With the holiday weekend in sight, my brain is in absolute summer mode. I’m already thinking of my favorite things: refreshing popsicles by the pool, mornings spent blueberry picking, and a profusion of fruit desserts. Pound cake with strawberries is such a quintessential summer dessert; this plush cake is my spin on the classic.
Fall-apart tender and perfumed with rich vanilla bean, this cake is divine. Strawberry sauce adds a pretty swirl to each slice, and the brown butter-vanilla glaze is not to be missed. Here’s to easy summer living, and cake!
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Ingredients
Strawberry Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp water
- 2 tsp cornstarch
Cake
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
- 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk, at room temperature
Glaze
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp milk
Instructions
- For the sauce, combine strawberries and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. When mixture begins to bubble, whisk water and cornstarch together and add to saucepan, stirring until thickened, 1 or 2 minutes. Remove from heat and strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids. Discard solids and let sauce cool to room temperature.
- For the cake, preheat oven to 350°F and spray an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter and vanilla bean seeds in a large mixer bowl at medium speed; beat in sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Combine yogurt and buttermilk in a small bowl. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour mixture, beating just to combine. Add yogurt mixture, then finish with remaining flour mixture.
- Pour half the batter into prepared pan; dollop cooled strawberry sauce by teaspoons over batter and swirl together with a toothpick or wooden skewer. Top with remaining batter; smooth with an offset spatula. Bake for 1 hour, or until cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes; carefully remove cake from pan and cool completely on wire rack.
- For the glaze, cook butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until it foams, turns clear, and then turns a deep brown, about 6 minutes. Whisk together brown butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk in a small bowl. Spread glaze over cooled cake with an offset spatula and let set before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
To brown butter in the microwave, place butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave for 3 minutes, or until butter is brown.
Nutrition
- Calories: 200
35 comments
Looks unbelievably moist!! Love the use of greek yogurt and buttermilk. SO excited for memorial weekend aka kickoff to SUMMER. Finally. Can’t wait for the strawberries to bloom here in MN. Pinned 🙂
Love the strawberry swirl in the cake, and strawberries and vanilla bean are a perfect combination.
So perfect! Have a great long weekend. (We had ours in Canada last weekend, but still enjoying a short week 😉
Perfumed? Great choice of adjective. I was immediately involuntarily sniffing. What a dork—referring to me of course. A very fancy strawberry shortcake. I very much like the concept.
I still want to enjoy Spring…it’s going by too quickly! Such a beautiful cake with the bright, juicy strawberries. Have a lovely holiday weekend, Laura!! :o)
This cake is simply stunning….and getting me so excited for summertime!! Enjoy the long weekend!
What a beautiful summer kick off cake! So gorgeous with the strawberry sauce layer and strawberry topping! And I love the tip on how to microwave brown butter…genius!
Strawberries just equal summer to me. I love this!
Ah, hurray for summer & fresh berries & seasonal cakes!! Gorgeous!
Three slices, please. 😀
I have been totally into fresh strawberries too! This looks beautiful! Such a lovely presentation!
How sumptuous!
Beautiful! We have a small strawberry patch in our new garden and although they’re still green, I’m dreaming about what I’m going to do with them. I was thinking of doing a pound cake… and now I have the perfect recipe! Thank you 🙂 xx
Oh I wish we were heading into the same weather as you guys! I’d love a warm spring day (although today it has to be said is pretty gorgeous). The strawberries look so luscious!
This cake is gorgeous, love the swirl!
Oh my goodness swoon! Such a gorgeous loaf! I’m in love with the brown butter glaze.
Yum! I could go a slice right about now!
You just got me even more excited for summertime!! Gorgeous cake!
LOVE your spin on this. The vanilla bean…my FAV. Thanks!
I’m right there with you Laura, so excited about summer and summer produce. I think strawberries and vanilla are a match made in heaven and your cake would be something I could imagine eating in heaven 🙂
That looks so moist. Strawberries are certainly summer.
What a lovely cake! So very pretty and such a perfect use for the gorgeous berries!
Gorgeous cake, Laura. Perfect for a summer holiday weekend!
This is so stunning! And perfect as we have lots of strawberries in the garden right now! Have a great weekend!
What a beautiful creation! Just wish I had a slice right now with my coffee. Enjoy the long holiday weekend Laura!!!
That’s a grownup cake with class.
You had me at ‘fall apart tender’, that’s JUST the way I like my cake! Have a wonderful weekend Laura!
Oooh. It looks magical! That glaze is just… ugh. I need this cake. Now!
Hope you’re enjoying the long weekend! 🙂
This is my ideal breakfast, Laura!
I have been strawberry crazy these past weeks. This looks great!
A slice of the Strawberry Vanilla Bean Cake would be pure bliss! A wonderful slice of summer.
Your cake does look like summertime. I’m sure it was as good as it looks.
Your photos are stunning! This cake sounds amazing, so many lovely flavors brought together! Yum, Hugs, Terra
Waking up in the morning to go blueberry picking sounds so good. I love blueberries and I wish I could do that every weekend. I especially love your summer posts filled with berries. This cake looks very delicious, Laura!
That is a beautiful cake!! I absolutely loooove all your recipes!
i’m still eagerly awaiting for proper strawberry season here. and this just makes me grow more & more impatient!