Sourdough Strawberry Coffee Cake (with browned butter!)
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Use up that sourdough discard you have and make this lovely sourdough strawberry coffee cake! Made with brown butter, fresh strawberries, brown sugar struesel, and a strawberry icing, it makes the perfect Mother’s Day, spring, or summer brunch treat!
The warmer days are coming, and it makes me want all the fresh fruity desserts! When strawberries start becoming affordable at the grocery store, I love to stock up and make some homemade treats, and there’s nothing like this sourdough strawberry coffee cake!
It’s a simple recipe to make and uses fresh strawberries and a simple strawberry icing! I’ll walk you through all the steps below, including browning butter. Which, if you’ve never done it, is very simple to do.
However, if you’re short on time, melting the butter works beautifully for this recipe as well. This strawberry coffee cake is perfect for Mother’s Day, bridal showers, baby showers, or just as a summer treat!
More fruity sourdough desserts
- sourdough discard lemon pound cake
- sourdough strawberry cream cheese buns
- carrot cake sourdough babka
- sourdough lemon scones
- homemade sourdough granola
Ingredients
Browned Butter
- Salted butter – If you’ve never browned butter, I’ll walk you through the steps below. Alternatively, you can just use melted butter, but I highly recommend browning it if you’ve got the time!
Streusel Topping
- Brown sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Salted butter (melted)
Coffee Cake Batter
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder – this helps provide the rise in the coffee cake. You can also use half baking powder/half baking soda.
- Salt
- Browned butter – make sure it is slightly cooled!
- Granulated sugar – You can also use brown sugar, or half and half if you’d like.
- Eggs – make sure your eggs are room temperature!
- Full-fat plain Greek yogurt or sour cream – make sure the yogurt or sour cream is also room temperature. This ensures the cake is soft and tender instead of dense.
- Sourdough discard – you can also use active sourdough starter, but it’s not necessary for the leavening of the cake. Make sure the sourdough starter or discard is room temperature as well.
- Vanilla extract
- Fresh strawberries – washed, patted dry, and sliced.
Strawberry Icing
- Fresh strawberries – you could also use thawed frozen strawberries, but you may want to get rid of some of the extra water once they thaw.
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
Step-By-Step Instructions
Melt the salted butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently. As it foams and begins to brown, watch for golden color and nutty aroma.
The butter is ready when the sizzling subsides and brown specks form on the bottom. Remove from heat and let cool.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a bowl, mix brown sugar, flour, and melted butter until crumbly with small clumps. Set aside.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Gently fold with a spatula until just combined and no dry spots remain. Do not overmix.
Spread half the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half the streusel, then add an even layer of sliced strawberries.
Top with remaining batter and finish with the remaining streusel.
Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool slightly.
Beat diced strawberries, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together until smooth and thick.
Drizzle icing over the slightly cooled cake. Slice and serve.
Helpful Tips for the Best Sourdough Strawberry Coffee Cake
- Watch the butter closely while browning
It can go from perfectly golden to burnt very quickly. Once the sizzling stops and you see brown specks, remove it from the heat immediately. - Use room temperature ingredients
This helps everything mix together smoothly and creates a more even, tender crumb. - Don’t overmix the batter
Gently fold until just combined. Overmixing can lead to a dense, tough cake instead of a soft, fluffy texture. - Distribute strawberries evenly
Spreading them in a single layer prevents soggy spots and ensures every bite has balanced flavor. - Check for doneness in the center
Because of the fruit and layers, the middle takes the longest to bake. Insert a toothpick into the center—look for a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
Equipment Used
- Saucepan or cast-iron skillet (for browning the butter)
- Heat-safe bowl
- 9-inch springform pan
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowls (medium and large)
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Fork (for streusel)
- Sifter or fine mesh sieve
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer (for icing)
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Knife and cutting board (for strawberries)
- Toothpick or cake tester
Storage
- Room Temperature (Short Term) Store the coffee cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1–2 days. If your kitchen is warm, it’s best to refrigerate instead due to the fresh strawberries and icing.
- Refrigerator Place the cake in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4–5 days. The texture will stay moist, though slightly more dense when chilled.
- Before Serving For the best texture and flavor, allow refrigerated slices to come to room temperature or warm gently in the microwave for 10–15 seconds.
Looking for more sourdough discard recipes? Check these out!
- sourdough brown butter banana bread
- sourdough double chocolate chip muffins
- sourdough vanilla bean muffins
- sourdough tres leches cake
Sourdough Strawberry Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Browned Butter
- 1/2 cup salted butter 113 g
Streusel Topping
- 1/2 cup brown sugar 100 g
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 60 g
- 1/4 cup salted butter melted (57 g)
Coffee Cake Batter
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 180 g
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 6 g
- 1/4 teaspoon salt 1.5 g
- 1/2 cup browned butter cooled (113 g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 g
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt or sour cream room temperature (240 g)
- 1/2 cup sourdough discard room temperature (120 g)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 10 g
- 1 heaping cup fresh strawberries sliced (about 170–190 g)
Strawberry Icing
- 1/4 cup fresh strawberries finely diced (40 g)
- 1 cup powdered sugar 120 g
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2.5 g
Instructions
Brown the Butter
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Continue cooking, stirring frequently, as the butter begins to foam.
- Watch closely as it turns golden brown and develops a nutty aroma. Brown specks will form at the bottom—this is what you want.
- You’ll know it’s ready when the sizzling subsides and the butter becomes quiet.
- Remove from heat immediately to prevent burning.
- Pour into a heat-safe bowl and allow it to cool to room temperature.
Prepare the Pan
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
Make the Streusel
- In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, and melted butter.
- Mix with a fork until crumbly and clumps form.
- Set aside.
Mix Dry Ingredients
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Set aside.
Mix Wet Ingredients
Combine Batter
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
- Gently fold with a rubber spatula until just combined and no dry spots remain.
- Do not overmix—this keeps the cake tender.
Assemble the Coffee Cake
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Sprinkle half of the streusel over the batter.
- Add the sliced strawberries in an even layer.
- Carefully spread the remaining batter over the top.
- Finish with the remaining streusel.
Bake
- Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil during the last 10–15 minutes.
- Allow the cake to cool slightly before adding icing.
Make the Strawberry Icing
- Using an electric mixer, beat together the diced strawberries, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- The icing should be thick but pourable. Adjust with a little more powdered sugar if needed.
Finish and Serve
- Drizzle the strawberry icing over the slightly cooled cake.
- Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
Our friends and family devoured this recipe! If you love fresh strawberries, you’ve got to try this sourdough discard strawberry coffee cake! If you do make it, I’d love to hear what you thought.
This looks amazing! Would like to make it tomorrow for a special event next week. Can this be frozen after baking? I thank you in advance.
So sorry I’m just seeing this, Lisa! Yes, you can freeze it! Make sure it is wrapped tightly before putting in the freezer and I’d leave the strawberry icing off until you are ready to serve. Then let it thaw overnight or at least for several hours. Popping it in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit to crisp up the crumble topping would be ideal, if you can!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!