We’re shining a light on strawberries — in season right now and 100% British — with this simple and mouth watering recipe.
This easy-to-make cake is bursting with juicy British fruit, and decorated with a rich cheesecake-style icing.
Serves 12 • Ready in 1 hour 30 mins, plus cooling
INGREDIENTS
- 200g Co-op unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 227g pack Co-op British strawberries
- 200g Fairtrade caster sugar
- 4 Co-op British free-range eggs
- 200g Co-op self-raising white flour, plus 1 tbsp
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- 25g Co-op ground almonds
- Drop of vegetarian red or pink food colouring gel
- 1 tbsp Co-op whole milk
FOR THE ICING
- 75g Co-op soft cheese, softened
- 50g Co-op unsalted butter, softened
- 100g Fairtrade icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
FOR THE SYRUP
- 40g Fairtrade icing sugar
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tbsp Co-op strawberry jam
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin, then whizz 100g of the strawberries into a purée.
- Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, spooning in a little flour after each addition to prevent curdling. Add the rest of the 200g flour, the vanilla and almonds, then beat until smooth.
- Put half the batter into another bowl and mix in the strawberry purée, the extra 1 tbsp flour and a drop of food colouring. Mix the milk into the plain batter.
- Dollop the two batters alternately into the prepared baking tin, then gently swirl together. Bake for 1 hour, until risen and golden and a skewer comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool in the tin.
- For the icing, beat together the soft cheese and butter until smooth. Stir in the icing sugar a little at a time, followed by the vanilla paste, until you have a thick, creamy mixture. Spread this over the cooled cake, then top with the remaining strawberries, halved, to decorate.
- Mix together the syrup ingredients and spoon over the cake. If there’s any left, serve in a jug on the side.
