Strawberry Cake

 Strawberry cake

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Serving 10 - 12 slices

Ingredients:

• 500g / 1 lb strawberries, hulled, tops removed

Wet ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar, caster/superfine best but granulated ok too
• 1/2 cup oil, canola or vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, large (~50g/1.75 oz each)
• 1 tbsp grated lemon rind
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (1 large lemon)
• 1 cup plain yoghurt, unsweetened (Greek or just plain)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (or essence)

Dry ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups flour, plain/ all purpose
• 4 tsp baking powder (or 1 1/4 tsp baking soda)
• Pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F or 180°C fan.
2. Grease and line a 23 cm / 9" cake pan with baking paper/parchment paper. Any type of cake pan is fine.
3. For inside of cake: Dice some strawberries to make 1 cup about 1/3 of the strawberries.
4. Topping: Cut the remaining strawberries in half.
5. Place the wet ingredients in a bowl and whisk well for 1 minute.
6. 2 Add the dry ingredients then whisk well until lump free.
7. Pour half into cake pan, smooth surface.
8. Scatter over diced strawberries.
9. Top with remaining batter. Smooth surface, then top with halved strawberries, cut face down.
10. Bake 40 minutes or until skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. If you need to cook longer, cover with foil if it starts getting too golden.
11. Stand 15 minutes in the cake pan before turning out onto cooling rack.

Cool 15 minutes+ before serving warm or at room temp. Optional Dust with icing sugar, and serve with cream or if serving warm, ice cream!