Strawberry Cake

You guys hear me talking about making a recipe your own all the time, about how if you don't like something in a recipe you can always change it. Or, even if you do like all of the ingredients in a recipe, you can still change it up a little and make something different but equally good! You might not always have the same ingredients for a dish in your pantry and/or refrigerator, but that doesn't mean you can't still make something good.
This recipe is a perfect example of what I'm always talking about! A few months ago, after a visit from some friends who brought yummy cranberry treats with them, I made a yummy cranberry cake, which was very much like a coffee cake. It's really very delicious! So, while rummaging through my freezer one night, I found some strawberries that I had forgotten about and decided to make the cake again only a little differently, using the strawberries instead of cranberries. Heck, you could even mix the cranberries and strawberries, if you really want to, and that would be yummy as well! Other than changing the cranberries to strawberries, I also decided to do a streusel topping for this one instead of the nut topping. And I made a strawberry butter to go with, which was also quite tasty!! The basic recipe for the cake stayed the same, however the changes made it an entirely different treat. See how easy it is to make it your own?! :-D


Printable Recipe

3 eggs
2 c. sugar
¾ c. unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
2 c. flour
16. oz. frozen chopped strawberries

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 pan or a 10" springform pan and cut the butter into chunks.
Beat eggs and sugar together for 5-7 minutes; the eggs will increase in volume quite a bit, streaming into ribbons when you lift the beaters. They will also turn pale yellow. Add butter and flavorings and beat for 2 minutes. Stir in flour and fold in cranberries (especially if using frozen cranberries, the batter will not be thin or soft at this time). Spread into a greased pan and sprinkle with the streusel topping (recipe below).
Bake 45-50 minutes for a 9x13, or a little over an hour for the springform. You may need to tent the cake with foil in the last 15 minutes or so to keep the top from browning too much. Cool completely before serving (Or not!) and serve with strawberry butter, if you'd like.


Streusel Topping:
1 c. (packed) golden brown sugar
1 c. old-fashioned oats
¾ c. all purpose flour
¼ tsp. salt
½ c. (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Combine brown sugar, oats, flour, and salt in large bowl; toss to blend. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture comes together in moist clumps. Cover; chill while preparing cake. (Topping can be prepared 1 day ahead; keep chilled.) Sprinkle streusel mixture over the top of the cake and bake as directed above.