Strawberry Summer Cake

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cups - All-Purpose Flour

1 1/2 Teaspoons - Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoons - Salt

6 Tablespoons - Unsalted Butter, Softened

1 Cup Plus 2 Tablespoons - Sugar

- Zest From 1 Fresh Lemon

1 - Large Egg

1/2 Cup - Milk

1 Teaspoon - Vanilla Extract

16 Ounces - Strawberries, Hulled and Halved

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray a 10 inch decorative pie plate with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

In a small bowl add flour, baking powder and salt and whisk to combine.  Set asides.

Add butter, sugar and lemon zest to the bowl of a stand up mixer fit with a paddle attachment.  Mix on medium for 4 minutes or until pale and fluffy and lemon zest is fragrant.  Reduce speed to medium low and add milk, eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.  Add flour mixture gradually and beat until batter is smooth. Pour batter in prepared pie plate and smooth top with a small offset spatula. Place strawberries in a single layer, cut side down on top of batter.  Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar evenly over the top of the strawberries.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, and then reduce the oven temperature to 325.  Continue to bake until the cake is nicely golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour.  Cool the cake in the pie plate on a wire rack. Serve :)