Strawberry Butter Cake with Homemade Strawberry Sauce

Not your traditional butter cake! This version is rich, buttery, and tender, with a golden, sugar-crusted exterior and a sweet strawberry swirl in every bite. Absolutely delicious and worth trying!

My recommendation: Serve this butter cake warm, immediately after baking, for the best texture and flavor. It’s at its very best on the day it’s made, especially with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of homemade strawberry sauce.

Yield: 7–8 ramekins, depending on size
Oven temperature: 350°F (175°C)
Bake time: 25–30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Strawberry Sauce

• 2 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and cut into pieces
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the Butter Cake Batter

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1½ cups whole milk
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• ⅓ cup turbinado sugar, for the ramekins

For Serving

• Vanilla ice cream
• Extra homemade strawberry sauce

Instructions

Step 1: Make the Strawberry Sauce

1. Add the strawberries, powdered sugar, and lemon juice to a blender. Blend until completely smooth.
2. Pour the strawberry purée into a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.
3. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for approximately 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Skim off any foam that develops on the surface.
4. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency.
5. Remove from the heat and let the sauce cool completely before transferring it to an airtight jar.

Storage tip: Keep the strawberry sauce refrigerated for up to two weeks. It’s also delicious over ice cream, waffles, pancakes, and other desserts.

Step 2: Prepare the Oven and Ramekins

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Generously butter 7–8 ramekins.
3. Sprinkle turbinado sugar into the bottom of each ramekin, coating the base evenly.

Step 3: Make the Butter Cake Batter

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and cream cheese until smooth and fully combined.
2. Add the granulated sugar and continue beating for about 5 minutes, until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
3. With the mixer running, add the eggs one at a time, beating for approximately 45 seconds after each addition until incorporated.
4. Mix in the vanilla extract, optional almond extract, and lemon zest.
5. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder, then stir in the salt.
6. Add half of the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture and mix until just combined.
7. Pour in all the milk and mix until incorporated.
8. Add the remaining flour mixture and continue mixing for 3–5 minutes, until the batter is smooth and well combined.

Step 4: Fill and Bake

1. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared ramekins, filling each about three-quarters full.
2. Add 2 teaspoons of strawberry sauce to each ramekin and gently swirl it into the batter using a toothpick or small knife.
3. Arrange the ramekins on a baking sheet.
4. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
5. Remove from the oven and allow the cakes to cool in their ramekins for 10 minutes.

Step 5: Serve and Enjoy!

Carefully invert each ramekin onto a serving plate. Serve the cakes warm with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream and an extra drizzle of homemade strawberry sauce.

The contrast of the warm, buttery cake, caramelized sugar, sweet-tart strawberry sauce, and cold vanilla ice cream is simply irresistible!

A little tip: Don’t skip the turbinado sugar in the ramekins. It helps create that beautiful golden, lightly caramelized exterior that makes these little butter cakes extra special.