them or put them in a bowl of warm water for 15 minutes
Tap the pan on the counter a few times so the big air bubbles that might be in the batter burst or you might end up with holes in the baked cake
If big air bubbles show up during baking use a toothpick to pop them
Instead of "whip-it" whipped cream stabilizer (affiliate link) which I use so the fruit juices don't make the cake soggy, you can also use a light sprinkle of ground nuts or even a layer of cooked vanilla pudding. If you serve the cake within a few hours of making you can also just omit it and put the strawberries directly on top of the cake
Make sure the strawberries are facing outside up on the cake. This gives you a better look but also keeps the fruit fresh longer
The glaze needs to cover all the berries! I use a spoon to spoon it over the berries instead of just pouring it over the cake
The glaze sets within a few minutes so you need to work fast
Instead of using a glaze, you can also use apricot preserves or any lightly colored jelly. Heat up half a cup of the preserves or jelly just until warm, stir until it is smooth, and then brush over the berries.

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