REFINED SUGAR FREE | VEGAN OPTION

There’s something deeply nostalgic about strawberries at their peak. Sun-warmed, ruby red, bursting with sweetness. This cake is our love letter to the season, created in celebration of our STRAWBERRY VANILLA BURST flavour: a decadent union of ripe berries, creamy vanilla and rich, buttery comfort.

Inspired by slow afternoons, shared cups of tea and the kind of baking that nourishes more than hunger, this recipe folds juicy strawberries through a tender maple-sweetened crumb with nutty browned butter and hints of vanilla in every bite. It’s soft, fragrant and quietly indulgent... The kind of cake that invites you to linger a little longer.

INGREDIENTS

500g strawberries, washed and hulled

½ cup (125g) salted butter (see note 1)

¾ cup (240g) pure maple syrup

3 eggs, at room temperature

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

¾ cup (180g) Greek yoghurt

¾ cup (170g) almond meal

1 + ½ cups (180g) white spelt flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/3 tsp fine salt

METHOD

1. Cube ½ of the strawberries into small pieces and set aside in a bowl. Slice the remaining strawberries in half or, if they are large berries, into smaller slices. Set aside.
2. Brown the butter. Add butter to a light coloured pan and melt over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring the whole time. At first the butter will melt, then foam up and after that it will begin to change into a golden brown colour. Watch this carefully and as soon as the butter has a nutty aroma and is a lovely golden brown turn off heat and transfer to a bowl to cool. 
3. Preheat oven t o180C and grease and line a 20cm square baking tin (an 8inch round cake tin will work too). 
4. In a large bowl add maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, vinegar and yoghurt. Whisk until uniform then stream in cooled butter and whisk to combine. 
5. Sift in the remaining ingredients then gently fold until no more lumps remain- don't over mix. As the batter has almond meal in it, expect to see some texture in the batter. 
6. Pour half the batter into the cake tin. Sprinkle over the chopped strawberries. Pour the remaining batter into the pan and smooth out, then top with sliced berries.
7. Bake for 50-55minutes, or test the middle of the cake with a skewer. There may be some moist crumbs on the skewer, but no runny batter.
8. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan, then gently transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Dust with icing sugar and serve with double cream and a cup of tea. 

Note: To make this dairy free swap the butter for 100g extra virgin olive oil. 

Recipe by: @panaceas_pantry
panaceaspantryblog.com