Strawberry Loaf Cake

This is such a beautiful loaf cake.  I love to watch this simply spiced Strawberry Loaf rise.

As with all baking with fruit, use your best local, ripe, I would suggest organic, strawberries.

I originally made this, to make strawberry bread pudding.

I rarely have the foresight to bring my eggs out early enough to gently bring to room temperature. Put them in a bowl and cover with warm water and let sit while you gather your other ingredients.

If the eggs are cold, it just makes it a little more difficult to incorporate.

If you don’t have sour cream, or sometimes I just don’t have enough, you can use buttermilk.

It rises beautifully and if you sprinkle the top with sugar you will have a glistening strawberry loaf.

This is a little extra step. Chop the strawberries, then lay them out on paper towel to soak up some moisture.

It is better, I think if you use organic strawberries.

How to Make Strawberry Loaf Cake

Wash hull and chop your strawberries.

If you would like to, lay them out on a paper towel and move them around a bit to remove excess moisture.

Oven 350°F/180°C

Line with baker’s parchment paper or grease and flour a 9x5x3” (23x13x8cm) loaf pan.

1. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ground ginger.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until lighter in colour.

3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, especially the first one, then the rest will follow smoothly.

4. Beat in the vanilla.

5. Add the flour mixture (3 additions) and the sour cream (2 additions)  alternately starting and ending with the flour mixture.

6. Mix the last addition of flour just until combined, don’t overmix.

7. Fold in the strawberries just using a few strokes of a spatula or spoon.

8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top.  Give the pan a few taps to release any bubbles around the strawberries.

9. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of sugar if you’d like.

10. Bake in preheated oven for about 60 minutes.

Let cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes.  Ok, 20 minutes.  

(It slices better once cooled)