It’s strawberry season in New England! Along with shortcake and whipped cream, the possibilities are endless.

Back when I used to go to strawberry fields and pick outrageously large quantities of strawberries, I would make jar upon jar of strawberry jam. The ruby-red jam bubbling in a pot would emit the most wonderful smell: warm, steamy, and sweet. Pulling this cake out of the oven after an hour brought me right back to those days. Top off the warm cake with a little vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and you will not be disappointed.

Rather than the traditional biscuit, this is more of a buttery pound cake and it is delicious! And come on, you can’t go wrong with Martha Stewart!

Martha Stewart’s Strawberry Cake

Ingredients

• 6 TBSP unsalted butter, softened; plus additional for the pie plate
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup plus 2 TBSP sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

Method

Preheat oven to 305 degrees. Butter a 10-inch pie place. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl.

Put butter and 1 cup sugar into an electric mixer bowl. Mix on medium-high speed until pales and fluffy – about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low, mix in egg, milk and vanilla.

Transfer batter to pie place. Arrange strawberries on top of butter, cut sides down and as close together as possible. Sprinkle remaining 2 TBSP sugar over berries.

Bake cake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch (about 1 hours). Let cool in pie place on a wire rack. Cut into wedges.