Strawberry & cardamom traybake
Prep
25 mins
Cook
30 mins
Servings
10
Difficulty
Medium
This is one of those recipes I keep coming back to because it's genuinely simple yet feels special enough for guests. The cardamom pods add such a sophisticated warmth to the sponge, and paired with fresh strawberries, they create something really elegant. What I love most is that it comes together in under an hour from start to finish, making it perfect for when you want something homemade without spending your whole afternoon in the kitchen. Plus, strawberries are packed with vitamin C, so you can feel good about what you're baking. It's the kind of traybake that looks impressive but honestly requires no fancy skills whatsoever.
Ella x
Ingredients
- 250 gramsunsalted butter(softened)
- 250 gramscaster sugar
- 4british blacktail medium free range eggs
- 250 gramsself-raising flour
- 1 tspbaking powder
- ½ tspfine salt
- 6 tbspwhole milk(milk)
- 6cardamom pods(seeds removed and crushed)
- ½ tspvanilla extract
- 365 gramsno.1 british speciality strawberries(pack No. 1 Speciality Strawberries, hulled, 150g cut into 1cm chunks, 215g reserved)
- 150 gramsunsalted butter
- 300 gramsicing sugar(sifted)
- ¼ tspfine salt
- ½ tspvanilla extract
- 2 tbspmilk
Detail level
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 190°C, gas mark 5. Grease and line a 30cm x 20cm cake tin. In a mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat the butter and sugar for 5-8 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, with 1 tbsp flour. Sieve in the remaining flour, baking powder and salt, then fold to combine. Fold in the milk, cardamom, vanilla and strawberry chunks.
- 2
Pour into the cake tin and bake for 20-30 minutes until golden and risen; a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then remove from the tin; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- 3
To make the icing, in a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat the butter for 5 minutes until pale and fluffy. Working in 3 batches, gradually beat in the icing sugar. Add the salt, vanilla and milk; beat for 1 minute. Spread over the top of the cooled cake. It will keep in the fridge for 4 days; cut the remaining strawberries into wedges and arrange on top before serving.
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