A dense cake that can hold up to heavy, wet fruit like strawberries or peaches.
Ingredients Step
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Put parchment in bottom of 9" cake pan.
1 stick butter, softened
1/3 c. white sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
zest of 1 lemon		 Beat together on medium-high, periodically scraping, until light, fluffy and creamy (~5 min). (No joke -- don't skimp on this. It's the secret to the cake.)
2 c/255 g AP flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt		 Whisk together.
2 eggs Add eggs one at a time, scraping between each.
3/4 c. buttermilk Incorporate by halves with flour, just until no large lumps remain.
5 oz. strawberries, sliced into planks 1/4-inch thick Fold in to batter. Transfer batter and smooth.
5 oz. strawberries, sliced into planks 1/4-inch thick Scatter the second half of the berries atop cake.
3 T demerara sugar Sprinkle atop cake.
Bake until puffed, deeply golden on top, fully baked where strawberries meet cake, and pulling away at sides (~45-50 min).
Let cool completely, then remove from pan.
Source: NYT / Alison Roman