German Strawberry Cake is a real treat! It’s so easy to make and tastes fantastic. The combination of fresh strawberries on top of a light and fluffy cake base is a winner. Perfect for those lazy summer days when you want something sweet but don’t feel like baking all day. Give it a go, you won’t regret it!
Why do I love this recipe?
- The cake is easy and quick to make
- Fresh berries make the cake fresh and light, perfect for summer.
- Sweet and fluffy sponge goes well with juicy berries
- The cake layer can be made ahead of time and frozen
Table of Contents
Choosing the Right Ingredients
Strawberries
For this particular cake, choose fresh and ripe strawberries. They don’t need to be extra sweet; you can balance the sweetness with sugar and clear glaze. To create the strawberry layer, cut smaller strawberries into halves and larger strawberries into quarters. To avoid a soggy cake, consider removing some of the juice from the strawberries. To do that, just put two tablespoons of the sugar and mix it well. After 15 minutes, they will realise the juices that you can use up in your clear glaze, to keep maximum flavour!
The cut surface needs to face down; this way, the cake will stay fresh and look good for a more extended period.
If you like, you can also use blueberries, raspberries, bilberries or blackberries.
Clear Glaze and Red Glaze
Clear glaze is a layer of a jelly-like substance that holds the berries together and gives them a shiny appearance. The clear glaze powder has to be dissolved in cold, sweet water and brought to a boil. After one minute of boiling, the clear glaze can be applied with a spoon on the layer of fresh strawberries.
Using a glaze is highly recommended; if you don’t have one, you can make one yourself with water, sugar, and cornstarch.
Making the Batter Yourself
I know that there are plenty of ideally looking sponge cakes on the supermarket shelves. But trust me, everyone, without exception, will taste the difference between store-bought and homemade sponge.
As for the appearance, please don’t worry, if you use a German Tart Pan with a Raised Bottom, the cake base will look precisely like the one from the supermarket. If you don’t have this specific pan, you can use a regular cake pan or a springform pan, but the appearance may be slightly different.
I’ve had this tart pan in my kitchen for only a few months, and it’s a complete game changer!
This tart pan has been a game changer in my kitchen! Its unique rim at the bottom beautifully holds fresh fruit, making it perfect for creating stunning fruit tarts. But what’s truly impressive is its versatility; it works well with various doughs, pie crusts, and sponge cakes, sparking your creativity in the kitchen.
When using any tart pan, be sure to butter the pan to prevent the cake from sticking after it’s removed properly.
Don't Skip the Cream!
For the final touch, please don’t forget freshly made whipped cream. You put so much energy into making this perfect cake, make sure you serve it properly, like Udo Jürgens once sang, “aber bitte mit Sahne”.
Tools that might come in handy
Storage & Reheating
You can store the German Strawberry Cake in the fridge for up to three days.
The sponge base can be prepared ahead and stored in the freezer for up to six months.
Watch here how easy it is to make this cake!
Strawberries are one of my all-time favourite fruits, and I’m thrilled to share my love for them through these recipes. So far, we have:
- German Strawberry and Rhubarb Cake
- German Strawberry and Rhubarb
- German Strawberry Dumplings
Traditional German Strawberry Cake
Fluffy Sponge
- 1 package vanilla sugar
- 125 grams flour
- 100 grams sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 60 gram butter
- 10 gram butter for greasing
Fruit Layer
- 500 grams fresh strawberries
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 Dr. Oetker Clear Glaze
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Whipped Cream for Serving
- 200 grams cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Grease the tart pan with butter.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan, then set it aside to cool slightly.
- Mix baking powder and flour in a medium bowl, set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Take two small bowls and seprare the egg yolks from egg whites.
- With a food processor, whisk egg whites until they form stiff, glossy peaks. Change the setting to slow and slowly add sugar, then egg yolks, and finally the flour-baking powder mixture.
- At the end, add the melted butter and pour the batter into the tart tin.
- Bake for 25 minutes, then check with a toothpick to see if the cake is done.
- Wait 15 minutes before turning it upside down. be cafreful, the pan might be still very warm.
- Let the cake cool down completely before you add the top layer.
- Remove the green tops from strawberries with a small knife.
- Cut large berries into quarters and small berries into halves.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over the strawberries and gently mix them. Set aside for at least 15 minutes.
- Drain the strawberries, but keep the syrup. We will use it to flavour our clear glaze!
- Spread the strawberries all over the cake. Make sure that the cut surface is facing down. This way, the cake will keep fresher for longer.
- Prepare the clear glaze in a saucepan by mixing 250ml of cold water with strawberry syrup, sugar and clear glaze powder. Bring it to a boil and cook for one minute. Turn off the heat and use a large spoon to apply the mixture to the strawberries.
- Let the glaze thicken in the refrigerator.
- In a small bowl mix cream with sugar until fluffy.
- Serve the cake with whipped cream on the top or on the side (or however you like it:)
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