by Audrey
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A “moelleux” is a very casual yet scrumptious French cake made with the simplest of ingredients and a generous amount of butter, for a melt-in-your-mouth texture. The crumb is rich and a little dense, which makes it the perfect vessel for ripe Summer berries or stone fruits. After last Summer’s success of my Plum Moelleux Cake recipe, I present today my Fresh Strawberry Moelleux Cake – just as easy to make and equally delicious.
Cooking notes:
- I love how this Strawberry Moelleux cake can be thrown together in a pinch andit doesn’t need to look perfect. This makes it a great recipe for Summer, when you don’t necessarily want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen and would rather be outside.
- The strawberries can be replaced with other Summer fruits such as blueberries, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines and apricots. Raspberries and blackberries may however be too delicate and will likely break apart when folded into the thick/dense batter.
- Make sure the butter is unsalted and at room temperature.It should be soft to be mixed into the batter easily.
I hope you’ll enjoy this Fresh Strawberry Moelleux Cake as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment.
You may also like:
- Classic French Strawberry Tart (Tarte aux Fraises)
- Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
- Strawberry Flaugnarde
- Strawberry Rhubarb Galette
- Plum Moelleux Cake
Fresh Strawberry Moelleux Cake
Print Recipe
Serves: 8-10 Prep Time: Cooking Time:
Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat
Rating: 4.8/5
( 5 voted )
Ingredients
300g fresh strawberries, hulled and cut in half
3/4 cup (150g) white sugar
¼ cup (50g) brown sugar + 1 tbsp (for sprinkling)
1 ¾ cup (220g) all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
2 tsp (8g) baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks/225g) unsalted butter, cubed & at room temp.
4 large eggs, at room temperature
Instructions
Pre-heat your oven to 180°C/350°F with a rack in the middle. Line up a 8” (20.3cm) or 9” (22.9cm) circular cake pan with parchment paper at the bottom and grease the sides.
Step 1 - In a large bowl, whisk together the two sugars, flour, salt and baking powder. Add the cubed butter with a spatula and mix until just incorporated. Add the 4 eggs and mix until just incorporated.
Step 2 - Gently fold ½ of the strawberries into the batter and transfer into the cake pan. Smooth out the top with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula. Place the rest of the halved strawberries onto the cake, cut-side down and in a circular pattern. You do not need to press on the strawberries – the batter will expand enough to "grab them". Sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar over top.
Step 3 -Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Transfer onto a cooling rack and wait 20-25 minutes before removing the cake from the pan. Enjoy warm or cooled.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Leave a comment below, rate the recipe and/or share a photo on Instagram and tag @pardonyourfrench
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Eggplant Caviar Dip (Caviar d’Aubergine)
Strawberry Oat Bars (Carrés aux fraises)
Classic French Salad Recipes
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16 comments
Diane Puddester June 15, 2021 - 10:18 pm
Audrey, this cake was so amazingly delicious. How do you stop at just one piece. Merci, merci.
Reply
Audrey June 17, 2021 - 11:49 am
Thanks so much Diane!
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Pauline June 19, 2021 - 9:41 pm
Audrey this cake is very different to how we normally make cakes and I can’t wait to try it. I love the versatility of being able to use seasonal fruits as well. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe of such an amazing creation. x
Reply
Audrey June 20, 2021 - 1:26 pm
Thank you, and happy baking!
Reply
Liz Baslé June 21, 2021 - 9:25 am
From a Frenchie: Super easy and delicious! I didn’t have strawberries, but lots of raspberries in my garden that I wanted to use… so I tried it. I didn’t mix them in the dough, but laid them on a first layer of dough, then again on top. Also, in a fan oven it was done 15 mins sooner. Joyeux premier jour d’été !!
Reply
Audrey June 21, 2021 - 11:35 am
Thank you Liz!
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Tom Skublics July 3, 2021 - 5:36 pm
I’ve made this recipe 3 times since you posted it. It is sooooo good and the Niagara-On-The-Lake strawberries are plentiful and yummy. I added more strawberries than you call for; almost an extra cup. And used more brown sugar on top on my 3rd version. Fantastic. Seems to be closer to an hour to cook through (clean knife). Warm with Vanilla Bean ice cream – oh yeah!!
Reply
Audrey July 4, 2021 - 11:47 am
Hi Tom and thank you for your feedback! It is indeed delicious with vanilla ice cream 🙂
Reply
Hannah July 21, 2021 - 9:59 pm
Hi Audrey, I just made this cake, and it is delicious and so fun to make. The recipe was quick, delicious and used all ingredients that I have available.
Reply
Audrey July 22, 2021 - 11:02 am
Amazing, thank you Hannah.
Reply
Liz April 18, 2022 - 1:07 am
We made this for our Easter Sunday dessert, as fresh strawberries are in season where we live. It was so easy, and the best cake we’ve had in a long, long time everyone raved about it. Thank you so much!
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Audrey April 18, 2022 - 5:38 am
Fantastic, thank you!
Reply
Nicole June 3, 2023 - 11:01 am
Hi Audrey, are your oven temperatures for a fan assisted oven? Or do I have to alter my oven temperature for my fan oven? I have made lots of your recipes and they all work. Thank you very much.
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Audrey June 3, 2023 - 6:29 pm
Hello, Nicole! Unless stated in the recipe, it is non-convection for my recipes (no fan). They say when using a fan you should lower your oven temperature by about 25f. Hope this helps!
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Zasifras March 29, 2024 - 3:50 pm
Thanks for this recipe, this cake always comes out so perfect. I like to use my springform pan when making it as it makes it super easy to remove after has cooled. Its a beauty to serve to guests.
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Audrey March 29, 2024 - 7:58 pm
Much appreciated. I’m so glad this wonderfully delicious cake has found a place in your repertoire! Strawberries are starting to hit market stalls now here in Bretagne so I’ll be making this again soon as well. 🙂
Reply
Audrey
Bonjour ! I'm Audrey Le Goff, a French cookery writer, photographer, creator of the blog Pardon your French, and cookbook author of Rustic French Cooking Made Easy.
