Strawberry summer cake

Since strawberry season is approaching rapidly, I'm thinking what I bet everyone else is also thinking: "need more strawberry recipes", or "hmmm I can hardly wait for strawberry cake". Well, fret no more, I've got just the thing to open up the season: this casual everyday cake, easy and relaxing to make, but oh-so-good. 
A great way to use strawberries. Casual but pretty enough to serve to guests. Fresh strawberry halves are inserted into a smooth batter, in a decorative way, then sprinkled with sugar. During baking, the sugar-sprinkled strawberries turn into jam within the cake. After taking it out, dust it with some vanilla powder sugar for the last touch of summery perfection. :) You're welcome.
Recipe source: Smitten kitchen.

Last year: Spring pasta with avocado and goat cheese.
Two years ago: Turkey bites in Brie and walnut sauce with grapes.
Three years ago: Frigănele (Romanian savory French toast), Rosemary marinated and fried potatoes with lemon (vegan) and Thyme, pepper and lemon spicy olive oil cookies.




Ingredients (for a 23 cm cake tin):

• 85 g unsalted butter, at room temperature (plus extra for the tin)
• 188 g all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 200 g granulated sugar + 2 extra tablespoons
• 1 large egg
• 120 ml milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 450 g fresh strawberries
• vanilla powder sugar to sprinkle (optional)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Get the strawberries (look at how pretty they are!) :).

Wash them and tear off their leaves. Cut them in halves. Set them aside. Butter a 9 inch (23 cm) cake tin and line it with baking paper:

Mix the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl. In another bowl, mix the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and the vanilla, than gradually stir in the milk. When it looks even, gradually incorporate the flour until you get an even batter.

Pour it into the prepared cake tin, then carefully arrange the strawberry halves on it, cut side down:

When all the cake has been covered in strawberries, sprinkle the 2 extra tablespoons of sugar over them (this will make them turn into something jam-like in the oven):

Put it into the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour - 1 hour and ten minutes (or until it passes the skewer test). Take out, allow to cool a bit, then transfer to a serving platter.

Sprinkle with some vanilla powder sugar, if you want. It's done, dig in! :)