You know it is good....(Recipe: A Rustic Strawberry Cake)

I have been making this Strawberry Cake for a couple of years now.  Every summer it seems to make its way back on to the table.  And why not?  It is simple and simply delicious.  And you know it must be good when you find it here and here.  Hence, this recipe has been waiting in the wings for its debut on this blog.  Serve this strawberry cake with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.

And since our temperatures have hit the 90's this week....happy summer-make this cake!

Strawberry Cake
Martha Stewart Living, June 2005

makes one 10-inch cake

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pie plate
1 ½ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 10-inch pie plate. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl.
2. Put butter and 1 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium-low; mix in egg, milk, and vanilla.
3. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Transfer batter to buttered pie plate. Arrange strawberries on top of batter, cut sides down and as close together as possible. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries.
4. Bake cake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°. Bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 1 hour. Let cool in pie plate on a wire rack. Cut into wedges. Cake can be stored at room temperature, loosely covered, up to 2 days.