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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I've made this recipe 3 times now and it's just perfect every time. Simply delicious - perfect recipe! My family loves it.
- Brenda
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.
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.). You might also like this Sourdough Fig Cake!
- If you're looking for other summer fruit recipes, you might like these Sourdough Discard Blueberry Bagels and this Sourdough Peach Cobbler!
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 and this Sourdough Peach Cobbler!
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.
More Sourdough Cake Recipes
If you tried this Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you! Happy Baking!
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.
Shelly says
Would Greek yogurt work?
Jessica Vogl says
Yes, that should work!
Brenda says
I've made this recipe 3 times now and it's jus perfect every time. Simply delicious ~ perfect recipe! My family loves it.
Charyssa Shippit says
This cake is AMAZING! I only had an 8” pan so the cake required a little bit more cook time but wow!!
Do you think I could prepare the cake batter in the morning and then bake closer to dinner and add strawberries at that point and it would still bake properly??
Jessica Vogl says
Love to hear it! It will be best if you can make the batter and bake right away, but if you needed to put in the refrigerator for a few hours (maybe 2-3 hours), that would be ok. If you wait too long, you run the risk of the cake not rising in the same way and being more dense.
Marleigh Hollmer says
This was so delicious. Added raspberries and blackberries too. 10/10
Kelly says
Loveeee this cake! It was easy to make and glad to use my discard! The strawberries were so pretty on top.
Ben says
Delicious recipe! If you like treats, strawberries, and keep a starter - this is a great way to bring them together.
Margie says
Lovely cake, I cut it down to 3/4 ( due to amount of starter I had available) and used an ~7” springform pan and it turned out great. For the 3/4 egg I just used the smallest one of the lot…
Kathy says
Can you make this with almond flour?
Jessica Vogl says
I haven't tried it, but I imagine it would work! I might try half AP flour and half almond flour to start with.
Kathy says
That is what I did and it was delicious! Thank you!
Kristan says
I don’t have fresh strawberries on hand so could I use some canned strawberry jam instead for flavor purposes? Not sure how that would change the consistency though.
Jessica Vogl says
Hmm it will change the consistency of the batter (more liquid, and also more sugar). You could try it, but I'd keep an eye on the baking time (and frankly, I can't guarantee this will work!). Instead of strawberries you could easily use another fruit (berries work well, or stonefruit). Frozen berries work, too!
Jennifer says
I made this today - did not have yogurt so I used sour cream and my strawberries sank to the bottom of the cake but it was DELICIOUS nonetheless and definitely going into my frequently used recipe book 🙂
Terri Vince says
can I use frozen strawberries
Jessica Vogl says
Fresh will be best, but yes, frozen would work. You don't need to let them thaw before adding, but you may need to add a few extra minutes of baking time.
Sandy says
What a great recipe! I made sure the berries were pushed deep down into the batter before baking and that’s where they stayed. Beautiful!
Myr says
Could you use almond flour instead of the all purpose flour?
Jessica Vogl says
I haven't tried it, but I think that should work!
Abby says
Could you use sour cream instead of yogurt?
Jessica Vogl says
Yes, that should work!
terri hochmuth says
The cake is delicious a strawberry in every bite! But it looks nothing like your’s. The strawberries were added to the top…so none are throughout the cake in mine??? But you have them throughout the cake? How is that possible!
Jessica Vogl says
The berries are just on the top in mine as well! Perhaps you could push them down into the dough a little bit more (not just resting on the surface). Delicious either way!
Faye. Smith says
Great!
Janet says
Thank you for this delicious recipe .... my favorite sourdough discard recipe so far!
Anja says
NOTE TO SELF for future use: less sugar and don't sugar the fruit.
I swap at least ¼ of the sugar with agave, and i always put just a bit less of it in total, and it still turns out too sweet I need to find the right measure, but otherwise awesome recipe! the dough is always amazing ♥️