Strawberry Cake

Ingredients:

Strawberries

• 500g / 1 lb strawberries, hulled (ie tops removed)

WET:

• 200 g sugar, caster/superfine best but granulated ok too

• 125 ml oil, canola or vegetable oil

• 2 eggs, large (~50g/1.75 oz each)

• 1 tbsp grated lemon rind

• 65 ml lemon juice (1 large lemon)

• 250 g plain yoghurt, unsweetened (Greek or just plain)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract (or essence)

DRY:

• 335 g flour, plain/all-purpose

• 4 tsp baking powder (or 1 1/4 tsp baking soda)

• Pinch of salt

SERVING:

• Whipped cream

• Extra strawberries

• Icing sugar/ powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan).

2. Grease and line a 23 cm / 9" cake pan with baking paper/parchment paper. (Any type of cake pan is fine)

3. For the inside of the cake: Dice some strawberries into ~1.5cm / 1" pieces to make 1 cup (about 1/3 of the strawberries)

4. Topping: Cut the remaining strawberries in half.

5. Place Wet ingredients in a bowl and whisk well for 1 minute.

6. Add Dry ingredients then whisk well until lump-free.

7. Pour half into the cake pan, smooth surface. Scatter over diced strawberries.

8. Top with remaining batter. Smooth the surface, top with halved strawberries, and cut face down.

9. Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into center comes out clean. (Note 1) If you need to cook longer, cover it with foil if it starts getting too golden.

10. Stand for 15 minutes in the cake pan before turning out onto the cooling rack.

11. Cool 15 minutes before serving warm or at room temp. Dust with icing sugar, and serve with cream or if serving warm, ice cream!