This Sourdough Discard Strawberry Cake is a delicious, fluffy, snacking cake that is not overly sweet and is perfect for an afternoon treat or dessert. With no icing, it comes together quickly with just 15 minutes of hands-on time. It's also best with fresh, in-season strawberries, really making the fruit the star of the show!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- This Sourdough Discard Strawberry Snacking Cake is easy to make, with just 15 minutes of hands-on time.
- This cake is not overly sweet and doesn't have icing, making it a perfect snacking cake or to serve for dessert. If you're looking for other snacking cakes, try my Sourdough Lemon Loaf Cake or my Sourdough Discard Carrot Cake.
- You can use sourdough discard or active sourdough starter to make this recipe (see substitutions section below).
- Fresh strawberries are the star of the show here - a great way to use those beautiful early summer fruits! You might also love this Sourdough Discard Strawberry Galette.
- You can also easily adapt this recipe to use other fresh fruits.
I've made this recipe 3 times now and it's just perfect every time. Simply delicious - perfect recipe! My family loves it.
- Brenda
Ingredients
This Sourdough Discard Strawberry Cake only needs a few ingredients - you'll be ready in no time!
- Sourdough discard: The discard should be unfed and at room temperature for this recipe. This recipe is designed for a sourdough starter that uses a 1:1 ratio (when you feed your starter, it's with 1 part flour and 1 part water). If your starter uses a different ratio, you may need to adjust some of the ingredients in this recipe.
- Learn more about how to make a homemade sourdough starter.
- Fresh strawberries: Fresh strawberries are the star of the show! Use the best berries you can find to make this dessert really stand out.
- Confectioner's sugar: A sprinkle of powdered sugar before serving adds a beautiful finish to this dessert!
See full recipe below for detailed directions.
Substitutions & Variations
This is a very adaptable recipe and below are a few easy substitutions and variations you can try.
- Use active sourdough starter - If you'd rather use active sourdough starter instead of discard, you can! Simply replace the sourdough discard with active sourdough starter (a 1:1 substitute).
- Use regular dairy yogurt - This recipe is written using non-dairy yogurt (I'm lactose-intolerant!), but you can also use regular, unflavored dairy yogurt.
- Use different fruit - This cake is very flexible when it comes to the fruit! It would be great with other berries (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries), or stone fruit (peaches, plums, etc.).
- If you're looking for other berry recipes, you might like these Sourdough Discard Blueberry Bagels and these Sourdough Discard Strawberry Bagels.
I have not tested this recipe with other variations, but if you do, let us know how it turns out in the comments! I always love to hear how you're adapting these recipes and use those as ideas for future recipes as well!
How to Make Sourdough Discard Strawberry Cake
There are just a few easy steps to bring this cake together. The full recipe with detailed directions is at the bottom of this post.
- Step 1: Trim and halve your strawberries. Ideally, try to choose strawberries that are all about the same size.
- Step 2: Whisk together the dry ingredients in a small bowl.
- Step 3: Cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl.
- Step 4: Add the sourdough discard, egg, yogurt and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
- Step 5: Add the flour mixture and mix until no dry spots remain, scraping the sides of the bowl if needed.
- Step 6: Transfer the cake batter to your prepared cake pan. Spread it evenly across the pan.
- Step 7: Press the halved strawberries into the batter, cut-side down. Sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, then bake until golden.
- Step 8: After the cake has cooled, remove from the springform pan. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar, and serve.
Expert Baking Tips
- Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature. This will give your batter (and cake) the correct consistency.
- Spread the batter evenly across your cake pan. It will be thick, so you'll need to use a spatula.
- Press the halved strawberries, cut-side down, into the batter. You don't need to press them in deeply - the cake will rise up around the berries while it bakes.
- Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool fully before sprinkling with confectioner's sugar!
Storage
Room Temperature Storage: Store this cake loosely covered at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.
Freezer Storage: You can also freeze this cake. Make sure it has cooled fully, then slice and transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. When you're ready to serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then let it come to room temperature and dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can use either sourdough discard or sourdough starter (in a 1:1 substitution) for this recipe.
Yes! This cake would be delicious with other berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries), or stone fruit (plums, peaches, etc.).
And if you're looking for another fun summer dessert, try these Sourdough Discard Mango Bars!
Fresh strawberries will be best, but yes, you could use frozen strawberries. No need to thaw the berries before adding to the batter.
Sourdough discard is what is left over after you feed your sourdough starter (especially if you're just making a new sourdough starter from scratch). You can either literally discard it (in the compost or trash) or use it in sourdough discard recipes like this one!
If you're new to working with sourdough starter, check out these in-depth posts on how to feed sourdough starter, how to use sourdough discard, and tips for struggling sourdough starter.
Sourdough Discard Strawberry Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar divided
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup non-dairy or regular dairy yogurt
- 200 grams (about ¾ cup) sourdough discard unfed, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pound fresh strawberries trimmed and halved
- Confectioner's sugar for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Grease the sides and bottom of a 9-inch springform pan* (or 9-inch round cake pan) with cooking spray, then line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease the top of the parchment paper as well.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the softened butter and 1 cup granulated sugar. Mix on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Add the egg, yogurt, sourdough discard, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until smooth and combined. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until no dry spots remain.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, using a spatula to spread it evenly. Press the halved strawberries into the batter, cut-side down, keeping the berries as close together as possible.
- Sprinkle the top of the cake with the remaining 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar. Bake for 60-65 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes, then dust with confectioner's sugar and serve.
Christine Hettel says
This was amazing! So good! I used plain Greek yogurt. Such a yummy but not too sweet cake and a good way to use up a bunch of discard.
Lola says
It’s so good I ate half the cake…I’m not allowed to make this again.
Danielle says
Delicious!!! Definitely saving this one! Thank you!
Melissa says
Made this recipe tonight and it was delicious. Didn’t have plain yogurt so used Chobani strawberry yogurt instead and it turned out great! Such an easy and tasty recipe!
Jessikah Taylor says
Can I use sour cream in place of yogurt?
Jessica Vogl says
That should work! You'll get a tangy flavor from the sour cream, but that could go well here.
Uzma says
Can I use stevia instead of sugar
Jessica Vogl says
That's not something I have tried. Taking a quick glance at the Stevia website, it looks like Stevia is a lot sweeter than regular sugar, so you'd need less volume, but then you may need to compensate with some other ingredients. Worth a try if it's something you're familiar with!
Marianna says
This cake is fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe Jess!
I added some lemon zest into the batter and a few almond flakes. I also use some kefir yogurt (I didn’t have non dairy or regular yogurt…).
I will do it again and again while there are still fresh strawberries in the market!
🙂
Shari says
Can I long ferment this? If so, countertop? Fridge?
Jessica Vogl says
It's not something I've tried with this recipe. My understanding of long fermenting a cake is that you would do that with a portion of the batter, but not the whole batter (you need some of that fluffiness). So it's something I'd need to test further before I could give a recommendation!
Yvette says
Can I blend the strawberries and put it in the batter without messing with the measurements?
Jessica Vogl says
Hmmm I haven't tried this. That will put more liquid in the batter, but I imagine that it will be ok. You may need to bake for a few extra minutes, but I think it's worth a try!
Lisa says
I was wondering the same as the picture looked like the strawberries were chopped and mixed in rather than just placed on top.
Jessica Vogl says
I can confirm that the strawberries are placed on top of the cake for the recipe!
Valerie says
Can I make the batter and then put in the fridge to bake later?
Jessica Vogl says
I haven't tried it, but I wouldn't recommend it. The fluffiness that you get while mixing the ingredients together is important and I would worry that it would start to get a bit flat the longer that it sits in the refrigerator. If you did end up trying this, let me know how it worked out!
Jessica says
If I used active sourdough starter could/should I ferment the batter overnight? Would you recommend waiting to add the strawberries until after the long fermentation is over? Making this for my sister’s birthday this weekend! Thank you!
Jessica Vogl says
You shouldn't need to let it ferment overnight (the rise is really going to come from the baking powder interacting with the other ingredients).
Jessica says
I wanted it more for the fermentation to make it a little more gluten tolerant for a few people with sensitivities, not so much for the rise. Is there a way to do that and still get a good rise? I saw a few other comments where you said refrigerating would make it more dense.
Jessica Vogl says
Ah I see. That's not something I've tested out so unfortunately I don't have any insight for you! I might need to work on a long-fermented cake in the future!
Julia says
Have you tried freezing the finished cake? I bought WAY too many strawberries and really do not want to eat any more at the moment. I have made jam, frozen strawberry yogurt and have frozen a bunch of berries. I am feeding my starter, so could use the discard.
Jessica Vogl says
If you want to freeze it, make sure the cake has cooled fully. Then slice and transfer to a freezer-safe container (or freeze the whole cake in one piece), and freeze for up to 3 months. When you're ready to serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then let it come to room temperature and dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.
Sharon says
Can I substitute frozen strawberries?
Jessica Vogl says
Fresh strawberries will be best, but yes, you could use frozen strawberries!
Becky says
I wanted to add a bit of almond extract for flavor, would that work with the sour dough starter?
Jessica Vogl says
Go for it! Shouldn't be an issue!