Remove the strawberries from the fridge atleast 2 hours before baking. This helps to keep them away from excess moisture.

Wash strawberries well. Drain them in a colander.

Wipe off any moisture with a clean kitchen cloth or tissues.

Remove the stems. Cut each strawberry vertically into 2. Keep these aside

Grease a 7 or 8 inch cake tray. You can also use a 8.5 by 4.5 inch loaf pan.

Dust flour lightly or line a parchment paper. Set this aside

Preheat the oven to 180 C for atleast 15 mins.

Pour room temperature milk to a mixing bowl.

Add sugar, vinegar or lemon juice.

Pour melted butter and vanilla extract.

Mix all of these until sugar dissolves.

Place a sieve over the mixing bowl.

Add in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to the sieve.

Mix everything lightly with a spoon.

Sieve half of the floor to the mixing bowl.

Mix gently just until combined.

Sieve the rest of the flour.

Mix with a spatula just until combined.

Pour the batter to the cake pan.

Tap the cake tray to kitchen counter twice.

Begin to place the sliced strawberries on top. Keep them as close as possible.

Avoid placing them too much towards the edges.

Sprinkle sugar over the strawberries.

Bake at 180 C for 15 mins.

Then at 170 C for 20 mins if baking in a 7 inch tray.

You can adjust the timings to get a moist or crusty cake top. For moist top check after 30 mins. For crusty cake top, bake for 40 mins. In either cases, a tester/ skewer inserted comes out clean but moist from strawberries.

Cool the cake in the pan for 10 mins.

Remove it to a wire rack. Cool completely.

Dust some powdered sugar just before serving.

Slice the eggless strawberry cake after cooling completely.