Many may be surprised to learn that strawberries are not technically a fruit or even a berry. Botanically, strawberries are classified as a pseudocarp, or “false fruit.” The juicy, red part that we eat is referred to as the receptacle, or the part of the plant that produces the fruit, rather than the fruit itself. The little brown specks that most folks think are seeds are known as achenes and are the actual botanical fruit of the plant.
Technicalities aside, fresh, juicy strawberries are indeed one of the most eagerly anticipated produce items of spring. Whether eaten out of hand or sprinkled onto morning yogurt, peak season strawberries are a joy to use in the kitchen. Some of my favorite ways to enjoy them are exceedingly simple and require little or no real preparation, such as sugar macerated strawberries spooned over ice cream or layered onto a slice of baguette that’s been smeared with whipped ricotta.
When it comes to cooking and baking, strawberries require some special consideration thanks to their especially high water content. Some preparations, like my grandmother’s strawberry preserves, lean into this reality and make good use of all that liquid by simply simmering strawberries and sugar together to make a ruby hued syrup. The sugar poached strawberries and syrup can then be packed into jars, ready to drizzle over pancakes or grace a flakey biscuit.
In other instances, cooks can work to manage all that extra moisture to create the perfect bake. I often do this when preparing a strawberry pie by lightly roasting the strawberries in a hot oven first to concentrate their flavors and pull out some of the liquid, which I drain off and use to make syrup. In other instances, I avoid using fresh strawberries altogether, instead opting for freeze dried strawberry powder to imbue cakes, cookies and frosting with vibrant, tangy flavor. The freeze-drying process concentrates the berries’ flavor but it does not remove acids, meaning that adding the dried berry powder will increase the acidity in the recipe and will alter the way it reacts with alkaline leavening agents. For this reason, it’s important not to add more than one ounce of dried berry powder to a single cake recipe in order to avoid over-leavening the cake, which can cause it to collapse while baking.
GG’s strawberry preserves
6 cups hulled strawberries, whole
5 cups sugar, divided
3 tablespoons white vinegar or lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter
Combine the berries, three cups of the sugar and the vinegar in a non-reactive pot and bring to a boil. Boil for five minutes, then remove from the heat and add the remaining two cups of sugar and the tablespoon of butter, then return to the heat and boil five minutes more. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool, shaking the pan occasionally until it’s fully cooled to room temperature (GG emphasized that this is an important step). Transfer the cooled mixture to freezer safe jars and refrigerate or freeze.
Strawberries and cream cake
Ingredients for the cake:
1 ounce freeze dried strawberries, plus more for decorating
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt (¾ teaspoon regular salt)
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon brandy or vanilla
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
Pink food coloring, optional
Ingredients for glazing the cake:
¾ cup strawberry syrup from strawberry preserves, above
For the icing:
1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
A pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons heavy cream
For decorating:
Additional crushed, freeze-dried strawberries and fresh berries for garnish
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan (or a 9-inch by 13-inch pan) and set aside.
Blitz the freeze-dried berries in a blender or food processor then sift them into a bowl along with the flour and baking soda.
Combine the butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of a mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until fully incorporated, then mix in the brandy or vanilla. Add half the flour and mix in gently, then mix in the sour cream. Add the remaining flour and mix gently until combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared bundt pan and bake in a preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes (40 to 45 minutes for a 9-by-13-inch pan). Remove from the oven and let cool for five minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack.
While the cake is still warm, brush the syrup all over the cake. Allow the syrup to sink in and then continue brushing on more glaze, continuing until all the glaze is used up.
Allow the cake to cool fully before serving and icing. To make the icing, whisk together the powdered sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth to create a thick, barely pourable glaze. Drizzle it over the top of the cake and serve.
This article appears in April 9-15, 2026.
