Strawberry Pazzo Cake is an Italian invention. Strawberry cakes are rare, so the recipe caught my attention. Then the word ‘pazzo’ (meaning crazy in Italian) intrigued me. I thought I would give it a try and this cake has turned into one of my favorites. It has the buttery pastry consistency I like and the typical sweet-sour flavor so traditional to Italian cuisine. It’s lovely.
Ingredients
Gather all ingredients before starting recipe.
- 6 tbsp butter at room temperature, plus extra for greasing baking pan.
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 lb strawberries hulled and halved
Balsamic Glaze
- 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Herbed Crème Fraîsche Topping
- 1/2 cup crème fraîsche, or 1/2 cup rich sour cream
- 2-3 sprigs Rosemary leaves finely chopped
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 350℉
- Slice 1 lb strawberries and add to a medium bowl. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of sugar and set aside until ready to top the cake.
- Mix 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 pinch kosher salt and 1 1/2 tsp baking powder in a small bowl.
- Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar and 6 tbsp butter to a medium sized bowl. Mix on medium speed until the sugar and butter become creamy, about 4-5 minutes.
- Gradually add 1 large egg, 1/2 cup milk and the 1 tsp vanilla extract to the butter mixture. The mixture will look curdled, but this is ok.
- Add the dry ingredients to the egg, butter mixture and beat on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy. The batter will be quite thick.
- Grease an 8" x 8" cake pan with butter and add the cake mixture. Smooth the surface with an offset spatula or knife.
- Top the cake mixture with the sliced strawberries, cut side down. Do not overlap the berries on the cake.
- Transfer cake to a preheated oven and set the timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, reduce heat to 325℉ and bake for another 45 minutes, or until a tooth pick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the cake.
- Remove cake and allow it to come to room temperature before slicing.
Balsamic Glaze
- Combine 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper and any remaining strawberries and accumulated juices in a medium sized saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer gently until the mixture has reduced and has become syrupy, about 10 minutes.
Herbed Crème Fraîsche Topping
- Finely chop 2-3 sprigs Rosemary leaves and combine with 1/2 cup crème fraîsche, or 1/2 cup rich sour cream. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
Serving
- Cut cake into 1" x 2" slices, serve with balsamic glaze drizzled over the slice and top with the Herbed Crème Fraîsche Topping.
