Strawberry Loaf Cake

This loaf cake is super simple to make, and is full of springtime flavor. Filled with fresh strawberries, a touch of cardamom and lemon zest, and topped with a pink glaze colored naturally with freeze dried strawberry powder,  it bakes up perfectly in your Madeleine Loaf Pan.

Ingredients- 

For the cake:

• 360g (3 cups) all purpose flour
  
• 2 tsp baking powder
  
• ½ tsp baking soda
  
• ½ tsp salt
  
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
  
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
  
• 200g white sugar (1 cup)
  
• 110g brown sugar, packed (½ cup)
  
• 2 eggs at room temperature
  
• 118ml neutral vegetable oil (½ cup)
  
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
  
• 250ml milk at room temperature (1 cup + 1 tbsp)
  
• 2 tbsp freeze dried strawberry powder 
  
• 250g fresh strawberries, halved and then quartered (~2 cups)

For the glaze:

• 230g powdered sugar (about 2 cups)
  
• 4 tbsp milk or heavy cream (plus more as needed)
  
• 2 tbsp butter, softened to room temperature
  
• 1 tbsp freeze dried strawberry powder
  

Directions-

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly butter a Madeleine Baking Dish. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, add both sugars and the lemon zest. Massage the lemon zest into the sugar until it is combined and fragrant. Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla paste, and stir thoroughly to combine.
4. In a spouted measuring vessel, stir the freeze dried strawberry powder into the milk until combined. In 3 additions, alternating with the flour mixture, add the milk to the other wet ingredients. Stir well, but do not over mix when adding the flour.
5. Once the batter is smooth and free of lumps, fold in the strawberries.
6. Add the batter to the Madeleine Baking Dish and bake for about an hour. Test for doneness, adding time as needed until the cake is golden brown and baked through.
7. While the cake is baking, make the glaze.
8. Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl, slowly adding more milk or heavy cream until you reach a pourable texture, or your desired consistency.
9. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
10. Serve at room temperature and store any leftovers in the fridge.
11. Enjoy!

Recipe by Marissa Feldman, @marissamakes__