Classic Strawberry Cake

Acquire the necessary ingredients for this dessert recipe.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius). Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with butter and lightly coat it with flour.

Cut the strawberries into small pieces and mix them with 1/3 cup of white sugar. Set these aside for now.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, 1/4 cup of white sugar, baking powder, and salt. Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Create a well in the center of the mixture and add the beaten egg, half-and-half, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix the ingredients together until just combined, making sure there are no dry spots left in the mixture and avoiding overmixing.

Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan.

Bake the cake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into it comes out clean and the top is golden brown, taking around 18 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes in the cake pan.

While the cake is cooling, prepare the whipped cream. Beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, taking around 3 minutes. Set this aside for now.

Cut the partially cooled cake in half horizontally, making two layers. Set the top layer aside for now.

Drain the reserved strawberries in a colander placed over a small bowl, reserving any juice. Brush the strawberry juice evenly over the bottom cake layer. Arrange half of the drained strawberries over the bottom layer of cake.

Spread half of the whipped cream evenly over the strawberries. Place the top cake layer over the whipped cream. Top with the remaining strawberries and whipped cream.

Finally, enjoy your delicious cake!